The OKC Thunder had a difficult season thanks to the rebuild they started as soon as they were allowed to make trades. They sent Chris Paul and Abdel Nader to the Phoenix Suns. In return, they received Ricky Rubio, Ty Jerome, Jalen Lecque, Kelly Oubre Jr, and a 2022 first-round draft pick.
The Thunder then traded Jaden McDaniels and Rubio to the Minnesota Timberwolves as part of a three-team trade and in return, they received James Johnson and the rights to Aleksej Pokusevski which is where our story begins with the youngest player in the league.
His season did not start well, he was short on most of his shots, looking like he lacked confidence. While his shot was not falling, he was still rebounding well and playing good defense, blocking shots at the rim, using his height to good advantage.
The OKC Thunder benefitted from the growth of Aleksej Pokusevski
The Thunder looked like they had drafted a bust at the start of the season. Prior to the All-Star break, Pokusevski was averaging 3.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.2 assists in 17.4 minutes per game. He shot the ball at 24.7 percent from the floor and 17.9 percent from deep.
After the break, Pokusevski averaged 11.1 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game. He shot the ball at 36.8 percent from the floor, 31.8 percent from deep, and 73.8 percent from the floor. The difference was stark, and the reason for it was that Pokusevski developed confidence in his own game during his time in the G-League bubble.
Pokusevski ended the season averaging 8.2 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 2.2 assists. His final shooting percentages were 34.1 percent from the floor, 28.0 percent from deep, and 73.8 percent from the line, which is a marked improvement.