Who has the most pressure to perform for the OKC Thunder?
By Rylan Stiles
The OKC Thunder are 10 months away from being forced into a decision on Darius Bazley, and his play this season will go a long way in determining his fate
The Oklahoma City Thunder selected Darius Bazley in the first round of the 2019 NBA Draft, the New Balance intern was met with a lot of “who?”‘s when he was announced as the selection on Draft night. Yet another Sam Presti high-upside swing and his career has taken an interesting route to get here.
In his rookie season, Bazley was better than expected. He showed flashes, he played well in the bubble, and there was genuine buzz heading into his second season as he took on a new role as a starter. With injuries and regression, year two was dreadful for the young wing.
Entering year three, many expected a bounce-back but Bazley suffered from a slow start and even was benched for the first time since his rookie season. However, the 22-year-old did turn his season around toward the back half of the season and showed off elite defensive potential throughout the year being able to switch 1-5.
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Now, Darius Bazley enters a contract year, having his first full offseason since the summer entering his rookie year. Sam Presti typically does not let players hit restricted free agency in these scenarios, but Bazley’s play and Klutch representation does not suggest he will hammer out a deal before the year starts or take a low-ball offer.
Bazley is going to bet on himself, and that puts a lot of pressure on the young wing. Throughout this summer, he has added 12 pounds so far this offseason, with a goal of adding up to six more pounds before the season starts.
After the Thunder hired a new shot doctor, Bazley’s body progression this offseason, and maintaining that high-level defense, he can cash in as a swing starter or high-level rotational piece in the offseason. However, if he still struggles defensively, he may be looking for a team to take a flyer on him come July.
The bottom line is, that Bazley is at a fork in the road and the pressure is on him to force his way into a future role with the OKC Thunder.