Player grades: Thunder still undefeated in Vegas with 92-75 Summer League win over Magic

USA Today

5 days ago

Receiving a catch-and-shoot look from Nikola Topic, Branden Carlson didn't take long to make up for lost time as he swished in a top-of-the-key look. Usually, at this juncture of the Summer League, not much interest is left. All the top players and most fans have left. But flexing its ridiculous depth, OKC is an exception.
The Oklahoma City Thunder cruised to a 92-75 Summer League win over the Orlando Magic. They remain undefeated at Las Vegas with a 3-0 record and have a chance to clinch a playoff spot.
As the gyms get emptier with each passing day in Vegas, this is where the basketball sickos show out. The Magic were without Tristan da Silva and Jase Richardson, but the Thunder saw Carlson suit up for the first time. OKC held a 17-15 lead after the first quarter. Orlando struggled to score without a true top option.
Carlson continued a hot start in the second quarter. He knocked down an early outside bucket to give the Thunder momentum. They built some distance on the scoreboard, but the Magic slowly chipped away. OKC scored the last nine points of the half as Nikola Topic feathered in a floater.
The Thunder scored 25 points in the second frame and entered halftime with a 42-34 lead. The short break didn't disrupt their flow. Carlson was fouled on a corner 3-pointer he swished in. That helped them get up by 52-37 less than two minutes into the third frame.
Backed by Ajay Mitchell's relentless drives to the basket, the Thunder scored 31 points in the third quarter. They held a 73-61 lead over the Magic. The fourth quarter turned skippable as OKC scored 19 points. Broadcast member Isiah Thomas couldn't stop gushing over Carlson and how he landed on the NBA champion's lap.
The Thunder shot 44% from the field and went 7-of-26 (26.9%) from 3. They shot 15-of-16 on free throws. They had 18 assists on 35 baskets. Three Thunder players scored double-digit points.
Mitchell led the way with 27 points and seven rebounds. Carlson had 23 points and seven rebounds. Topic finished with eight points and six assists. Malevy Leons had 10 points and five rebounds off the bench.
Meanwhile, the Magic shot 32% from the field and went 9-of-36 (25%) from 3. They shot 24-of-26 on free throws. They had 15 assists on 21 baskets. Five Magic players scored double-digit points.
Ethan Thompson had 16 points and four rebounds. Wendell Moore Jr. finished with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Nate Santos had 11 points. Skal Labissiere and Johnell Davis each scored 10 points to round up Orlando's top scorers.
The deeper the Thunder get into the Summer League, the more fun their games get. They remain undefeated in Las Vegas and have a legitimate shot at making the four-team knockout playoff. This time, Carlson's return after being out for the entire July event was worth watching. Mitchell and Topic also had their moments as the starting backcourt.
Let's look at Thunder player grades:
Branden Carlson: A-plus
Running a pick-and-roll with Topic, Carlson showed off his hops when he jumped in the air and threw down the alley-oop. Everybody has talked about how much better the former would look with a seven-footer. The latter showed why those talks were right as they cosplayed as Chris Paul and Blake Griffin.
Carlson finished with 23 points on 9-of-13 shooting and seven rebounds. He shot 4-of-6 from 3 and went 1-of-1 on free throws. He also had two blocks.
An ankle injury cost Carlson the beginning of the Summer League. He sat out the Thunder's first five games but was productive when he signed a two-way deal in that absence. The 26-year-old showed off why they were so determined to keep him on their roster when they tendered a qualifying offer.
Against a short-handed Magic squad, Carlson made up for lost time. He dominated at every spot on the floor. The stretch big was a textbook kick-out option and the seven-footer's size helped him finish through a packed paint with dunks.
The Thunder have given fans reasons to watch these final Summer League games. Carlson flashed throughout last season and dominated in the G League. His combination of size and shooting caused the broadcast to spend most of the second half wondering why nobody else saw his talent as a 2024 undrafted player.
Ajay Mitchell: A-plus
Battling through several defenders, Mitchell banked his layup in and heard a whistle. An and-one bucket caused the 23-year-old to celebrate the move as he turned in another efficient scoring performance to lead the Thunder.
Mitchell finished with 27 points on 9-of-13 shooting, seven rebounds and four assists. He shot 1-of-2 from 3 and went 8-of-9 on free throws. He also had two steals and one block.
Hearing all Summer League long that he was simply too good to participate in the two-week event, Mitchell saved his best performance for his possible last game. The drive-heavy scorer found lanes to the basket. He muscled his way past traffic and had enough touch to score or draw a whistle.
That's been a theme in the Thunder's Summer League. Mitchell has grown as a scorer. He entered the event as the undisputed best player and took advantage of the extra on-ball reps to look eerily similar to his teammate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The high free-throw attempt numbers have been consistent enough to hope it translates over to next season.
Not much else is left to prove for Mitchell in this environment. Maybe he keeps playing just because. The Thunder could earn a playoff nod and be one of the four teams that advance to the knockout stage. But this is already a successful July.
Nikola Topic: B-minus
Helping swing the ball around, Topic has darted the ball to outside shooters in skinny passing lanes. He was also as surgical as the pick-and-roll handler with a couple of connections. As he gains more confidence, it shouldn't be a shocker to see OKC's offense look better with the 19-year-old calling the shots.
Topic finished with eight points on 4-of-12 shooting, six assists and five rebounds. He shot 0-of-2 from 3. He also had two steals.
Because of Mitchell and Carlson, the Thunder didn't need Topic to step up as a scorer. Instead, he kept the ball moving and played within the flow. He had five turnovers, but you'll eat that if it means the 2024 lottery pick flexes his passing skills.
What Topic did here can easily be replicated in the regular season. Playing with a seven-footer further unlocked what he could do as a playmaker. Now, imagine those rolls being run by Chet Holmgren or Isaiah Hartenstein. He showed off some of his scoring touch with his floater and picked his spots to score.
We'll see how much longer Topic plays in the Summer League, but this has been a successful trip. He was the Thunder's most important player after he missed the last year with a partially torn ACL. After some initial rust, the 19-year-old looked more comfortable with some miles on his legs.
Brooks Barnhizer: C
After another stop, Barnhizer threw down a transition dunk in the final minutes that forced the Magic to call a timeout. Both teams cleared their benches as the jam was the punctuation mark.
Barnhizer finished with eight points on 2-of-5 shooting, three assists and two rebounds. He shot 4-of-4 on free throws. He also had a steal.
The Thunder locked down the short-handed Magic. Barnhizer played a role in that. He will make his name on that side of the ball. Besides that, not a whole ton else to write about the two-way player's performance. He remained in the starting lineup despite some changes and showed why he can play with any combination of players.
It's been a solid Summer League for Barnhizer. His best games were in Las Vegas. He's racked up a historic number of steals and has shown some off-ball saviness to make up for his lack of shot. The 23-year-old will likely spend most of his rookie year in the G League.
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