OKC Player Expectations for Next Season

How is the Roster Looking for Next Season?

The amount of youth that the Thunder has is astounding. The oldest tenured players to be on this roster are Kemba (who is more than likely going to be traded) and Mike Muscala (who is also more than likely going to be on his way out). Besides the established vets, how is the rest of the roster looking? Here is a look at what their expectations for some players going into next season:

Isaiah Roby

With Moses Brown no longer in the picture, the front court is looking thin. Isaiah Roby is looking like a lock to be a starter or at the least an important bench piece. Establishing career highs across the board in his sophomore season, he’s really looking like a promising prospect. His athleticism and versatility is very important for this team. The only things he needs to improve are his shooting, playmaking and offensive awareness.

Aleksej Pokusevski 

Poku is listed as a small forward but could still play either the four or the five due to his height. His ball handling and ability to stretch the floor is also important to this team so playing the four or five could help this club. The most important things that he needs to improve are his strength/weight, playmaking, shooting and versatility on defense. Besides the flaws, he’s looking like a very nice core piece to this team who has the tools to be a star.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Shai may have a legitimate shot at making his first All-Star team. He was already having a breakout season last year but he could probably break out even more. Despite having Dort, Bazley and the sixth overall pick vying for touches, Alexander is going to be the main man. The only thing that Alexander can improve on is his defensive awareness. If he can improve that, he will be a star by next season and will be playing at least 30+ minutes a game.

Lu Dort

Dort is going to improve greatly next season along with his young teammates. Unlike them, he will more than likely make an all-defensive team. As deserving as he was this year, he missed 20 games and missed out on both defensive teams. As much as his defense stands out, he needs to improve his offensive game. He averaged a career-high in points at 14 a game but on an abysmal 38.7% from the field and 74% from the line. He also shot an average 34% from three. Along with the shooting, he needs to improve his playmaking abilities if he wants to be a well-rounded star like his partner, Shai.

Darius Bazley

Bazley was looking like an offensive star last season before and after his injury. He averaged a career-high in points, rebounds and assists (13.7/7.2/1.8) while starting all 55 games. His flaws are reflected in his shooting percentages (39.6% FG, 29% from three, 70% from the stripe) and his ability to take care of the ball (2.2 TO’s a game). He needs to improve his shot selection and efficiency in order to keep teams honest on defense. After all, he’s still only 20 years old yet looks like a blossoming star on offense.