Thunder End of the Year Report Card: Aleksej Pokusevski

Aleksej Pokusevski came into the season as a mystery prospect with serious potential and not much has changed heading into the summer.

It seemed like the forward was coming into his own at the beginning of the season, but an extended injury derailed all of his momentum. He played in just 34 games and only appeared in three games after his leg injury on December 27. If he can replicate the first quarter of the season, Pokusevski can certainly be a useful player in Oklahoma City. The clock might be ticking now, though.

Overall Grade: B-

Overall, Poku made improvements in plenty of areas, even if it was a small sample size. The 7-footer averaged 8.1 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 20.6 minutes per game. His percentages were at an all-time high at 43.4% from the floor and 36.5% from 3-point range. In Pokusevski’s rookie season, he shot 34.1% overall, which is simply a testament to how far his game has come.

Offensively

Pokusevski took less shots and scored more points than the 2021-22 season, which is always a positive sign. He seemed more comfortable on the court than ever before over the first quarter of the season and was starting to gel with Josh Giddey and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

Overall, he still fits the mold of what Oklahoma City is trying to do, but he needs to show all-around improvement next fall. Poku was able to knock down 3-pointers at a higher clip this season, which is what could be his swing factor moving forward. He’s a creative offensive player that has next-level court vision and sees the floor well. Consistency on the offensive end would go a long way.

Pokusevski was also able to cut down on turnovers, too, which is a very positive step to progression. He averaged just 1.3 turnovers per contest, down from 2.2 his rookie season in the NBA.

Defensively

Pokusevski showed more potential than ever before on the defensive end this season. He wasn’t some lockdown defender by any means, but he played his role well and showed serious improvement.

He averaged a career-high 1.3 blocks per game, which was significantly higher than the 0.6 blocks tallied in 2021-2022. As a weak side defender, Pokusevski showed solid instincts and tracking skills, becoming one of the Thunder’s best rim protectors. Sharing the floor with Chet Holmgren at times next season will only make him a better defender, too.

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