OKC Thunder: Future of team’s frontcourt is blindingly bright

A potential OKC Thunder frontcourt star – Darius Bazley

Similarly, Darius Bazley is another example of the next generation bigs the Thunder will feature. Bazley has had moments of greatness this season but is in a bit of a rut recently.

It’s important to note, Bazley is only 20 years old! There will be ample time for Darius to add muscle, develop in the system, and grow into his role.

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Generated 1/31/2021.

As Bazley searches for consistency there are positive notes. The 20-year old moved to the starting rotation and often battles big men with experience and who are physically demanding defensive coverages.

Like Roby, with his increased playing time, he’s producing doubling almost every key category. And, when Al Horford is out of the lineup the demands on him increase (along with Roby) as the Thunder often face talented big men like Nikola Jokic, Anthony Davis, Serge Ibaka, etc.

These minutes are invaluable to his growth as the lessons learned will spark his offseason homework plus there is no substitution for on-court experience.

Of the trio of youngsters, Bazley is the one who has the potential to become a pivotal part of the starting rotation. While he’s still very raw it’s important to remember he missed out on a year of College electing to take an untraditional path to the pros via his New Balance internship.

Then his first season as a pro got messed up because of the pandemic. The growth he’s demonstrated after an offseason of dedication to improve bodes well moving forward.

Of the trio, he’s also the teammate who needs to learn to be a little more selfish and to trust himself. He’s a very cerebral and thoughtful player so the sky is the limit for Darius Bazley and this positionless scheme is perfectly suited to his talent.