Oklahoma City will soon resume preseason action, and it will be giving a golden opportunity to some of its two-way players.
After the Thunder opened their preseason slate with a couple of games against the New Orleans Pelicans and Milwaukee Bucks, they'll be heading out of the state for the first time this season. On Monday night, the Thunder will tip off the front end of another preseason back-to-back against the Atlanta Hawks, but this matchup will come with a twist.
At practice on Saturday, Mark Daigneault noted that most or all of the Thunder's returning rotation players will remain in Oklahoma City as the team heads to Atlanta. Without a large chunk of the roster, the Thunder's two-way players should get an opportunity to prove themselves in a big way.
Although it's tough to say who Atlanta might throw on the floor, given that it's preseason action, the Thunder's young guys will still have a chance to prove themselves. Considering Oklahoma City still has an open spot on the standard 15-man roster, a matchup like this could work heavily in favor of one of Brooks Barnhizer, Otega Oweh or Josh Dix.
Given that Oweh and Dix are rookies, they'll be names to watch throughout the year, but this sort of game could give either an opportunity to break out a bit. While neither has stood out much in preseason thus far, Monday night could be the perfect storm for one of them to showcase exactly what could make them stick at the NBA level.
However, the most intriguing player to watch on Monday could be Barnhizer. Back on a two-way deal for his second NBA season, Barnhizer was someone who stood out a bit last preseason, but he could really make his mark this time around.
Perhaps the frontrunner for the final standard roster spot, Barnhizer's year of experience with the Thunder should be on display in Atlanta. A solid preseason through two games, Barnhizer having a standout performance against the Hawks could go a long way in his quest for a standard roster spot, especially if Atlanta plays its regular rotation.
Overall, the Thunder's game in Atlanta probably won't mean much in the grand scheme of the preseason and training camp. However, a big night from someone on a two-way deal could still be a key factor in how the Thunder attack filling the final roster spot, whenever that time comes.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nba/thunder/onsi as OKC Thunder Two-Way Players Must Take Advantage of Opportunity in Atlanta .
