10 things we learned about the OKC Thunder during the scrimmage games

A trio of players stand out:

Although we’ve heard from the team how much Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has grown, we’ve not seen much more than a few new moves and what looks like improved strength. His output in the last scrimmage without Chris Paul on the floor gave hints of the future. Shai ended up with seven assists through one half, but copious spot-on passes could’ve doubled that tally if his teammates had connected. Odds are we’ll get a deeper perspective on his growth once his playing time increases.

Roberson makes a noisy return

The return of Andre Roberson might be the feel-good story of the season. Sure, we’re biased here, but for a player to miss two full seasons and then make an impact upon their return is almost unprecedented.

As we’ve noted Dre’s defense may not be fully back, but it sure looks good and each session there were several moments that he changed the opponent’s offensive set. His offense is simply gravy and put frankly if he can keep shooting 3-pointers, even at a league-average the upside is so high it’s almost immeasurable.

And, as he showcased versus the Blazers the shooting isn’t the only new offensive tool in his kit. Dre is driving the basket with abandon and either slamming the ball home or using a finger roll the likes of which we’ve never seen from him before. Suffice to say, Andre Roberson spent his rehabilitation time focused on coming back – and doing so with added offensive tools.

A rookie wonder:

Aside from Roberson, the real coup is the two rookies. Both Dort and Bazley clearly worked on their games and weaknesses during the hiatus. From the first day of practice, Billy Donovan noted the growth of the pair as well as their increased strength. Dort was already stronger than a good percentage of his peers.

Dort’s only criticism was a missing perimeter shot. His 3-point efficiency through three scrimmages ranks third-best but he’s also taking more treys than the two guys ahead of him. This is a revelation and if Dort continues hitting the 3-ball he’ll become a player the starters won’t just toss an occasional shot to. That was the only thing stopping him from becoming a 3 and D stalwart so his future looks very, very bright.

A future star:

Although my heart was sated by the return of the beloved Roberson, Bazley, might be my favorite story of all the returning players. Debates over his value have occurred and witnessing his overall game development is extremely satisfying.

This youngster just turned 20 and like Shai, he is showing he’ll put in the work to take leaps rather than small steps forward. He’s had the best vets to learn from through the early season and now he’ll likely play substantial minutes with Roberson which can only bolster his defensive acumen.

Bazley added strength, worked on his shot, playmaking, and is combining his aggressiveness on offense with an increased awareness of what is occurring around him. The leap he’s taken between when the season was suspended and the return is equivalent to what we’d hope for via a concerted and highly successful offseason effort.

Moving forward, given the unusual dynamic of having so much time off, teams will likely go deeper in their benches than typical to avoid injuries. The fact, the two rookies have improved, Dre is back and Diallo is also looking stronger all bodes well for Billy Donovan’s rotation options.

NOTE: hat tip to Abdel Nader and Mike Muscala for staying ready and consistently hitting shots when their number is called.

As for the vets (Paul, Gallinari, Schroder) not hitting to their typical efficiency, it’s unlikely they’ll struggle for long. Vets are used to ramping up their efforts as the games that count roll around.