OKC Thunder: 3 players that must step up during George Hill’s absence
By Mark Nilon
Player that needs to step up on OKC Thunder No. 2) Theo Maledon
George Hill has been out for the past four games, and his replacement in the starting lineup has been surprise second-round rookie Theo Maledon.
Though only 19-years-old, the point guard has three years of professional experience under his belt already, having played for ASVEL Basket — a Euroleague team from his native country of France — from 2017 to 2019.
Truth be told, this prior experience has shown during this current stretch.
With an increase of about nine minutes in comparison to his reserve role from the first 15 games, Maledon has managed to up his stats in nearly every category; in 28.3 minutes, he’s boasting averages of 13 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and a steal per game on an impressive 57 percent shooting from both the field and from deep.
With his play, we at TI have even begged the question as to if the rookie should keep this starting gig even when Hill manages to return to the lineup.
Whether you believe he should or should not, over these next four weeks or so, this level play of from Maledon needs to continue if they wish to remain competitive in the challenging Western Conference.