OKC Thunder: B/R excited about one surprise player in 2020-21

The OKC Thunder are not expected to do too much in 2020-21, but Bleacher Report still is excited to see one under-the-radar player perform.

Rejoice OKC Thunder fans! After nearly a four-month hiatus, your favorite NBA franchise gets back to the Hardwood tomorrow and, in turn, will officially embark on their rebuilding journey.

Though Oklahoma City has consistently found themselves smack dab in the playoff picture over the past 11 seasons, Sam Presti and co. have the franchise heading towards a full out tankathon.

However, even though their season prospects are not particularly bright, this is not to say there won’t be reasons to watch the Thunder play throughout this year’s campaign.

Development is the name of the game in 2020-21, and that goes for both the team’s new head coach, Mark Daigneault, and their young core of players.

Of said young core, there is one player that Bleacher Report recently deemed as an under-the-radar talent that fans should be excited about.

That man: rookie forward, Aleksej Pokusevski.

Already proving to be an intriguing talented during the preseason, B/R writer Andy Bailey cited his stature and skillset as reasons to be exuberant about seeing the Serbian-born baller in action:

"Aleksej Pokusevski is a 7-footer with a 7’3″ wingspan who plays more like a guard than a big. His 190-pound frame probably has a lot to do with that, but there’s also an intriguing skill level here.If the frame fills out a bit, a player of his height who can dribble, pass and shoot should hold tremendous value. Granted, it’s not against the highest levels of competition, but those skills really pop in video of Pokusevski. The “moves like a guard” cliche really applies here, especially as it relates to his shooting form."

Bailey would then go on to say that landing with the OKC Thunder makes Pokusevski’s career outlook that much more exciting, as he stated that “few teams appear as invested in patience as OKC” and how that could play a huge part in having him properly fill his body out and hone his skills in the process.

In regard to OKC Thunder players to be excited for, we all understand that a guy like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the clear first choice. However, dig a little deeper and you’ll find several interesting talents that fans should be exhilarated to see.

For Bleacher Report, that player happens to be Aleksej Pokusevski.