OKC Thunder player grades: Shooting struggles result in loss to Kings

OKC Thunder starting lineup grades:

Roby has all the weapons to take his game to the next level. He’s strong and versatile with a solid shot.

To get there, he’s going to have to leave games like this behind.

Roby played nearly 27 minutes against the Kings, but in that time, he scored just six points, and two of those points came from the free-throw line, a spot where players are expected to make easy buckets with minimal effort.

Of the eight shots Roby took, only two found their spot in the bottom of the net, but shooting woes weren’t unique to Roby – it was a team-wide issue.

Elsewhere on the court, there isn’t a ton to be upset about where Roby is concerned. He picked up five rebounds, two assists, one steal, and a block while limiting his turnovers to one. He didn’t necessarily help the team, but he did his best not to hurt them.

On any given night, Bazley can be the best player on the court or the most frustrating.

Bazley was Tuesday’s top scorer for the Thunder, knocking down 38.9 percent of his shots for 24 points. He was decent from deep, hitting 3-of-7, and he finished 7-for-9 at the free-throw line.

He didn’t shoot great, but so many other players shot so much worse it’s almost easy to overlook his shortcomings in this game.

To Bazley’s credit, he was active on the boards, pulling down 11 rebounds, and he even got involved in the passing game, dealing three assists. His four turnovers make you cringe, but it’s also forgivable considering what he was able to accomplish.

Brown is a stud. He’s proven it time and time again. He’s typically automatic in the paint, but he was anything but on Tuesday.

Brown finished with six points on 37.5 percent shooting. When one takes a look at his rebounds – he finished with 17, it’s easy to forget his less than stellar shooting performance.

Every player is going to struggle. Brown did a good job of redirecting his energy towards helping the team pull down possessions.

If there’s anything that can be said about Dort, it’s that he gives absolutely everything he has to give in each game he plays.

Sometimes, that leaves us in awe as he shoots his way to 30 or more points. Other times, we recognize how hard he’s trying, even if it’s hard to watch.

Dort shot 18.8 percent from the field on Tuesday. Two of those shots went in from the 3-point range. He also added two free throws to finish the night with 10 points. Dort picked up four rebounds and four assists and turned the ball over just once.

He can’t be a stud every game.

It hurts to ding Maledon after praising him recently, but it’s deserving.

Maledon shot 20 percent from the field on Tuesday for six points. What’s worse is that in 29 minutes, he managed to pick up just one assist. That could be attributed to the team’s poor shooting, or it could have just been an off night for the young guard.

Either way, the OKC Thunder will want to see a lot less of this Maledon.