End of the Season Thunder Awards: Rookie of the Year
InsideTheThunder.com's End of the Season Thunder Awards series continues with the Rookie of the Year.
After moving up in the draft to select Aleksej Pokusevski, Sam Presti smartly selected Theo Maledon with the 34th pick to round out Oklahoma City's rookie class.
Nick Crain's Pick: Theo Maledon
Choosing the Thunder’s best rookie is certainly a tough task. In fact, both Aleksej Pokusevski (Pick 17) and Theo Maledon (Pick 34) both exceeded expectations in year one.
To me, Maledon takes the cake, even as good as Pokusevski was. Maledon led the team in total minutes played this season, staying healthy and always making himself available. Additionally, he was first on the team in total points, first in total steals, second in total made threes, fourth in total points and sixth in total rebounds.
Again, while he had the most minutes on the floor to accumulate stats, it’s still extremely impressive for a 19 year old who was just picked in the second round. In comparison to all rookies, he was top-ten in total points, threes and free throws made.
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He also notched a 30+ point game this season, making him the second rookie in Thunder history to do so (Russell Westbrook).Starting 49 games on the season, Maledon was asked to do more than most rookies around the league in his first season. However, he stepped up to the challenge and looked like one of the biggest steals of the draft.
Ryan Chapman's Pick: Theo Maledon
Deciding between Theo Maledon and Aleksej Pokusevski was tough as they both had their ups and downs throughout the season.
But Maledon’s ability to step in for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and keep the Thunder offense moving with some short of structure tipped the balance in his favor.
The No. 34-overall pick in the NBA Draft, Maledon came in and averaged 10.1 points per game on 36.8 percent shooting from the field.
Adding 3.5 assists and 3.2 rebounds per game, Maledon proved from the jump he’s a well-rounded player and will have a future with the Thunder for years to come.
The cherry on top of his rookie season was setting the rookie 3-point record for Oklahoma City.
Derek Parker's Pick: Theo Maledon
Theo Maledon had one of the most successful Thunder rookie seasons ever.
Playing a team-high in minutes this season, Maledon quickly became a vital piece to Oklahoma City's starting rotation.
Despite being mildly inefficient, Maledon played well above his experience level, boasting 10.1 points, 3.5 assists and 3.2 rebounds per game this season.
Maledon also set the rookie 3-point record, a pivotal plus in today's NBA.
Drafted No. 34 overall, Maledon overachieved greatly in his first season, giving Thunder fans plenty of reasons to be excited for the upcoming years.
