In these latter days of a tanking season for the OKC Thunder, the mantle of best player on the floor is something of a roulette wheel.
For the last two games, though, the team has had the same leading scorer. Darius Bazley set a new career-high with 26 on Monday and matched that total again versus the Pacers.
Aleksej Pokusevski only played five minutes due to an illness, leaving a playmaking vacuum that was filled by Bazley and, surprisingly, by Svi Mykhailiuk, who put up an impressive 20-point effort. Sidenote: with all these Eastern Europeans on the team, Thunder fans have all got to be excellent spellers. Remember when we thought Nenad Krstic was hard?
OKC Thunder: Darius Bazley’s bad shooting spoils the narrative
It’s not all roses with Bazley, though. He shot inefficiently in these past two games, connecting on only 16 of 44 (36 percent) from the floor, including 2 of 14 from three. That has been the struggle with Bazley this season. He’s been asked to play a much larger role, and he doesn’t look comfortable.
While the rest of the team seems to have been born in the free-flowing egalitarian offense that has made the OKC Thunder watchable this season, Bazley often looks unsure what to do, like a squirrel trying to decide whether to dart across the road. He hesitates or drives right into defenders who have established a good position, often resulting in ugly misses.
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There are still flashes. Bazley has looked best when he doesn’t have to create an opening in the defense for himself, such as when he is attacking a closeout. In these moments, he gets past his man in a flash and usually finishes with an impressive dunk.
As a shooter, he’s much better when launching in rhythm off the catch instead of jab-stepping his way into an inevitable clank off the rim.
The role Darius Bazley is built for
If Bazley is going to be part of the OKC Thunder’s future as a contender, it will be as switchy defender and rebounder on the defensive end of the floor, and, on the offensive end, a cutter and shooter, someone who finishes opportunities created by someone else.
It’s great that he’s getting a chance to audition as something more, but, even when setting career highs, he looks the part of an understudy.