Deck signed as an undrafted free agent during the regular season. He provided some valuable minutes for this team and showcased his all-around game. He averaged a healthy 8.4 points, four rebounds and 2.4 assists a game. Despite showing promise this early in his career, he did have some flaws when it came to shooting from range. He shot an abysmal 13% from three-point land this year. Besides the shooting, he maintained his composure and made the transition to the NBA looked so effortless. The 26-year-old may not be in the Thunder’s future but he did make a very good impression on the Thunder and possibly some other teams.
Maledon was drafted in the second round of the 2020 NBA draft. Originally drafted by the 76ers, his draft rights were traded to the Thunder. Maledon came over from France and he seemed to have been yet another nice steal for Presti. He averaged 10.1 points, 3.2 rebounds and 3.5 assists a game while also tacking on a steal for good measure. His efficiency wasn’t the greatest, shooting 37% from the field, 34% from downtown and a shade under 75% from the line. The rookie also averaged 2.2 turnovers a game. He definitely caught his coaching staff’s attention due to his size (6’4, 175lbs) and his improvement as the year went on. Despite having an up and down year (as expected), he still has career highs of 33 points, 12 assists and six steals so he clearly has the tools to get better as his career goes on.
Poku was a first round pick in the 2020 NBA draft, originally drafted by Minnesota. Minnesota kind of dropped the ball here because they could’ve landed a very promising young prospect in Poku. He didn’t have eye popping numbers (8.2 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.2 assists and .9 blocks a game), but he did show some nice skills on the court. He has good playmaking abilities for a seven footer and showed off some range (28% from the three-point line). Although he’s still very raw, he’s still in the perfect system that’ll allow him to develop his game. He will be given every opportunity to succeed so he’s definitely going to be on everyone’s watch list. Keep an eye on him in case he breaks out within the next two years.
A behemoth of a man, the 7’2 giant went undrafted in the 2019 NBA draft. He was signed as a free agent during the regular season and much like Poku, he showed some major promise. He resembled a force to be reckoned with in the paint as he averaged 8.6 points, 8.9 rebounds and 1.1 blocks a game. It’s very rare to see an undrafted 21-year-old player putting up career highs of 23 rebounds and seven blocks in just his second year. Hopefully he sees a role increase in the future but it’s anyone’s guess on if Presti is going to address his front court. Having Moses Brown should force him to think otherwise but we shall see. He’s going to be an intriguing player to pay attention to in the coming season.
Bazley had a stellar second year in the league putting up career highs across the board. He upped his averages to 13.7 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.8 assists a game. Like Maledon (and many young players), he didn’t have great efficiency. He shot a shade under 40% from the field, 29% from the three-point line and barely over 70% from the line. Unfortunately, he also averaged 2.2 turnovers a game. He’s still only 20 years old so he’s going to be a cornerstone player for this club. Watching him expand his game and fix his early mistakes is something to keep an eye on. He’s going to be given every chance to explode in the future and playing along side Shai and Dort will only make this team that much scarier.
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