The OKC Thunder 30 for 30 head to Salt Lake City to examine former Thunder wing Thabo Sefolosha.
The OKC Thunder 30 for 30 takes a look at a familiar face, former OKC guard Thabo Sefolosha. The 34 year-old veteran played six seasons in Oklahoma City and was apart of the franchises only appearance in the NBA finals. The Swiss international was a fan favorite during his tenure in the Mid-West, thanks to his tenacity and team first mentality.
Following his departure from Oklahoma City, Sefolosha played three seasons in Atlanta and now finds himself in Utah. Despite playing just 38 games last year due to injury, Thabo was a positive contributor on both ends of the floor. He posted 8.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, 1.5 steals in 21 minutes per game while shooting 49 percent from the field and 38 percent from three. He showed greater confidence shooting from the outside, having his best season since 2012-13 forcing teams to account for him. Defensively, Thabo continues to accept the toughest defensive assignments and still remains of one the leagues top wing defenders.
Where he finds minutes in Utah is unknown. With Donovan Mitchell emerging as a star of the future and Joe Ingles a solid three and D option, Sefolosha stands to compete for minutes with Jae Crowder, Royce O’Neale and Alec Burks. Crowder and O’Neal were solid rotation players last season so that leaves only a small number of minutes to divvy up. Thabo’s time in Salt Lake City might be coming to an end.
With Andre Roberson not due back til December, acquiring a defensive minded-wing is a smart option. Thabo may not be the player he once was but his skills can still contribute to the success of a championship team.
Before we refresh our memories on what Thabo brings to the table, lets pay tribute to one of my favorite plays against the Miami Heat in the 2012 NBA Finals.