MEET THE THUNDER
LUGUENTZ DORT FORWARD, NO. 5
Ht./Wt.: 6-foot-3, 215
Age: 22
College: Arizona State
Last season stats: 14 pts, 3.6 reb, 1.7 ast
Dort is a preseason All-Defensive team candidate, but what about his offense? He’s a safe bet to finish second on the team in scoring, especially if he finishes better at the rim and hovers around league-average from 3-point range.
VIT KREJCI FORWARD, NO. 27
Ht./Wt.: 6-foot-8, 195 Age: 21
Country: Czech Republic
Krejci has been around the organization for more than a year, but he’s yet to play after spending all of last season rehabbing an ACL injury. Krejci was a mostly unknown prospect in the 2020 draft, and now he’s a mostly unknown rookie on the Thunder’s roster.
AARON WIGGINS GUARD, NO. 21
Ht./Wt.: 6-foot-5, 190
Age: 22
College: Maryland
Contract: Two-way player
Wiggins made a solid impression in Summer League, and he carried that momentum into training camp and the preseason. He’s going to spend time with the G League Blue as a two-way player, but the Thunder isn’t deep at wing. Wiggins will get a chance to play.
KENRICH WILLIAMS FORWARD, NO. 34
Ht./Wt.: 6-foot-6, 210
Age: 26
College: TCU
Last season stats: 8.0 pts, 4.1 reb, 2.3 ast
There’s 29 other teams who could use a Kenny Hustle. He’s a team-oriented player who makes everything fit and flow. Don’t be surprised if a contender comes knocking at the trade deadline. He’d be a plugand- play option for a playoff team.
JEREMIAH ROBINSON-EARL FORWARD, NO. 50
Ht./Wt.: 6-foot-8, 242 Age: 20
College: Villanova
Robinson-Earl is a modern center who can facilitate from the high post and shoot threes. He looks ready to contribute right away. The Thunder traded picks 34 and 36 to draft Robinson-Earl 32nd.
JOSH GIDDEY GUARD, NO. 3
Ht./Wt.: 6-foot-8, 205 Age: 19
Country: Australia
Giddey turned 19 on Oct. 10. He’s one of the youngest players in the NBA, much like Aleksej Pokusevski was last season. Giddey, however, looks far more advanced for his age. He should finish at or near the top of his rookie class in assists.
THEO MALEDON GUARD, NO. 11
Ht./Wt.: 6-foot-4, 175
Age: 20
Country: France
Last season stats: 10.1 pts, 3.2 reb, 3.5 ast
Maledon averaged 27.4 minutes and started 49 games as a rookie. Expect his playing time to dip, at least slightly, as a sophomore. Rookies Giddey and Tre Mann have been added to the backcourt mix, and Jerome also needs minutes.
DARIUS BAZLEY FORWARD, NO. 7
Ht./Wt.: 6-foot-8, 208
Age: 21
College: none
Last season stats: 13.7 pts, 7.2 reb, 1.8 ast
Bazley has all of the physical tools. Now they just need to come together. The Thunder has shown a lot of faith in Bazley, and he’s likely to open the season as OKC’s starting power forward. He probably doesn’t have a tight grip on the spot.
DERRICK FAVORS CENTER, NO. 15
Ht./Wt.: 6-foot-9, 265
Age: 30
College: Georgia Tech
Last season stats: 5.4 pts, 5.5 reb, 0.6 ast
Favors will at least be a matchup play. He is the biggest option on a team sorely lacking in size and strength. He can step in against the likes of Joel Embiid and Jonas Valanciunas to save his teammates from getting beat up.
ISAIAH ROBY CENTER, NO. 22
Ht./Wt.: 6-foot-8, 230
Age: 23
College: Nebraska
Last season stats: 8.7 pts, 5.6 reb, 1.8 ast Roby is a versatile big man who can play power forward or center. He can also lead a fastbreak when he grabs a defensive rebound. Roby started the Thunder’s first preseason game, which might be a clue for who starts at center Wednesday in Utah.
SHAI GILGEOUS-ALEXANDER GUARD, NO. 2
Ht./Wt.: 6-foot-6, 180
Age: 23
College: Kentucky
Last season stats: 23.7 pts, 4.7 reb, 5.9 ast The 2018 draft was stacked. Gilgeous-Alexander, selected 11th overall, signed a maximum contract extension with the Thunder over the summer. A few of his 2018 classmates — Luka Donic, Trae Young and Michael Porter Jr. — also signed max extensions in the offseason.
TRE MANN GUARD, NO. 23
Ht./Wt.: 6-foot-3, 178 Age: 20
College: Florida
Mann was a divisive draft pick. He projects as a shifty scorer, but his defense is a big question mark. The Thunder wants him to launch 3-pointers early and often in his rookie season.
GABRIEL DECK FORWARD, NO. 6
Ht./Wt.: 6-foot-6, 231
Age: 26
Country: Argentina
Last season stats: 8.4 pts, 4.0 reb, 2.4 ast
Deck wasn’t guaranteed to make the team, but he beat out Mamadi Diakite for the last spot. Now what? Deck isn’t exactly a young prospect, which makes him a questionable fit with the Thunder. He’s a trade candidate if there’s any interest.
MIKE MUSCALA CENTER, NO. 33
Ht./Wt.: 6-10, 240
Age: 30
College: Bucknell
Last season stats: 9.7 pts, 3.8 reb, 0.8 ast
Muscala re-upped in Oklahoma City without looking elsewhere. He’s a nice pickand-pop partner for the Thunder’s young guards, but he’s also a veteran leader. Born July 1, 1991, Muscala is the oldest player on the roster.
2021-22 NBA SEASON KEY DATES
2022
Feb. 18-20: NBA All-Star 2022 (Cleveland)
April 10: Regular season concludes
April 12-15: Play-In Tournament
April 16: Playoffs begin
June 2: NBA Finals begin
June 19: Game 7 of NBA Finals (if necessary)
June 23: NBA Draft
TY JEROME GUARD, NO. 16
Ht./Wt.: 6-foot-5, 195
Age: 24
College: Virginia
Last season stats: 10.7 pts, 2.8 reb, 3.6 ast Jerome was easy to overlook in the Chris Paul trade with Phoenix. Jerome dealt with injuries as a rookie with the Suns, and he struggled when healthy. His sophomore season in Oklahoma City came as a surprise. Jerome is a knockdown shooter and a smart distributor.
PAUL WATSON GUARD, NO. 1
Ht./Wt.: 6-foot-6, 210
Age: 26
College: Fresno State
Last season stats: 4.1 pts, 1.7 reb, 0.6 ast
Contract: Two-way player
Watson is a catch-and-shoot specialist. He shot 47% from 3-point range last season with the Raptors on 64 attempts. He’ll turn 27 in December, but this will be just his third NBA season.
ALEKSEJ POKUSEVSKI FORWARD, NO. 17
Ht./Wt.:
Age: 19
Country: Serbia
Last season stats: 4.7 reb, 2.2 ast 7-foot, 190 8.2 pts,
Pokusevski started 28 games as a rookie, but he’s been supplanted by Giddey. Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said he wants the second unit to play through Pokusevski. It will be interesting to see how Pokusevski responds in Year 2.
MARK DAIGNEAULT HEAD COACH
College: UConn Experience: 2nd season Notable: General manager Sam Presti named Daigneault Thunder head coach on Nov. 11, 2020. He was promoted from within after serving as an assistant coach under Billy Donovan last season. Daigneault, 36, previously spent five years as head coach of the G League Oklahoma City Blue.
Capsules by Joe Mussatto, Staff writer