OKC Thunder: Jaylen Hoard is playing well enough for a full deal

Since the OKC Thunder signed Jaylen Hoard, he has played well for the team. The 21-year-old has played 11 games for the franchise and has shown that he has the talent and hustle to potentially make it in this league.

Hoard had a two-way contract last season with the Portland Trail Blazers, playing mostly with the Texas Legends. He averaged 16.2 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game in 24 contests. He also played 13 games for the Blazers averaging 2.9 points and 2.5 rebounds per game.

Hopefully for Hoard, he can replicate the success of Moses Brown, who also played for the Blazers last season on a two-way deal. Hoard also played this season for the OKC Blue, averaging 9.7 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game whilst in the G-League bubble.

The OKC Thunder are seeing good potential in Jaylen Hoard

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Hoard has shown in his limited time with the OKC Thunder that he has the potential to be a solid rotation piece over the next few seasons. Even if he remains on a two-way deal, Hoard has shown that he is ready to contribute when he hits the court.

He is averaging 5.6 points, 3.5 rebounds, 0.8 assists, and 0.6 steals in 16.5 minutes per game this season. While this may not seem that impressive, he is playing on a rebuilding squad and trying to carve out a niche for himself.

Hoard is solid when driving to the hoop, but it is when he gets into the paint that the 6-8 combination forward excels. When he drives into the teeth of the defense, he is very hard to stop. He is shooting the ball at 71.0 percent from within three feet.

On top of that, Hoard is a solid offensive rebounder. Of his 3.5 rebounds per game, 1.4 of them are on the offensive end of the court. This is an impressive number given his lack of size. It speaks to the hustle and work ethic which will see him do well in the league if given the opportunity.

(**Scheduled prior to Saturday night’s game**)