THUNDER REPORT CARD
Almost two years after he was drafted 17th overall, the Thunder’s Aleksej Pokusevski remains an intriguing NBA prospect. He’s still 7-foot tall and he’s still quite skilled for someone with that kind of vertical advantage.
But Poku remains a work in progress.
Our series of Thunder report cards continues today with Pokusevski, who in 2021-22 played more games than in his rookie year (61-45) and more minutes (1,233-1,090) but made fewer starts (12-28).
Improvement: B
In perhaps the most important category for Poku’s future, 3-point shooting, the uptick was negligible. But per 36 minutes, Poku’s numbers were up in scoring (13.5-12.1), rebounding (9.37.0) and assists (3.8-3.2), while his turnovers were down (2.7-3.3).
Shooting: D
Poku still is young; he doesn’t turn 21 until the day after Christmas. Poku is four months older than Gonzaga phenom Chet Holmgren, a similarly-sized prospect who some say will go No. 1 in the NBA Draft. But Poku’s shooting is going to have to improve and quick. Not just the deep balls, on which Poku shot .289 this season after shooting .280 a year ago. But Poku’s corner-3 percentage was the same as a year ago, .325, and his foul shooting dipped to 70%, from 73.8% as a rookie. Poku also still tosses up a bunch of flagrant misses — air balls or shots that miss the rim. That’s not a good sign.
Cornerstone cohesion: C
One feature of this rebuilding season is finding out who fits well with franchise cornerstones Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Josh Giddey. Poku fell in the middle. In two-man tandems, Pokusevski was fourth on the Thunder in net rating playing with SGA; per 100 possessions, OKC was outscored by 4.0 points when Poku and SGA shared the court. That’s a good number for this bedraggled Thunder team. However, Poku and Giddey’s net rating together was minus-13.0; only the departed Mamadi Diakite had a worse number among Thunder players with significant minutes alongside Giddey.
Defense: C
Poku remains disadvantaged defensively. He’s basically a 7-foot wing. His quickness and agility usually are overmatched on the perimeter, and at a listed 190 pounds, Poku is overpowered inside. Poku’s incredibly long arms proved to be a bonanza as a rookie; he unexpectedly blocked 42 shots. But that number dipped to 38 this season, in more minutes played. Poku’s fouls committed per 36 minutes also rose, to 2.6 from 1.9, a potentially troubling trend.
Transition offense: A
Poku was a valuable weapon on fast breaks. His long strides are quite valuable in the open court, and he has a nose for getting out in transition at the right time. Poku was third on the team in dunks, with 32, trailing only Darius Bazley (77) and Isaiah Roby (36), and Poku made 47 of his 67 2-point shots taken with at least 18 seconds left on the shot clock.