OKC Thunder: One area Darius Bazley can build on entering this season

The OKC Thunder remains in rebuild mode and is searching for a second star to pair next to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Most fans view that the second building block is not yet on the roster, though these young players will get a chance to develop this year with a ton of minutes and opportunity.

One of the key young players who will be under the microscope this year is Darius Bazley. I would encourage fans not to give up on the New Balance intern just yet, while last year’s struggles certainly are cause for concern, they are explainable.

The 21-year-old can still be a big part of the team’s future, still, with a chance to live up to the nickname I have coined for him “Building Block Bazley.”

OKC Thunder forward Darius Bazley can leap this season

A year ago, expectations were high for the young forward. The team departed from the Disney World Bubble after the first-round exit to the Houston Rockets, many fans thought would have gone the Thunder’s way had Billy Donovan played the rookie a bit more at the small ball five.

With his shooting outburst from beyond the arc, his elite rebounding numbers in a small sample size for his size, and solid defense everyone expected a year two leap from Bazley. Instead, he was the only player so far under new head coach Mark Daigneault to take a step back.

It was a season littered with injuries, roster turnover, and a jam-packed schedule thanks to a shortened offseason. The young forward entered the starting lineup, took on a larger defensive role, and was arguably missed used a season ago.

At 6’9 and all the athletic ability in the world, it is puzzling why Bazley is not more aggressive on the floor. That lack of aggression translates to his poor showing at the rim, shooting just 59-percent at the cup.

Bazley did not thrive in any area shooting the ball, shooting below league average from three, a lowly 27-percent from the corner, and 28-percent on mid-range shots.

it was weird to see the lengthy, bouncy forward relegated to standing in the corner given his ability to cut and get to the rim, was that an OKC Thunder decision or a Darius Bazley decision? We may never know the answer to that, but it needs to change.

When you look at the mold Sam Presti and Mark Daigneault are using to build out this roster, and the trends they are seeing on how to get back to being a title-contending organization is full of young, athletic, versatile playmakers. Nothing drives that point home like electing to go with the 6’9 playmaker Josh Giddey over the project wing in Jonathan Kuminga to pair with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in this year’s NBA draft.

If you only give the measurables for the player Presti wants a tall, ball-handling, above-average passer, that can rebound and play solid defense sparking a fast break, that is exactly how you would describe Darius Bazley’s game at its peak.

No matter how it gets done, or who needs to do it, somehow the team needs to unlock the aggressive side of Darius Bazley to see his game fully develop.

This year, Darius Bazley was in the 98th percentile in defensive rebounding on the opponent’s field goals, rebounding 19-percent of missed shots on that end.

He helps end possessions and did a great job of battling top players around the league defensively. If he unlocks the aggressiveness offensively, he will be a double-double machine and viewed differently as a player. This is a make-or-break year for the third-year forward.