Player grades: Thunder drop 109-80 Summer League loss to Hornets in playoff semifinal

USA Today

6 days ago

Hoping to get greedy and bring home a second championship ring within the month, OKC fans were served a nice slice of humility pie. It's the first time the fanbase has received a piece in a while after they experienced the greatest month in franchise history.
The Oklahoma City Thunder suffered a 109-80 Summer League semifinal loss to the Charlotte Hornets. The 29-point humiliation was part of the four-team SL playoff that will determine the winner of the July extravaganza.
Even though Nikola Topic and Ajay Mitchell were out, Kon Knueppel still suited up. That gave this playoff matchup some pazzazz. It was a nice surprise to see the 2025 No. 4 pick still playing this deep into the Summer League, especially since Tidjane Salaun was out.
Without a true playmaker, the Thunder endured another slow start. They couldn't buy a bucket as they faced a 23-16 deficit against the Hornets after the first quarter. The halfcourt offense was about as messy as you'd imagine.
It only got worse from that point. Branden Carlson was called for a clear-path foul as he turned it over midcourt. The Thunder hoped to change the call with a challenge that didn't go their way. A few plays later, Knueppel swished in a catch-and-shoot 3-pointer to blow it open as Charlotte opened the frame on a 12-1 run.
The Thunder only scored 17 points in the second quarter. They entered halftime in a 52-33 deficit. That only grew to start the second half. Any faint hopes of a comeback were quickly erased. Knueppel caught Jazian Gortman behind his hip to draw the 3-point shooting foul. The savvy transition move made the rookie look like a veteran.
The Thunder scored 29 points in the third quarter, but it was ineffective. They entered the final frame in an 87-62 deficit. Already dwindling in crowd size, most folks likely changed channels as the rest of the game had zero stakes involved and played out of necessity.
It was another snoozefest frame. The Thunder only scored 18 points in the fourth quarter as the end of their bench subbed in and logged minutes. As the broadcast crew talked about the NBA's 2025-26 season, they trailed by as many as 34 points.
The Thunder shot 32% from the field and went 13-of-40 (32.5%) from 3. They shot 13-of-18 on free throws. They had 13 assists on 27 baskets. Four Thunder players scored double-digit points.
Barnhizer finished with 10 points and three rebounds. Carlson had 12 points and seven rebounds. Malevy Leons tallied 10 points. Erik Reynolds II took advantage of the playing time with 16 points off the bench.
Meanwhile, the Hornets shot 53% from the field and went 13-of-35 (37.1%) from 3. They shot 18-of-23 on free throws. They had 27 assists on 39 baskets. Five Hornets players scored double-digit points.
Knueppel had 17 points and three rebounds. Jaylen Sims scored 25 points on 10-of-14 shooting. MJ Walker had 13 points and seven rebounds. PJ Hall had 12 points. A couple of players almost had triple-doubles. Damion Baugh had 10 points, nine rebounds and nine assists. KJ Simpson had eight points, 10 rebounds and seven assists.
Well, that was a sour ending to a sweet two-week experience. The Thunder saw their top players shine in Utah and Las Vegas. But with a chance to bring home a Summer League championship, the lack of scoring talent finally caught up to them against a stacked Hornets squad who still had their best player suit up.
Let's look at Thunder player grades:
Brooks Barnhizer: D
Daring Barnhizer to beat them from deep, the Hornets' strategy to leave the 23-year-old unbothered from the perimeter paid off. A productive two-week stint was poorly ended as his limitations were shoved straight into the viewers' faces.
Barnhizer finished with 10 points on 3-of-12 shooting, three rebounds and two assists. He shot 1-of-6 from 3 and went 3-of-4 on free throws. He also had a steal.
The Thunder needed Barnhizer to step up as their top scorer. It was a tall task that bordered on unfair. After all, he's only been a role player for most of his basketball life. To ask him to take that next step in this environment was too high an order.
After being drafted, most Thunder fans had no clue about Barnhizer. He was an unknown who wasn't on anybody's radar. But a quick glimpse of his Northwestern highlights with what he did in the Summer League was a textbook crash course on his profile.
While the defense is a real talent, Barnhizer's NBA ambitions will likely be decided by whether he can hit his outside looks. The ugly side of that was fully displayed in this playoff game. It's not new information to most, but this lackluster performance was a tangible example of why that'll be necessary.
Branden Carlson: C-minus
Grabbing the ball at midcourt, Carlson couldn't save the possession. He had the ball knocked out of his hands after a couple of dribbles. Out of pure frustration, he grabbed Baugh's shorts to prevent the fastbreak but ended up committing a costly clear-path foul that didn't get overturned after a challenge.
Carlson finished with 12 points on 5-of-10 shooting, seven rebounds and two assists. He shot 1-of-3 from 3 and went 1-of-2 on free throws.
These last two Summer League games showed Carlson's limitations. While he's a legitimate catch-and-shoot threat, he needs playmakers to set him up. The 26-year-old can't really create his own looks. Even his sole highlight of a forgettable outing was an alley-oop he connected on with Barnhizer.
Nothing wrong with that. If Carlson carves out an NBA career, it'll be because he's a stretch center. Just wouldn't take much away from two straight flat outings after he returned from an ankle sprain. He's still worth a two-way spot and has shown enough flashes to warrant another season.
Chris Youngblood: C-minus
Camping in the paint, Youngblood was called for a defensive three-second violation. Tough luck. It was another moment that highlighted a game filled with lowlights. He couldn't make up for the scoring vacuum with Topic and Mitchell out.
Youngblood finished with eight points on 3-of-4 shooting, five rebounds and three assists. He shot 2-of-3 from 3. He also had one steal.
The Thunder hoped Youngblood could continue his hot outside shooting. He's been their best threat from beyond the perimeter during the entire Summer League. Instead, foul trouble kept him off the court and a lack of kick-out passers made him invisible.
Even though Youngblood delivered a nothing-burger, he was still the biggest standout among the Thunder's undrafted rookies. The 23-year-old was a great off-ball movement shooter whose quick motion required less than a second to attempt a look.
If the Thunder add somebody from their Summer League roster to the third two-way player spot, Youngblood made the most compelling case. You always need outside shooting. He's shown enough variety to be more than your standard catch-and-shoot threat.
Erik Reynolds II: B-minus
As most of the second half turned inconsequential, Reynolds II made the most of the extra minutes. He was on a mission to leave Las Vegas for being more than just the guy who scored on his own basket in a brain fart moment. The 22-year-old got hot as most fans turned this game into background noise.
Reynolds II finished with 16 points on 5-of-12 shooting and one rebound. He shot 5-of-11 from 3. He also had one steal. He made three triples in the fourth quarter.
Diving for a loose ball, Reynolds II left it all on the floor. He crashed into a set of vacant chairs despite the game being unofficially over. While Thunder fans weren't interested, the players on the court were. The undrafted rookie wants to leave a good impression to at least get a G League contract.
Let's see if this late-game explosion is enough. If not on the Thunder, at least somewhere else. Reynolds II went undrafted out of Saint Joseph's. He was a high-volume outside shooter during his college career. Those are always needed at any level.
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