OKC Thunder gain valuable postseason asset

Even though the OKC Thunder lost in the first round of the playoffs, they gained something very valuable: Experience.

Sadly, The OKC Thunder lost their first round match-up against the Houston Rockets, but that did not stop them from gaining the valuable commodity of experience.

Going into the playoffs, the Thunder had the youngest team in the playoffs, so struggles were inevitable. They lost all three of their games on the road, something they struggled with all year.

On the bright side, two of the road losses could have easily been wins had the team been able to maintain late game shooting efficiency.

Even though we lost the series, experience is something that teams value a lot. OKC had some first timers in the playoffs this year, and their output showed.

Must Read: An Open Letter of Thanks to Russell Westbrook 

Victor Oladipo

Victor Oladipo was one of the first timers in the playoffs. He definitely showed it as well. In the five games Oladipo played, he only averaged 10.8 points per game while shooting 34% from the field and 24% from three.

A far cry from his regular season averages of 16 points per game on 44% from the field and 36% from three. If Oladipo echos his regular season averages, we may be talking about round two match-ups.

Oladipo must take this experience and build off of it. Oladipo was suppose to be Westbrook’s Robin but did not produce when it mattered. Hopefully he starts playing like the 80 million dollar man we think he is.

Playoff Grade: D-

Domantas Sabonis

Domantas Sabonis is another newcomer to the playoffs. After losing his starting spot shortly after the all-star break, Sabonis seemed to lose all his confidence and the playoffs showed that.

Sabonis averaged just two points per game in the two games he played this postseason. It was expected Sabonis would not play much being very raw and inexperienced. Those two points he averaged came at the free throw line. Sabonis shot 0-3 from the field the entire series.

Hopefully Sabonis gained experience just being there, but I have a feeling he is still a few years away from being a reliable forward.

Playoff Grade: F

Alex Abrines

Alex Abrines had a pretty good rookie season, breaking the Thunder rookie record for most three points made. He also had a pretty solid playoffs based on the production he had in the regular season.

Abrines averaged 6 points per game in the regular season and that dropped to around 5 in the postseason.

One thing that did suffer was his field goal and three point percentage. Both were worse in the playoffs. In fairness, this is generally expected  from a rookie. With this experience expect Abrines to grow and possibly reach double figure averages next season.

Playoff Grade: C-

Related: Starting Dilemma – Abrines or Oladipo

Jerami Grant

Jerami Grant is a guy who truly surprised this playoffs. Though it was clear he had potential, he really showed he can be a reliable contributor off the bench next season. In the regular season, Grant averaged 5.4 points per game and shot 47% from the field.

In the playoffs, Grant vamped up his game to 9.2 points per game and 61% from the field. Grant showed a ton of potential in Philadelphia and I think that potential is showing again in Oklahoma City.

Grant was also the Thunder’s go to defender on Harden when Roberson was out. If he can take this momentum and experience and build off of it, Grant could become a very valuable asset for years to come.

Playoff Grade: A

Semaj Christon

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Semaj Christon is the final Thunder player appearing in their first playoff series. He did about the same as the regular season as he did in the post season. Averaged 2.5 points per game and 40% shooting.

While Christon is a project, he did show some good signs of potential throughout the year after Cameron Payne was traded.

In the event Norris Cole is not re-signed, look to see Christon take some bigger steps next season.

Playoff Grade: C

Overall, the playoffs were very fun to watch, as was this season. Moving forward, the Thunder have a lot of decisions to make on multiple players this summer. Ultimately, these playoffs helped the entire roster gain experience for next season. In the case of the first timers hopefully they build upon these lessons and utilize it to produce better numbers next year.