The Oklahoma City Thunder announced on Sunday that sophomore guard Tre Mann and rookie forward Jaylin Williams were assigned to the G League’s OKC Blue.
Neither move should come as a surprise as Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault revealed the moves following their win over the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday.
Daigneault said the decision to assign Mann to the G League was a pre-planned move and was not made on a whim. The timing is funny though. Mann had his best game in a while against the Grizzlies as he finished with 11 points on 4-of-8 shooting and 2-of-5 from 3 in 18 minutes.
When asked about the G League assignment, Mann said he’s embracing it as an opportunity to gain confidence and not viewing it as a demotion.
“Looking forward to it. Ready to go with the Blue,” Mann said. “Just grow. That’s my mindset going down there.”
Mann has struggled in his second season, regressing to 8.3 points on 38.1 percent shooting. From 3, Mann is shooting 28.8 percent on 4.6 attempts.
A quick reset with the Blue could do wonders for Mann as it gives him a platform to play more freely and not worry about minimizing risks.