3 worst starters of the OKC Thunder rebuild era
By Rylan Stiles
The OKC Thunder started Georgios Kalaitzakis four games during the 2021-22 NBA season…No, seriously.
Georgios Kalaitzakis’ NBA career has only spanned one season to this point; after being drafted with the final pick in the 2021 NBA draft, the 24-year-old played in 13 NBA tilts split between the Milwaukee Bucks and Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Milwaukee Bucks waived Georgios Kalaitzakis in December of 2021, eventually leading him to sign with the Oklahoma City Thunder on April 4, 2022. With injuries piling up and the Thunder looking to get the season over with, this ten-day deal was to get the OKC Thunder to the finish line.
In those four starts, Kalaitzakis had a -0.1 win share, highlighted by his game against the L.A. Clippers, where he played all 48 minutes! In that contest, Georgios Kalaitzakis posted 17 points, six rebounds, and three assists with two swipes and a trio of triples.
His career high in an NBA game was two nights before in L.A. against the Purple and Gold, where he turned in 25 points, four rebounds, six assists, and three steals in a messily 45 minutes of action. He certainly earned his paycheck in Oklahoma City, playing at least 29 minutes in a game during his Thunder tenure.
To this point, Kalaitzakis has not returned to the NBA, but he was surprisingly effective in his limited role, shooting 46 percent from the floor, 38 percent from beyond the arc, and averaging one STOCK a game. Though, at 6’8, he is a bit limited defensively, which ultimately helped lead to his NBA dismissal.