OKC Thunder vs. Utah Jazz Recap

The Thunder lost game one of the season by 21 points to the Utah Jazz. It definitely wasn’t the showing that fans were looking for, especially with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander back in action. However, these kinds of games are to be expected since they’re actively trying to tank.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Gilgeous-Alexander had a pretty rough game, going for 18 points, four rebounds, two assists on 7/17 shooting and a miserable 1/7 from the three-point line. He also missed two of his five total free throw attempts. Nevertheless, it’s nice to see a healthy Gilgeous-Alexander play again. This is only the first game of the season so he’ll get better as the season goes along.

Josh Giddey

Giddey had an okay start to his rookie campaign. He only had four points but he pulled down 10 boards and and had three dimes compared to only one turnover which is exceptional. He only shot 2/7 from the field, however so he needs to work on that. Besides the poor shooting, he had an overall decent game. He’s confident in his jump shot and his playmaking is much more polished than other rookies. Coming from a professional league in Australia, his game looks really good and mature. Expect him to have a better second game and beyond.

Darius Bazley

Bazley looked like his usual self: inefficient, lack of defensive stats but aggressive and explosive. He shot 5/14 from the field and 1/7 from three. His game is still as aggressive as ever but the inefficiency is still a glaring issue. Bazley just needs to work on his shot selection and his offensive IQ and his defense. If he can correct these issues, he can become a two-way star in this league. OKC will give him every opportunity to succeed so his minutes aren’t about to drop anytime soon.

Aleksej Pokusevski

Poku did not have a good game by any means. He only managed to play 14:56 minutes and put a paltry zero-point/three-rebound/three-assist/one steal/two-turnover stat-line. He shot 0/2 from the field (both three-pointers) and missed both free throws. It’s going to be tough for Poku to make a dent in fantasy leagues and even in reality if he’s going to be getting small minutes. Hopefully, Poku can pick it up soon and play more minutes. This team is looking for answers besides Alexander at the moment, after all.

Lu Dort

Dort had a mediocre game as well. His offense was miserable to say the least (2/10 from the field, 1/6 from three and 2/4 from the line). Overall, he put up seven points, six rebounds, two assists and two steals while turning the ball over three times. His defense was up to par as per usual but the problem was the offense. Dort won’t be this bad usually, but if he is then he still has his defense to balance it out. Dort is going to be a top-three option on this team regardless of how he finishes games so he has that in his favor. Expect Dort to bounce back in the next one from an offensive standpoint.