OKC Thunder grades: Pokusevski impresses Kings crew in loss

Isaiah Roby had a tough week where he looked off as if potentially dealing with an injury or perhaps the toll of losing was having an effect.

He’s the guy who checks off so many boxes because he does so much well and on this night his box score doesn’t do justice to his effort on the court.

Sure, there were some untimely turnovers but he also contributed on all areas of the floor and was arguably the best defender of the starting unit.

He scored five points (on 2 of 6 shooting), grabbed four rebounds, offered two assists and a steal. On a night when most of the starting unit got outscored by 27 points when they were on the court, it was Roby who possessed the best plus/minus (minus seven) of them all.

Something worth noting is perhaps playing alongside Brown isn’t an ideal situation for Roby whereas the minutes he played with Bazley and POKU provided a better result. That’s something for Daigneault to look at long-term in terms of floor spacing because I think the player most affected by having Brown stand in the paint and is hurting his game the most is Roby.

The night did NOT start well for Darius Bazley but he stuck with it. There were at least three different occasions fans witnessed him drive the paint looking to hit the corner 3-man or a teammate at the top of the key for an open shot.

Clearly, that’s a play Daigneault wants Bazley incorporating into his repertoire and one he’s trying to master. One pass sailed a good six feet wide, but credit to Baz for continuing to attempt it. This season is about growth and the fact he’s not hanging his head is a testament to him.

If you still have access to the game, go back to the first frame at approximately 9:25ish when he hits a step-back 3-pointer. The smoothness and ease of that shot in terms of his form, the timing, etc. When we see him do that and knowing how he’ll typically be taller than most defending him it’s why Intentions gets so stocked about his potential.

Bazley finished with a team-high 18 points on an efficient 6 of 13 from the field. Unlike recent games, he didn’t fall in love with the 3-ball (although when he’s on like he was maybe he should take more). He mixed up his offense getting to the line five times (hit four), adding six rebounds, and two assists. It was far from perfect but this match showed the sophomore is trying to expand his overall skill set and is learning on the fly.

I’ve been uber hard on Moses Brown of late based on what has been (in the narrator’s humble opinion) a bit of a stumble, particularly on defense. While he was tasked with guarding a smaller center (6’10” Richaun Holmes) he still made his presence known.

Sacramento is among the league leaders for scoring in the paint so them collecting 56 points in that area is close to their average. I’m still not convinced Brown should be the starting center or that he isn’t part of the reason the floor is getting clogged.

However, the entire team suffered defensively on this night, and Brown was better than his recent games and came close to delivering a double-double with 13 points plus nine boards. He also was aggressive on the glass leading to seven trips to the line (he hit six). Brown also collected two steals and three blocks. His best effort in quite some time.

He gets credit for bringing effort on this night — but long term there is ample work to be completed so his rebounding isn’t the only asset he offers on a nightly basis.