Otega Oweh knows the part of his game that needs the most polish, and he’s not dancing around it.
The Oklahoma City Thunder’s second-round pick and two-way player said Monday at media day that the next step is simple: knock down open looks from deep. With Oklahoma City carrying a refreshed roster and only 14 players on the roster, the rookie could have a real chance to get on the floor this season.
“I feel really good right now,” Oweh said Monday at media day. “For me, I feel like I just got to make open threes, really, and being on a team like this with a lot of great and unselfish guys, I feel like I’m going to be in a lot of positions where I’m going to have to.
So everything is reps, and you know, for me, it’s nothing but reps. I’m excited and looking forward to getting on the court.
That’s the lane Oweh is trying to carve out. The Kentucky product put up 18.6 points and 1.8 steals in his final season there, but the Thunder are looking for consistency from him on the perimeter. As a senior, he attempted 3.8 threes per game, the highest mark of his college career, but he also hit just 33.3% of them.
That makes the open jumper the obvious swing skill. Oklahoma City’s ball movement should create those chances, and Oweh’s role is expected to look a lot like Cason Wallace’s: play off the ball, keep the offense flowing, and be ready when the ball swings his way. More often than not, that means waiting on the arc for a catch-and-shoot opportunity.
If he can pair his defensive reputation with better accuracy from deep, Oweh could push himself toward a bigger role down the line. For now, the blueprint is clear: stay ready, take the open threes, and let the reps do the work.
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