OKC Thunder rebound vs shorthanded Blazers – player grades
G/F. Oklahoma City Thunder. HAMIDOU DIALLO. B.
Stepping in for the ailing TFerg, Hamidou Diallo did his job which was more about being active on defense. His role wasn’t to be a primary scorer but he chipped in four points. I’d like to see him be more aggressive than his one rebound and single steal but he did provide the spark the team needed on the defensive end.
Coughing up the ball three times wasn’t ideal but we knew going in the Blazers would look to go at Diallo and Bazley.
Oklahoma City Thunder. DARIUS BAZLEY. A. . SF
Where Diallo didn’t look quite as comfortable in the starting unit the rookie Darius Bazley shined. It wasn’t as if the team expected him to offset Danilo Gallinari‘s scoring production but he provided probably more than even Billy Donovan expected.
Although his shot wasn’t falling (2 of 9) he still managed to score nine points but more importantly, he grabbed 13 rebounds (3 offensive boards) along with a block and dished out an assist. Whereas Diallo had turnover issues the rookie seemed more comfortable in the flow providing solid defense. While it’s clear he is still raw and learning this performance bodes well in terms of showcasing his skills and the belief he will eventually be a permanent part of the starting rotation.
B+. . C. Oklahoma City Thunder. STEVEN ADAMS
It was a bit surprising to learn Adams was back so fast after his injury. Donovan made sure not to over utilize him limiting his minutes to 24 but the effect of having him out there was palpable.
Hassan Whiteside needed to take a bigger role for the Blazers since they had only eight players dressed but he wanted no part of Adams who (with Nerlens Noel‘s help) limited the walking double-double from reaching double figures in either stat category (although Whiteside did get four blocks).
Adams was limited to a precautionary 24 minutes collecting five points, nine rebounds (FIVE offensive boards) and three assists. Given he’s likely nowhere close to 100 percent his off shooting (1 of 7) is understandable. Still, he affected the game in his same typical manner and along with Paul posted a team high plus 20 in the plus/minus category.