Thunder End of the Year Report Card: Jaylen Hoard
Jaylen Hoard’s time with the Thunder was short and sweet but he sure made the most of it. As a member of the OKC Blue and briefly on the Thunder a season ago, Hoard was a familiar face for Thunder fans.
He was signed to a 10-day contract when Oklahoma City was hit by the injury bug and just needed players to suit up. Hoard took his opportunity and ran with it, putting up monster numbers and turning into a double-double machine.
The Wake Forest product averaged 14.7 points and 12 rebounds in seven games with the Thunder. He shot 48.9% from the floor and 36% from 3-point range. In all honesty, Hoard couldn’t have played much better.
Season Grade: A
We can only judge Hoard off the games he played in, and when he was on the floor for the Thunder he was a nightmare in the paint.
The forward had one of the most impressive OKC stat lines of the season, notching 24 points and 21 rebounds on April 5. Then, just three days later, Hoard poured in 27 points and 17 rebounds.
Even if it’s not in Oklahoma City, it’s clear Hoard deserves a shot in the NBA. He’s developed a 3-point jumper and is an athletic scoring wing. At just 23 years old, he will continue to improve and develop too.
While he didn’t showcase it much during his seven games, he has potential to be a solid defender too. Hoard had one game with three steals and another game with two blocks down the stretch. At 6-foot-8, he brings a lot of versatility to the floor.
Hoard was only on the Thunder’s active roster for seven games, but in those seven games he was probably Oklahoma City’s best player. His strong finish to the year should earn him a chance somewhere next season, potentially starting on OKC’s summer league team.
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