OKC Thunder starting lineup grades:
Bazley didn’t have his best night of the season on Friday. Despite scoring 12 points and pulling down 10 rebounds, he shot a terrible 28.6 percent from the field. He did it while logging the third-most minutes of the game for the Thunder at 35:23.
Bazley didn’t look like the same player on Friday. While he has appeared comfortable most of the season with his shot and grown into a solid leader for the team, he fell short against the Timberwolves.
The biggest positive from his performance was his 10 defensive rebounds.
Roby had a solid all-around performance for the Thunder on Friday. He was active on the court, both offensively and defensively, and helped lead the Thunder’s starting lineup to a near-victory.
Offensively, Roby picked up three assists and two rebounds to go with his 11 points on 50 percent shooting in 33 minutes. Unfortunately, he also coughed up the ball five times.
Defensively, Roby was a top-notch player for the Thunder, pulling down five rebounds, picking up three steals, and blocking three shots.
Horford put up the best performance of his season on Friday. He scored 26 points in just 29 minutes, leading the Thunder on the scoreboard.
Horford lit up the stat sheet, picking up seven rebounds, eight assists, two steals, and three blocks while limiting his turnovers to two. He was the strongest player on the court for the Thunder, by far, and he looked every bit of the solid veteran that he has displayed at times throughout his career.
His stock continues to rise.
After posting a season-high 19 points against the Rockets on Wednesday, Williams got the opportunity to start against the Timberwolves. He logged the second-most minutes of the game for the Thunder at 36:26.
Williams played well in the start, making four of his six shots to finish with nine points in the game. It wasn’t the strongest showing, but he was efficient, taking only shots with a high chance of success.
Williams made the most of his start with the Thunder and showed he could be leaned on in the future if the team needs him.
Diallo has quickly become a fan-favorite amongst OKC Thunder fans. For the most part, he puts on a strong showing each time he touches the court. Against the Timberwolves, he scored 16 points on 42 percent shooting in 37:09.
The most impressive aspect of Diallo’s game was his command of the team while on the court. His 10 assists in the game were a career-high for the guard, and his bucket off the tip to start the game showed the kind of hustle we’ve grown accustomed to with Diallo.