OKC Thunder: Player grades vs. Pelicans feature Gabriel Deck’s debut

Darius Bazley continues to struggle with his perimeter shot with an 0 for 6 effort in this outing. it pinpoints a key area of concentration for his offseason workouts.

Bazley performed well in other areas of the game posting 15 points, six rebounds, and three assists. Removing the six missed 3-pointers he shot well from the mid-range and in close (6 of 9). He delivered a sweet drive to the paint and put the Pelicans in the spin cycle for a nice lay-in.

There are moments when Bazley looks like he could break out into a star if he would just play with that same aggression on a consistent basis. The game looks so easy for him similar to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. It’s a matter of confidence and consistency.

Aleksej Pokusevski has become the player I get transfixed by in games. If you have a chance to listen to the other broadcast teams it’s a common assessment as the rookie simply does things that make him stand out on the court.

Sure he makes mistakes and that body needs at least 20 pounds of muscle added. But, he’s so much fun to watch and the potential is undeniable.

Even while he had a terrible night shooting (3 of 16) he still managed to affect the game in positive ways posting eight points, nine rebounds, an assist, and a steal with no turnovers.

Poku makes great reads on the court and unlike many of his teammates typically makes the right play getting the open player the shot. Considering his upside if he can add some muscle this summer and work with the coaches to gain consistency in his shot the sky is the limit for the youngster.

It’s often said the game starts to slow down for most players between their third and fifth seasons. I wonder if that process will be expedited for Pokusevski with all the extra time he’s getting early in his career.

Look — I know Moses Brown is still very young and in the development stages. However, as Lu Dort demonstrated last season a young player can impact a game by simplifying their game. Pick two things and do them well. For Brown that should be rebounding and defense.

On this night he nailed one of those goals with 18 rebounds. But defensively I found his game wanting. Repeatedly he stood in the paint allowing Pelicans to drive and score while he flailed away trying to block shots. Worse – in plays like the one at 3:55 of the final frame he allowed Lonzo Ball to slip in behind him unimpeded for an easy lay-in. That simply can’t happen.

His grade reflects those defensive lapses. While some might feel it’s an unfair grade especially considering both rookies’ grades in my humble opinion his defensive lapses are less forgivable than Theo or Poku who did deliver in their specific roles.

Apologies to the Brown stans, but he needs to be better defensively – – period!