OKC Thunder: Which OKC Thunder player has the highest star potential?
By Rylan Stiles
Ranking the players on the OKC Thunder roster that have a shot to be a star
After ruling out the for sure non-stars, we are left with six players on the OKC Thunder roster who could turn into a star next to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The remaining players are Darius Bazley, Lu Dort, Josh Giddey, Tre Mann, Theo Maledon, and Aleksej Pokusevski.
Of that group, the least likely to become a star player is Theo Maledon. He has such a great feel for the game, he is wise beyond his years, plays passable defense, can knock down triples, handles a huge workload, but nothing about his game is flashy or even eye-catching to the casual fan.
Maledon is on this list because of the great impact he can have on a team, but of the remaining players, he has the longest odds to be a bonafide star in this league.
Darius Bazley’s skillset is incredible, his length and size mixed with playmaking and defensive ability should allow him to grow into a solid NBA starter at least. His star path is if his three-point shot ever returns to its NBA bubble form and if he finally shows aggressiveness driving towards the rim. I will continue spreading Building Block Bazley propaganda and believing in his star potential.
Tre Mann fits in nicely here, the only reason for him being above Darius Bazley and Theo Maledon is due to his incredible work ethic, shot creation ability, and the fact he could turn into an elite three-point shooter. When a player is deadly beyond the arc, that gives them a huge boost in the modern NBA.
The fan-favorite Lu Dort ranks third in this category, and it was a razor-thin edge that knocked him down to third. We all know Dort is one of the best defenders in the entire league, he also upped his three-point shooting a year ago even more than the stats show.
When shooting corner threes the 22-year-old guard shot 46-percent, compared to his non-corner three number of 33-percent. As Dort is asked to play a more complementary role offensively, benefiting from SGA’s drive-and-kick opportunities, he will see more looks beyond the arc from those corner areas to improve his overall trey ball percentage of 35-percent.
The Arizona State product desperately needs to improve his finishing at the rim percentage, which actually took a step back last year dipping to 51-percent. For comparison, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scores at the rim at a 61-percent clip.
The OKC Thunder spent a 6th overall pick on Josh Giddey in the 2021 NBA Draft, which was dubbed the biggest draft in Bricktown in a decade. It is clear, Presti has to hit this selection to keep the team on pace to compete sooner rather than later.
Giddey fits the direction Presti and head coach Mark Daigneault are taking this team. He is a lengthy playmaker that at 6’9 plays as though he is a true point guard. With room to improve from beyond the arc, a surprising driving ability, and some of the best playmaking traits we have ever seen from an 18-year-old it is clear that the Australian has star potential.
improving from three-point land, while Mark Daigneault does his magic on the defensive end helping the teenager improve in that area as Daigneault has done for every player on the roster last year, will go a long way.
The biggest question surrounding Giddey is how he plays next to a true point guard in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, a roster construction he has never dealt with before.
Aleksej Pokusevski will walk away with the crown at this time for the next star on the OKC Thunder roster.
I know, it sounds crazy, especially if you are only familiar with the memes you see on Twitter than the play on the floor after his G-League stint.
It will take everything breaking right for Poku, but that is the state of this roster right now if this seven-footer who has the backing of this organization and fan base can reach his ceiling as a unicorn playmaker that features a 13.6 percent assist percentage, with great ball-handling, a plus jump shoot, his hidable defense that is best help side, with one of the best block percentages in the league, he could be the rising star the OKC Thunder need next to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
He will not turn 20 years old until December, with a ton of room to grow and the most important factor in his development is that the organization will give him time. The team believes he will be a star-like unicorn and will not dump him if he sees a regression this season. In fact, it is more likely that his big leap happens from year two to year three than this season.
However, if that leap ever comes, the Thunder will see their franchise turn back into an NBA Finals contender yet again. Who do you think has the best shot at becoming a star on this roster?