Despite putting forth a stellar one-and-done season with the Iowa Hawkeyes, one where he dropped 19.8 points, 4.4 assists, and 1.4 steals per game on 47.7 percent shooting from the floor while earning First-team All Big-Ten honors, OKC Thunder rookie Bennett Stirtz found himself dropping all the way to 16 overall in this past June's NBA Draft.
The guard was widely believed to have an undesirable athletic profile and was entering the league at a somewhat advanced age of 22. Both factors seemingly played major roles in deterring a bevy of team scouts from snatching him up.
The Thunder, however, looked past these so-called disadvantages and not only opted to select him, but traded up to do so.
Now, four months later, it appears Sam Presti and company may have added yet another draft-day steal to their already impressive collection, as Stirtz is actively reminding all the naysayers that the NBA is, above all else, a skill-driven league.
Bennett Stirtz has only shown out on the court since joining Thunder
Stirtz doesn't have standout lateral quickness. He won't wow anyone with his vertical leap and certainly doesn't have a build to write home about.
These are all objective truths.
However, at the end of the day, this lack of attributes doesn't take away from the fact that he's a straight-up baller on the hardwood.
He's proven this to be the case ever since he first laced them up in July's Summer League tournament, where he debuted to the tune of 10 points, four assists, and three steals while cashing in on 66.7 percent of his shots from beyond the arc.
Now, in the preseason, he seems to have carried that momentum over and has gone on to reach even greater heights with his individual performance.
Through three games played, Stirtz is leading the Thunder with averages of 20.3 points, while adding in 4.7 rebounds and 4.3 assists on a ridiculous 59.1 percent shooting from beyond the arc.
What's perhaps most impressive of all is the fact that he's producing at such rates while completely changing his approach to his playstyle. He spent his collegiate career primarily as an on-ball initiator and is now being forced off the ball to serve as a complementary piece alongside guys like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, and Chet Holmgren.
Needless to say, he's made the most of this transition, and it's not because of his athleticism.
Instead, it's all thanks to his criminally underrated skill set that the Thunder are now reaping the benefits of.
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