The Thunder took a beating against the visiting Raptors with the final score being 98-117. It was not a good look at all for the Thunder but the good news is that there were some good performances from the losing side. As long as this team is winning the lottery, these losses actually represent well. Here is the Thunder vs. Raptors recap.
Aleksej Pokusevski Performance
Poku had an unconscious game. He put up a very heathy 18 points, four boards, one assist, four steals, two swats and just a single turnover. Not to mention he shot 7/9 from the field and 4/5 from three. This was easily Poku’s best game of the season and for some reason, he’s been in the G-League and not in the rotation. Poku had a very fun rookie season and he’s shown a ton of upside. He’s a very raw player but he’s only going to get better if he gets more minutes. Over the last week (two games), he has averaged 15 points, 6.5 boards, two assists, two steals, one block, three threes and one turnover.
Theo Maledon Performance
Maledon has been getting more burn lately, and this game he played 30:35 minutes. He put up a solid line of 18 points, two boards, three assists, one steal and one block on 7/16 from the field, 3/7 from three and made his only free throw. Despite the extra playing time lately, he has been putting up some mediocre numbers. He’s been averaging 4.3 points, 1.3 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 0.1 steals, 0.1 blocks, 0.6 threes and 0.7 turnovers a game in the last two weeks. Maledon is struggling to find consistent playing time this year but he hasn’t really shown a whole lot when he’s played. Expect him to continue playing until Shai Gilgeous-Alexander gets back.
Kenrich Williams Performance
Williams has been a staple in the rotation for much of the season. In this game, he put up a fun line consisting of six points, 12 boards, six assists, one steal and one block on 3/8 shooting from the field and 0/5 from three. Williams didn’t get moved at the deadline so his spot in the rotation should remain safe. That’s if he doesn’t get rested down the stretch. If he does continue to play, he’s going to keep playing reliable minutes for the Thunder. He’s a very tough player who plays his heart out every night so expect him to continue playing decent minutes.
Josh Giddey Performance
Giddey had another nice game, putting up 13 points, nine rebounds, six assists, one steal, and two turnovers on 6/11 from the field and 1/4 from three. Giddey is too good to be a rookie and everyone with eyes can see that. The line was a bit pedestrian, but the peripherals were very good as per usual. There’s not much else to say about how Giddey has performed this year. The only issues with his averages this year? His percentages and the high turnovers, but he’s a rookie so it’s not the end of the world. He’s doing very good and that is a major understatement, so expect him to continue being in contention for Rookie of the Year.