OKC Fantasy Basketball Expectations… Continued

Here are more players to keep an eye on from this young OKC squad: Darius Bazley, Theo Maledon and Ty Jerome. How will these guys look next season for dynasty/standard managers next season? How will their minutes look next season? Will they be starters or bench players? It’s hard to tell but for the most part, their spots in the rotation look pretty solid except for Maledon.

Darius Bazley: Late Round Pick/Potential Breakout Season

Bazley was a staple in the rotation last season but it didn’t result in a whole of success fantasy-wise. His percentages were a lot to be desired (.396% FG, 29% 3-PT, 70% FT). His turnovers were also a problem, managing a problematic 2.2 turnovers compared to only 1.8 assists a game. Another issue with his fantasy skillset were his lack of defensive stats. He managed to average .5 steals and .5 blocks a game. His points and rebounds weren’t too bad, putting up 13.7 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.5 threes a game. After an injury-plagued second year, Bazley could make a difference next year. He’s only 21 years old and his ability to score and rebound could grow even more next season. Moses Brown is no longer there, so Bazely will space the floor even more, giving him more room to slash and possibly grab more boards. He’s looking like a nice steal in the later rounds if he’s able to up his efficiency and improve his counting stats.

Ty Jerome: Late Round Pick/Free Agent Pickup

Jerome proved to be a difference maker for this squad when he was traded from Phoenix. However, with the return of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, addition of Kemba Walker and the emergence of Maledon, things could get ugly. Things probably won’t be bad for too long since OKC is rumored to trade to Walker very soon. If Walker does leave, Maledon and Jerome would split the backup point guard minutes. It does depend on if OKC decides to address their point guard needs but if they leave it as it is then Jerome could be looking at a good amount of minutes off the bench. He is capable of playing three positions and his peripheral stats are pretty decent (10.7 points, 2.8 rebounds, 3.6 assists). Per 36 mins, he’s averaging a nice 16.1 points, 4.2 rebounds, 5.5 assists and a steal a game. His efficiency is also good (.446% FG, .48% 3-PT, .77% FT). He only averaged 1.4 turnovers a game as well. Jerome looks like a stud when given the minutes so taking a late flier on Jerome makes sense if you’re wanting to take a chance on him. He could also be picked up off the waiver wire.

Theo Maledon: Free Agent Pickup

Maledon won’t be on a whole lot of people’s radars. He proved to be a very capable fantasy point guard last season and although he didn’t put up the most efficient lines, he put up some serviceable numbers. Considering he was one of the very few guards on the roster, he played a great deal of minutes. The return of Alexander is going to hurt him majorly but Maledon could still get a good amount of playing time considering OKC is still in development mode. He averaged 10.1 points, 3.2 rebounds, 3,5 assists and .9 steals a game. His efficiency could also use some work, as he shot .368% FG, .335% 3-PT and 75% FT. He also averaged three turnovers a game so that could use some work as well. Despite the obstacles in the way, he could still be a serviceable player to look at since he can stuff the stat sheet when given minutes. He’s still developing so the sky is the limit for him. Look for him to go undrafted in many standard leagues and scoop him up once drafts are over.