OKC Thunder: 3 players we hope get big minutes in 2020-21

OKC Thunder player we hope gets big minutes No. 3) Darius Bazley

Darius Bazley comes into the second year of his NBA tenure with high hopes and an opportunity to log some big minutes for the OKC Thunder.

Of all the players currently on the roster not named Shai, we believe the 20-year-old forward has the highest ceiling and, with his combination of size, athleticism, and skill, could one day flourish into a star in this league.

2020-21 should be the beginning of his upward ascension.

With Danilo Gallinari now in Atlanta, the popular idea amongst fans is that Bazley will be placed within the starting rotation at the four heading into the year.

Picked amongst us at TI to be a breakout candidate this season, our reasoning remains the same in regard to why we believe he should see big minutes this year:

"Through seven [playoff] games, the 20-year-old posted solid averages of 6.6 points and 6.7 rebounds on 42 percent shooting from the floor and a whopping 50 percent shooting from deep while chucking up 3.1 attempts per game. If this isn’t enough to convince you he could produce admirably with more minutes on the court — only averaged 18 minutes during that series — perhaps his ACTUAL averages when logging substantial time might. Despite being just a rookie, when averaging 31.7 minutes last year Bazley found himself posting an impressive stat line of 13.8 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks a game on 42 percent shooting from the field and 39 percent shooting from deep (3.3 attempts per game)."

With a body frame and skill-set similar to that of All-Star Jayson Tatum, fans should be really excited about their 23rd overall pick from the 2019 draft, especially now that he’ll likely be the Thunder’s starting four heading into his second season.