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The OKC Thunder and Detroit Pistons will lock horns in the 2021 NBA Summer League on Sunday at the Thomas & Mack Center. The two teams were very active on draft day, making four picks apiece.
The OKC Thunder's #6 pick Josh Giddey and the Detroit Pistons' #1 pick Cade Cunningham will be leading the charge for their respective teams. Both franchises have been rebuilding since the start of last season, and will be keen to do well in the Summer League.
Match Details
Fixture - OKC Thunder vs Detroit Pistons | NBA Summer League 2021.
Date & Time - Sunday, August 8th, 2021, 8:30 PM ET (Monday, 6:00 AM IST).
Venue - Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas, NV.
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OKC Thunder Preview
The OKC Thunder announced their 2021 NBA Summer League roster on Saturday. It is headlined by #6 pick Josh Giddey, second-year guard Theo Maledon and #18 pick Tre Mann. Meanwhile, the Thunder's other two 2021 draft picks, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl and Aaron Wiggins, will also feature.
The OKC Thunder have an exciting squad for next season. The Summer League presents them with a great opportunity to see where they stand regarding player development and chemistry.
Also Check out: OKC Thunder Complete NBA Summer League Schedule
It is a fairly inexperienced squad, with Maledon the only player with a decent amount of experience playing in the NBA. He featured in 66 games (starting 49) last season, averaging 10.1 points per contest. The likes of Charlie Brown Jr., Josh Hall and Jaylen Hoard also played last season, but did not receive a significant amount of playing time.
Key Player - Josh Giddey
Josh Giddey, drafted as the #6 pick by the OKC Thunder, did raise some eyebrows, especially concerning his fit with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in the backcourt.
Nonetheless, GM Sam Presti and the OKC Thunder organization deemed him to be the right choice as their top 10 pick in the draft. They will now expect him to play to his potential on Sunday against Cade Cunningham and the Detroit Pistons.
Giddey will likely play as the point guard, and will be given the responsibility to run the team's offense. He will likely have an enticing duel against Cunningham that could be key in the game's outcome.
OKC Thunder Predicted Lineup
G - Josh Giddey, G - Theo Maledon, F - Charlie Brown Jr., F - Josh Hall, C- Jeremiah Robinson-Earl.
Detroit Pistons Preview
The Detroit Pistons have a lot of their young core pieces in their 2021 NBA Summer League roster. It includes the likes of Cade Cunningham, Saddiq Bey, Killian Hays, Sekou Doumbouya and Saben Lee.
The Pistons are expected to play with great intensity as they aim to find a fit between the aforementioned players heading into the 2020-21 NBA season. They are all expected to be with the team for the next 3-4 years, and will be crucial in making the Detroit Pistons playoff contenders again.
Also Check out: Detroit Pistons Complete NBA Summer League Schedule
Cade Cunningham and Saddiq Bey will be crucial to their hopes of winning it all in the 2021 NBA Summer League. Cunningham recently spoke about the off-season tournament, and is keen to help his team stay undefeated during the competition.
Key Player - Cade Cunningham
Cade Cunningham will have many eyes on him after he became the latest #1 draft pick in the NBA. He will likely run the team's offense as the point guard, so a solid performance would be great for him and the Detroit Pistons moving forward.
It will be interesting to see how he pairs up with someone like Saddiq Bey, who was one of the standout rookies last season.
Detroit Pistons Predicted Lineup
G - Cade Cunningham G - Killian Hayes, F -Saddiq Bey, F - Sekou Doumbouya, C- Luka Garza.
Thunder vs Pistons Prediction
The OKC Thunder and Detroit Pistons will both be fielding very young and inexperienced lineups on Sunday. The Pistons, in terms of their talent on paper, seem to have the better squad. So they will have a slight advantage against the Thunder. Most of their core will be on the court together, so one can expect them to play better than the rest of the teams in the 2021 NBA Summer League.
Where to watch the Thunder vs Pistons game?
The game between the OKC Thunder and the Detroit Pistons will be televised on ESPN 2. Fans can also stream the game online via NBA League Pass.
