OKC Thunder take care of Wizards – player grades
Starters grades
Oklahoma City Thunder. SHAI GILGEOUS-ALEXANDER. A. . G/F
The player experiencing the biggest change in their role since Dennis Schroder exited the bubble is Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. SGA has struggled at times with adapting but looked a lot better today. He found his drive to the hoop and distributed the ball well when at the point.
B. . PG. Oklahoma City Thunder. CHRIS PAUL
This was a game where Chris Paul did not need to exert his will on the game at any point. He simply quietly accumulated stats, mainly setting his teammates up. While he struggled with his shot, Paul had the highest plus/minus on the team with plus 26.
PG. Oklahoma City Thunder. LU DORT. B+.
Without a quality opposition guard to stop, Luguentz Dort was able to focus on other aspects of his game. Dort was effective on offense, hitting from deep but also driving dangerously to the hoop. Dort also crashed the boards due to the absence of the big men, missing out on a double-double by a single point.
A+. . PF. Oklahoma City Thunder. DANILO GALLINARI
Despite sitting for a large portion of the second quarter, Danilo Gallinari finished the first half with 12 points, shooting the ball efficiently which helped the Thunder beat the zone. He started the game driving hard to the hoop which meant his defender did not step up to defend the long ball. Gallinari exploited this to great effect, collecting 20 points for the game.
A. . PF/C. Oklahoma City Thunder. MIKE MUSCALA
Fresh out of the concussion protocol, Muscala was pressed into starting. How did he respond? By hitting his first three attempts from deep and scoring 11 points in the first half. His presence on the court allowed for tremendous spacing which was crucial for beating the zone defense of the Wizards. Best game in a Thunder uniform