The OKC Thunder had a year that can only be described as a development opportunity. Aleksej Pokusevski was the complete embodiment of this. He started the season out poorly, missing almost every shot that he took.
When he was assigned to the G-League for their bubble season, things turned around for the Thunder rookie. He gained some confidence while in the bubble which he then bought to his game back to the varsity squad.
Pokusejvski started handling the ball with more confidence, shooting at a much better clip, and turning the ball over less. He started to show glimpses of the player that he is going to become for the Thunder. It is important with Pokusevksi that fans temper their expectations and see the reality that he is still a very young player.
The OKC Thunder have really helped Aleksej Pokusevski acclimatize.
When you are the youngest player in the league when you are drafted, there is always going to be a level of growth required of you to stay in the league. Pokusevski had to move to a different country, acclimatize to a different language and figure out how to play in the best league in the world, all prior to his 19th birthday while a pandemic was gripping the world.
The fact that Pokusevski was able to accomplish this and develop in his rookie year speaks volumes about the maturity of the man. Now that he is about to enter his second season, Pokusevski has new goals he needs to accomplish. Let’s take a look at them now.