Projecting Darius Bazley's Role Next Season

With all of the summer league excitement this past month, it’s easy to forget which young teams still have legitimate stats on the roster.

For instance, after watching Josh Giddey and Chet Holmgren pair up for the past few weeks, it seems like everyone has almost forgotten that Oklahoma City also has Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on the roster. And that’s a good thing for the Thunder.

There are only a handful of those “veteran” Thunder players that didn’t suit up in Las Vegas. Along with Gilgeous-Alexander, both Lu Dort and Darius Bazley were previous summer league standouts with too much NBA experience to step back down. While SGA and Dort are both locked in long term, the future is a bit more uncertain for Bazley.

The stretch forward has had ups-and-downs in Oklahoma City, but his main issue has been consistency on the floor. For stretches, it can seem like Bazley has really figured it out. He displayed true promise as a pick-and-roll post and a play-finisher. He was a solid lob compliment to Giddey and became Oklahoma City’s best form of rim protection for most of the 2022 season.

He has potential as a ball-handling forward that can work his way to the rim with ease. He’s shown flashes of 3-point shooting, but again, his consistency from behind the line has been frustrating. The most concerning part for Thunder fans is the lack of improvement over the last few seasons. Bazley has looked a lot like the player he was during his rookie season: turnover prone, inconsistent and loads of potential.

His ability to guard 1-through-5 with extreme versatility on the floor is enough for Oklahoma City to hold onto hope. Pairing an athletic, strong forward like Bazley with a generational talent in Holmgren could mask some of him flaws, too. With another creator and 3-point shooter on the floor, Bazley would be able to really hone in on his role.

With fewer self-creation and step-back 3-pointers, he could be the efficient do-it-all forward he was drafted to be - just in a lesser role. OKC would have four solid offensive options in SGA, Giddey, Dort and Holmgren, allowing Bazley to star in his role as a rim protector and a play finisher.

If he doesn’t fit the Thunder’s vision for the starting lineup this season, his value off the bench could be crucial. Oklahoma City’s roster is finally filling out, but the depth is still a work in progress. Either way, Bazley still has a chance to play his way into future plans.

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