OKC Thunder: Vit Krejci assigned to OKC Blue, helps clear up rotation

The OKC Thunder have had tough decisions to make so far this season when it comes to the rotation. Mark Daigneault has had the benefit of all 17 players being fully healthy to start the season. That sounds like a blessing, though it is also a curse. As the head ball coach explains, players 5-17 on the roster only have marginal differences.

With so many players vying for minutes, all young and with upside, it is like picking your favorite kid. Parents, how difficult is that? If you take a stroll around Thunder Twitter, you will find about six or seven different answers as fans advocate for their favorite fringe rotation player to get more minutes.

The OKC Thunder assign Vit Krejci to the OKC Blue

NBA rotations are typically 8-10 players deep, Mark Daigneault has tried to shuffle in 11, 12, 13, and sometimes more Oklahoma City Thunder players into the lineup through the team’s first three games.

Sadly, injuries are part of the process, and eventually, the OKC Thunder will have nights where they do not have all 17 players healthy which by nature helps get other players more run and give Mark Daigneault a more “normal” rotation. Another big aspect of this is the OKC Blue.

The NBA G-League is back, a full G-League season will take place in home markets and it will be a great tool for organizations like the Oklahoma City Thunder who not only invest in the G-League but have a ton of young players to shuffle in and out of the G-League circuit.

An added benefit of the OKC Blue being back is this year they play in the same building as the varsity squad, setting up some fun Paycom Center doubleheaders. This also allows Sam Presti and Mark Daigneault to bounce players up and down from the NBA to G-Leauge in a blink of an eye.

With players down on the farm developing it opens up the rotation more and gives guys in the NBA minutes to grow and get comfortable without being shuffled in and out like the hokey pokey.

The first player sent down is one we all expected, Vit Krejci has been assigned to the OKC Blue as the interesting young perimeter player a year removed from an ACL injury will get a lot of minutes with the Blue. You have to imagine Grant Gibbs will be instructed to give Krejci somewhere in the ballpark of 20-plus minutes a night.

The OKC Blue will start their season on November 5th in the Paycom Center against the Salt Lake City Stars.