A Pair of Thunder Players Poised for Breakout Campaigns This Year
Much like last season, the 2021-22 year will be about development in Oklahoma City.
Alongside the ever-blossoming Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the Thunder will again create a low-pressure environment for players to continue their growth.
All eyes will be on Aleksej Pokusevski after an encouraging close to last year.
General Manager Sam Presti made the determination that Pokusevski didn’t need the extra work at Summer League, a sign that the Serbian is hopefully focusing on adding to his 7-foot-0 frame.
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Whether it’s from the jump in the starting lineup or off the bench, Pokusevski will continue to get a ton of minutes as he leads the way in OKC’s new draft strategy of bigs who can create like a point guard.
Averaging 10.0 points per game over his final 10 games of the season, Pokusevski continued to look confident and comfortable as he was forced into a starting role due to OKC’s injuries.
If Pokusevski can find some consistency in his shot and limit the turnovers, he could be a positive contributor for Oklahoma City in 2021, a few years ahead of schedule for the former first-round draft pick.
Ty Jerome could also take a step forward in 2021, as he looked very comfortable coming off the bench and shooting the 3-ball last year for the Thunder.
Starting off last season in the G League Bubble with the Oklahoma City Blue, Jerome provided a major scoring punch off the bench, shooting 42.3 percent from deep for the entire year.
Though the Thunder are loaded with point guards, Jerome proved he has tons of value as he excels at creating for his teammates along with his sharpshooting.
He’s a player who didn’t really have a chance to get acclimated to either the Thunder or his teammates a year ago, as he carried an injury into camp, so a proper preseason with Mark Daigneault and the rest of his teammates in OKC could see him further cement himself in the bench unit and potentially emerge as Oklahoma City’s Sixth Man.
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