Tag: Adelaide 36ers

Report: NBL’s Trentyn Flowers had predraft workout with Thunder

Report: NBL’s Trentyn Flowers had predraft workout with Thunder.

The calendar has flipped to June, which means NBA teams are intensifying their predraft process and hosting players for workouts and visits. The 2024 NBA draft will take place from June 26-27.

The Oklahoma City Thunder enter this year’s class with a sole draft pick of the No. 12 selection. OKC was gifted the free lottery pick via the Houston Rockets.

The Thunder will host several meetings with draft prospects in the coming weeks. This includes players outside the lottery range as OKC will likely seek to add undrafted free agents or even buy back into the second round if it likes someone enough.

One possibility is NBL’s Adelaide 36ers’ Trentyn Flowers. He had a predraft workout with the Thunder on Sunday, per Rookie Wire.

The 19-year-old bypassed the traditional college route and spent last year in Australia with the NBL’s 36ers. He was a five-star recruit out of high school and was previously committed to Louisville.

In 18 games last season, Flowers averaged 5.2 points on 45.8% shooting, 2.9 rebounds and 0.4 assists. He shot 42.1% from 3 on 1.1 attempts. At 6-foot-9, 205 pounds, he has great size for a guard.

Flowers is a potential second-round option for the Thunder. Even though OKC doesn’t own a Day 2 selection, it can easily trade back within range if it likes him enough.

He’s likely a project and would spend much of the season with the G League’s OKC Blue. He’d be a developmental project.

A full list of 2024 NBA draft prospects that have worked out or visited the Thunder in the predraft process can be viewed here.

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OKC Thunder player grades: Tre Mann, two-way players impress in blowout preseason win over NBL’s 36ers

Tre Mann, Eugene Omoruyi and Lindy Waters III each showed out in their own way against the NBL’s Adelaide 36ers.

The Oklahoma City Thunder made sure to not make the same mistake the Phoenix Suns did by starting out strong against the NBL’s Adelaide 36ers in a 33-point loss, 131-98.

The Thunder led the entire way with a lead as large as 40 points.

This game marked the first time Josh Giddey played his first game against his former NBL team since being drafted by the Thunder sixth overall in the 2021 NBA draft.

But the star of the game was Tre Mann — who continues to impress in the preseason after spending all offseason long gaining muscle. Mann scored 26 points and shot 8-of-10 from deep.

Let’s take a look at player grades in the Thunder’s dominating preseason win over the 36ers.

Adelaide 36ers vs. Thunder: Lineups, injury reports and broadcast info for Thursday

Josh Giddey gets the chance to play his old team.

The Oklahoma City Thunder continue their preseason schedule with a game against the NBL’s Adelaide 36ers — Josh Giddey’s former NBL club before he was drafted.

This game will mark the second night of a preseason back-to-back following Wednesday’s two-point loss to the Dallas Mavericks in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

The 36ers defeated the Phoenix Suns in a preseason game earlier this week, so Giddey and company know not to take their opponent lightly.

Giddey sat the entire second half of the Mavericks game, likely ensuring he will play against his former club despite it being a back-to-back.

Kai Sotto helps Adelaide 36ers to first-ever preseason win over NBA team

The 36ers became the first team from the NBL to defeat an NBA team after knocking off the Suns in Phoenix.

The Adelaide 36ers became the first team from the National Basketball League to defeat an NBA team when they knocked off the Phoenix Suns in a preseason game on Sunday.

The game marked the first time since 2019 that teams from the NBL and NBA met on the court. The two leagues started facing each other during the 2017-18 preseason, but the planned annual series was put on hold for two years due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Teams from the NBL previously came close to defeating NBA teams, but they entered Sunday’s contest 0-15. The 134-124 win by the 36ers was just the third time an NBL team scored 100 points or more versus an NBA team.

Craig Randall II drained nine 3s for a team-high 35 points to lead the 36ers, while Robert Franks had 32 points and Antonio Cleveland added 22 points in the win. Kai Sotto, formerly of the NBA G League Ignite, had 11 points in 18 minutes.

The Suns rolled out their usual starting lineup of Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, Deandre Ayton, Devin Booker and Chris Paul. Bridges and Ayton scored 22 points apiece while Booker finished with 13 points and Chris Paul had six points and 12 assists. Each player logged 22 minutes.

The 36ers will wrap up their trip to the United States on Thursday against Josh Giddey and the Oklahoma City Thunder. Giddey played with the 36ers during the 2020-21 season.

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Suns shockingly became the first NBA team to lose a preseason game to a non-NBA team since 2015

What’s going on in Phoenix?!

What is going on in Phoenix?!

Don’t look now, but the Suns are absolutely a mess right now. The last time we saw them on the floor in the playoffs, the organization issued an apology for their performance. After a drama-fueled offseason, Phoenix big Deandre Ayton said that it felt like there was a cloud hanging over the franchise.

These horrible vibes manifested on the court again when the team made its preseason debut, facing off against the Adelaide 36ers from Australia’s NBL on Sunday evening.

Although the 36ers were 28-point underdogs heading into the match against the Suns, who had the best record in the NBA last season, they were actually able to emerge as the improbable victors in this game.

ESPN’s Kevin Pelton noted that this was the first time a non-NBA team defeated an NBA team during a preseason exhibition since Turkey’s Fenerbahce defeated the Nets in 2015.

Adelaide also became the first team from Australia’s NBL to beat a team from the NBA during the preseason. Adelaide’s total payroll is just over $1 million, while Phoenix’s is over $167 million. The 36ers were one of the worst teams in the NBL last season.

Phoenix’s perimeter defense looked particularly poor in this match as the 36ers shot 55.8% on 3-pointers, connecting on 24 shots from beyond the arc.

Craig Randall and Robert Franks combined for 67 points, accounting for 15 of Adelaide’s 3-pointers. Mitch McCarron finished the game with 16 assists, 9 rebounds, 3 steals, and 1 block.

Randall played in the NBA’s G League for the Long Island Nets last season, while Franks won the G League championship with the Lakeland Magic in 2021.

The Suns will have a chance to get back on track in their next preseason game when they face the Los Angeles Lakers on Oct. 5 at 10:00 p.m. EST.

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