Tre Mann Already Ranks Among Best Rookies In Thunder History

When the 2021 NBA Draft came to a close for the Oklahoma City Thunder, all eyes were on Josh Giddey. However, as the the 2021-22 season nears its end, it appears Tre Mann might have been one of the biggest steals of the night.

Selected No. 18 overall by the Thunder, Mann was set to join a rebuilding team where he’d get quite a bit of opportunity.

The University of Florida product had a slow start to his rookie season, but has gradually gotten better as he gets more minutes. After splitting time between the NBA and G League to start the season, Mann really started hitting his stride over the past two months.

With a variety of injuries on the Thunder roster, the explosive rookie was recently promoted to a starting role with a larger opportunity to showcase his talent. Since the beginning of February, Mann has been one of the top rookies in the entire league.

Since Feb. 1, the 6-foot-5 guard has produced 330 points which is good for fourth in his rookie class. He’s notched six games with at least 20 points and two games with at least 30 over this span.

“I can score at all three levels against an NBA defense,” said Mann in February as he began to hit his stride.

Prior to February, Mann’s career-high was just 19 points. His first 20-point game came on Feb. 2, followed by a his first 30-point game on Feb. 14. His 30-point performance came on the biggest stage against the New York Knicks in Madison Square Garden.

More recently, Mann has taken his game to an entirely new level. In two of his past three contests, he’s notched 20 or more points in a single quarter. On Sunday night against the Orlando Magic, he went 7-of-7 in the first half from beyond the arc, tying a Thunder rookie record. This led to 23 points in the second quarter alone, which was also an Oklahoma City rookie record.

He ultimately went on to produce 35 points in that game, which is the most points ever scored in a game by a Thunder rookie. Considering he’s following in the footsteps of players like Russell Westbrook and James Harden who played their first NBA seasons in Oklahoma City, this is even more impressive.

“Just to see his work pay off, it’s special. So fun to watch,” said teammate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander following Mann’s historic night.

Since the beginning of February, Mann is now averaging 15.0 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game. He’s been able to do everything offensively, from scoring at all three levels to facilitating and setting up teammates. He’s also knocked down 35.3% of his 6.8 attempts from deep per contest.

It’s still very early in his career, but Mann already looks like one of the most prolific scorers in his class. Whether it’s as a starter or an elite bench player, it already seems pretty clear that he’ll be a huge piece of the Thunder roster for the next several years as they continue to rebuild.

Mann is just another example of Oklahoma City GM Sam Presti finding talent all throughout the draft.