OKC Thunder: 3 takeaways in fourth-quarter collapse to Grizzlies

OKC Thunder takeaway No. 3) Maledon surges following his return

Against the Trail Blazers, Maledon returned to the court for the OKC Thunder after a four-game absence. Right out the gate, it was a rough night as Maledon worked on getting back into rhythm with his teammates, but overall, it wasn’t an awful game for the rookie.

Fast forward less than 24 hours with Maledon set to get the start against the Grizzlies, and it’s safe to say, whatever affected him against the Trail Blazers didn’t linger.

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Maledon heated up behind the 3-point line on Wednesday, firing off five attempts and hitting four of them. Aside from a pair of free throws, all of Maledon’s points came from deep.

When he wasn’t looking for his next bucket, Maledon was putting in the work elsewhere. He grabbed five rebounds in the game, dealt two assists, and picked up two steals on the defensive end of the floor. He had about as good a game as one can expect from a rookie player.

Maledon plays with a skillset well beyond his years. Most newcomers to the NBA are vulnerable to committing rookie mistakes; Maledon doesn’t fall prey to many. When he does, he works through it and comes out better for it the next time he takes the floor. He lets the memories fade and works on improving his game with each touch.

It’s easy to see a bright future with Maledon. This season has thrown him into the fire as a rookie on a rebuilding team. But he is prevailing.

The Thunder continue their road trip in Milwaukee when they take on the Bucks Friday at 7 p.m. CT.