He had exceeded the 10-point mark only nine times this season, but Thunder rookie Tre Mann went into overdrive to help his team win in Dallas after overtime (120-114) .
The explosive scorer passed by Florida actually ended up with a career-high 29 points (the 4th highest score by a rookie this season), with a very nice 6/8 from 3-pointers including a bomb to the nose and Luka Doncic’s beard, feet in cement and completely helpless…
“Make them pay with your offensive qualities. That’s why you’re in the field.” had whispered Mark Daigneault in his ears before the in-between. And the OKC rookie performed wonderfully.
Established at the back with the injury of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Tre Mann grabbed the ball with a bleeding first quarter at 10 points in 9 minutes of play, before putting it back on the return from the locker room with a 3rd quarter to 11 points in 10 minutes, all at 4/4 on shots including 3/3 at 3-points!
“He just had the mentality to take the open shots and be decisive in his actions,” appreciated his coach inThe Oklahoman. “That’s what he has to do. It’s not easy, and it’s not as if he’s solved the problem once and for all and we can move on… But, this match is in any case a huge step in the right direction for him. “
At a throw of 30 points
Drafted as the 18th choice last July, Tre Mann is averaging just 7 points and 2 rebounds, but his smaller but toned profile and real serial scorer seems to be perfectly complementary to the two backs in place for a good while, more taller and more poised: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Josh Giddey.
“That’s what I was thinking about all game: stay aggressive! “, admits Tre Mann.
Just before him in the order of passage in the post-match press conference, Josh Giddey could not help but chamber his classmate, who missed the symbolic bar of 30 points because of an ultimate to throw…
“He didn’t manage to reach 30 points, but hey, he still played well the whole game. “
Waiting his turn, bag on his back, Tre Mann could only roll his eyes and crack a small smile. At this rate, he will have his game at 30 points (or more) soon, that’s for sure.
| Tre Mann | Percentage | Bounces | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | GM | Minimum | Shots | 3 points | LF | Off | Def | Early | pd | party | Int | bp | CT | Points |
| 2021-22 | OKAY | 36 | 18 | 39.2 | 36.4 | 69.7 | 0.3 | 1.8 | 2.1 | 0.8 | 1.7 | 0.6 | 0.8 | 0.2 | 7.2 |
| Total | 36 | 18 | 39.2 | 36.4 | 69.7 | 0.3 | 1.8 | 2.1 | 0.8 | 1.7 | 0.6 | 0.8 | 0.2 | 7.2 | |
