CP3, Gallinari, SGA and Schroder all get A's
The Thunder reaches the halfway mark of the season sporting a record, 23-18, far better than most imagined. Basketball-reference. com, quite the respected statistical website, gives the Thunder a 99% chance of making the Western Conference playoffs.
Such a season naturally comes with splendid individual performances, and the Thunder's midseason grades reflect a roster that is maximizing its potential. Here are the grades for the Thunder's 12 primary players:
Steven Adams B
The Thunder's most valuable player, in that OKC is hard-pressed to play without him. But Adams got off to a slow start, which contributed to the 6-11 start. Seems likely Adams wasn't fully healthy. Adams' scoring (11.8 points per game) is slightly down and his rebounding is slightly up (10.0) and his assists are way up (2.7, almost double from last season). Adams' defense, like always, has been superb.
Darius Bazley A
A 19-year-old rookie, picked 23rd in the draft, who didn't play any organized basketball in his year out of high school, is a rotational player on a good NBA team. That's an amazing story. Bazley is making just 35.8% of his shots and his shot selection sometimes is squishy. But as advertised, he can handle the ball, though that hasn't translated to many assists. In recent weeks, Bazley has become a defensive force. He's got 16 blocked shots in the last 15 games.
Deonte Burton C
Burton doesn't know his own skill set; he's made just five of 31 3-point shots and often misses wildly. Unlike Diallo, Burton rarely looks like an NBA player. But give him credit; Billy Donovan has needed Burton a few times for defense, particularly to muscle a bigger player, and Burton has held his own.
Hamidou Diallo C
Injuries have limited Diallo to just 21 games. And give him credit; Diallo has the best net rating (+0.7) among the non-mainstays. When he plays, the energy definitely increases. But Diallo's field-goal percentage remains low (43.2%), he's made just four of 18 3-pointers and his turnovers (1.8 per 36 minutes) have risen over his rookie year. He often looks like an NBA player, but the jury remains out.
Terrance Ferguson B
Ferguson's defense has been outstanding. He's routinely been assigned the toughest matchups, and at times he's done Andre Roberson-like work. Ferguson still fouls too much, but you try guarding James Harden. However, Ferguson's offense has not progressed. He's shooting just 32% on 3-pointers after making 36.6% a year ago, his second NBA season. His points per 36 minutes (7.1) is lower than either of his first two seasons.
Danilo Gallinari A
Gallinari's defense has not been stellar — he has by far the worst defensive net rating on the squad, with OKC giving up 111.9 points per 100 possessions with him on the court. But Gallinari's offense has been superb — a team-best 114.0. His 40.1% 3-point shooting, much of that off incredibly deep shots, has made the Thunder go, stretching defenses and giving the ballhandlers plenty of room to operate. Gallinari also has stayed healthy; he's missed just five games, a pace of 10 per season after missing an average of 29 the previous five years.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander A
From offensive production (a team-high 20.0 points; 47% shooting) to all-around court game (a 20/20/10 triple double the other night) to demeanor, SGA has been exactly what the Thunder hoped it was getting. A star, at age 21. His assists are significantly down from his rookie season with the Clippers, but SGA often shares the court with two other point guards.
Mike Muscala D
The Thunder signed Muscala to be a floorspacing backup power forward on a Russell Westbrook/ Paul George team. That team changed quickly, and now Muscala is a third-team center who has been asked to play quite a bit when Steven Adams or Nerlens Noel is injured. Muscala is shooting just 27.8% on 3-pointers and 34.3% overall. Muscala has increased his production the last two weeks, averaging 7.4 points and shooting 32.3% from 3-point range.
Abdel Nader B
On a roster short of wings, Nader has been valuable. In his five starts, OKC is 3-2, including crucial wins at Portland and Utah on the same road trip. Nader is shooting 36.4 percent on 3-pointers. Nader's defense isn't great, he doesn't pass often or well, and his rebounding is not much. But he's provided quality minutes on a team with an attimes short bench.
Nerlens Noel A
An excellent backup center, Noel is scoring almost as much as Adams per 36 minutes (15.0-15.3), rebounding well, blocking shots at a high frequency (1.5 per game). Noel's shooting is a career-high 66%, and he's mastered the alleyoop timing with all the Thunder guards but particularly Paul.
Chris Paul A
At age 34, who knew CP3 could still produce at star levels? Paul's numbers are slightly down from his established career standard, but his leadership, his clutch-time play and his demeanor have invigorated the Thunder, all while often sharing the court with two other point guards. And CP3's defensive versatility is underrated; he often guards small forwards.
Dennis Schroder A
Schroder is shooting at career-best clips of .467 (overall), .359 (3-point) and .481 (mid-range). He's averaging 18.3 points a game and is a prime candidate to win Sixth Man of the Year Award. Also, Schroder's defense has been decent. He fights, even when matched against much-bigger opponents. Schroder has the Thunder's best net rating; things go well when he's on the court.