Otega Oweh probably isn't going to earn the Oklahoma City Thunder's final roster spot by walking into training camp and trying to prove he can be the team's next big scorer. That's not what Oklahoma City needs from him.
What Oweh needs to show is the same thing everyone else will or has had to do and that's that he can be trusted. It sounds simple, but for a young player trying to crack the roster of a team with championship expectations, it might be the most important thing he can do.
Oweh already has some of the physical tools that make him intriguing. He's strong, athletic and plays with an edge. At 6-foot-4 and around 215 pounds, he has the size to handle bigger guards and some wings, while his athleticism allows him to stay in front of quicker players.
Defense should be where he makes his first impression.
The Thunder have consistently valued players who can defend without needing to be hidden. Oweh has a chance to fit that identity. If he can come into training camp and show that he can stay in front of people, fight through screens, switch when necessary and make things uncomfortable for opposing guards, he gives himself a real chance.
He doesn't need to be Cason Wallace, Alex Caruso, or a Lu Dort replacement. He just needs to make opposing players wish they weren't being guarded by him.
The other big piece is his shot.
Oweh shot 33.3% from three at Kentucky, so there's still plenty of room for improvement. That number probably isn't going to scare defenses away from helping off him, and that could become a problem if he wants consistent NBA minutes. But he doesn't have to turn into an elite shooter overnight.
If Oweh can become a reliable catch-and-shoot option, that might be enough. When Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren and the rest of Oklahoma City's creators have the ball, Oweh needs to make teams pay when they leave him open.
And if they close out too hard, that's where he can use his athleticism.
Oweh has shown that he can attack the basket and finish through contact. He can be useful as a guy who catches the ball, sees a defender flying at him and immediately gets downhill.
He just has to keep it simple.
The Thunder don't need Oweh to dribble the air out of the ball or try to create something every time he touches it. They need him to make the right play. Attack when there's an opening. Pass when the defense collapses. Cut when someone else has the ball. Run the floor.
Those things can earn a young player minutes. So can playing hard when nobody is watching the box score.
Oweh should be one of those players who sprints back on defense, crashes into the paint for rebounds and makes the extra effort play. On a team as deep and talented as Oklahoma City, those little things can be the difference between sitting at the end of the bench and being part of the rotation.
And that's probably the biggest challenge for Oweh. The Thunder aren't desperate for another player who can score. They need players who can fit around the stars.
With Lu Dort, Aaron Wiggins, and Isaiah Joe no longer on the roster, there is an opportunity for someone to eventually take on some of those minutes. Oweh has a chance to make that opportunity his.
He doesn't need to do everything. He just needs to do a few things really well.
If he can defend, knock down open shots and use his athleticism without forcing the issue, Oweh could make a strong case that he belongs on the Thunder's final roster.
At this point, the opportunity is there. Now it's about making the Thunder feel like they'd be making a mistake by giving that spot to someone else.
