OKC Thunder: Moses Brown’s improbable climb to the NBA

Moses Brown erupts in the G League

In January, Brown faced the same fate with the OKC Thunder as he faced with Portland when the Thunder sent Brown to the OKC Blue, the Thunder’s G League affiliate.

For Brown, it was an opportunity to develop his game further and carve out a path to return to the Thunder.

What was not expected was Brown’s emergence as one of the G League’s best players.

For the Texas Legends, Brown was a consistent scorer and decent rebounder. He averaged 14.6 points and 7.6 rebounds per game as a member of the Legends.

For the OKC Blue, Brown has soared.

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Brown is averaging 27 minutes per game in six games while scoring 21.2 points per game on 63 percent shooting and pulling down a league-leading 14.2 rebounds per game.

Even more impressive is his offensive rebounding numbers of 6.3 per game, an area where the Thunder rank 29th and average just 7.8 rebounds per game as a team.

Defensively, Brown has developed into a shot-blocking machine, averaging 2.7, which has him tied with Kenyon Martin Jr. as second-most in the G League.

Brown has led the Blue to a 5-1 record in G League play and has posted a double-double in five of the team’s six games. The only game in which he fell short was in the Blue’s 109-103 loss to the Ignite. In that game, Brown finished with 20 points and eight rebounds. In comparison, he played 30 games with the Texas Legends and finished with seven double-doubles.

With Brown leading the charge, the OKC Blue ranks fourth in points per game, first in rebounds per game, and second in assists per game.

Brown posted a season-high in scoring with 26 points in 24 minutes in a 141-110 win against the Canton Charge, and he posted a season-high in rebounds with 20 against the Fort Wayne Mad Ants.

Brown is quickly developing into the player the OKC Thunder had hoped he could be when the team signed him in December. He is a capable big man with the agility, strength, and accuracy to make an NBA roster.

The Thunder saw that potential and took a chance. Now, Brown is taking this opportunity and looking to turn it into an NBA roster spot.