December 26, 2020 Issue, Page 4 of 8

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December 26, 2020 Sports OKC Thunder: Get to know Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Lu Dort, Darius Bazley and 2020-21 roster Joe Mussatto, The Oklahoman mance was an outlier, as Dort and 3-point percentage last sea- 18-year-old Serbian forward Notable: Roby, traded from Experience: 3rd season shot below 40% for the season. son with the Mavericks, but he's has a high upside given his the Mavericks to the Thunder College: TCU Trevor Ariza, forward, No. 8 Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, only one year removed from size, shooting and ball handling last year, missed most of his Last season: 39 games, 21.3 Height/weight: 6-foot-8, 215 guard, No.2 shooting 36% from 3-point skills, but he's far from devel- rookie campaign with a linger- minutes, 3.5 points, 4.8 re- pounds Height/weight: 6-foot-6, 181 range and 45% from the field. oped. ing foot injury. Roby did not bounds, 1.5 assists, 34.7 FG% Experience: 17th season pounds Jackson is entering the final Isaiah Roby, forward, No. 22 travel with the team to the Notable: Nicknamed Kenny College: UCLA Experience: 3rd season year of his contract. Height/weight: 6-foot-8, 230 Orlando bubble. The former Hustle, Williams was known for Last season: 53 games, 28.2 College: Kentucky Ty Jerome, guard, No. 16 pounds second-round pick started the his high motor in his first two minutes, 8.0 points, 4.6 re- Last season: 70 games, 34.7 Height/weight: 6-foot-5, 195 Experience: 2nd season ‘Thunder's first preseason game. seasons with the Pelicans. He bounds, 1.7 assists, 43.8 FG% minutes, 19.0 points, 5.9 re- pounds College: Nebraska Kenrich Williams, forward, was traded to the Thunder as Notable: Ariza is away from bounds, 3.3 assists, 47.1 FG% Experience: 2nd season Last season: 3 games, 3.7 No. 34 part of the Steven Adams deal. the team indefinitely due to a Notable: In the annual NBA. College: Virginia minutes, 0.0 points, 0.7 re- Height/weight: 6-foot-7, 210 ‘The Waco, Texas, native played family matter. The Thunder said com GM survey, 15% of general Last season: 31 games, 10.6 bounds, 0.0 assists, poun three seasons at TCU. it supports Ariza's absence. The managers picked Gilgeous-Alex- minutes, 3.3 points, 1.5 re- 35-year-old forward might not ander as the player most like bounds, 1.4 assists, 33.6 FG% play for the Thunder this sea- to have a breakout season. Gil- Notable: Jerome missed the son, but he'll remain on the ros- geous-Alexander tied Denver's first 18 games of his rookie sea- ter as a possible trade chip. Michael Porter Jr. for the most son with an ankle injury, and Quality wins up for grabs as Darius Bazley, forward, No.7 votes. Gilgeous-Alexander will he struggled to catch up upon Height/weight: 6-foot-8, 208 take over as the Thunder's pri- returning. A career 39% 3-point poun Experience: 2nd season mary ball handler this season. Josh Hall, forward, No. 15 shooter at Virginia, Jerome shot 28% from 3-point range Sooners begin Big 12 gauntlet College: None Height/weight: 6-foot-8, 200 with the Suns. Jerome was one Joe Buettner, The Norman Tran- establish by going deep to his Last season: 61 games, 18.5 pounds of four players OKC received script oe time you look at any bench. Ten Sooner players are minutes, 5.6 points, 4.0 re- Experience: Rookie from Phoenix in the Chris Paul three-, four- or five-game averaging 14 or more minutes, bounds, 0.7 assists, 39.4 FG% College: None trade. Oklahoma's chances at re- stretch in Big 12 play, it's prob- while another two are averaging Notable: Bazley played his Last season: Averaged 24 ‘Theo Maledon, guard, No. 11 sumé-building wins dwindled ably going to be something sim- 5.3 and 6.8 minutes. best basketball in the bubble. points per game at Moravian Height/weight: 6-foot-5, 180 when its nonconference sched- ilar to what we have here," OU "Versatility and being able to He averaged 13 points and 6.3 Prep in Hudson, North Carolina pounds ule was dramatically reduced. coach Lon Kruger said. "We're identify different matchups that rebounds in the Thunder's eight Notable: Hall committed to Experience: Rookie ‘The Sooners had plans to host getting the true test of the top we like, it's really big," Kruger seeding games in Orlando. Ba- North Carolina State as a four- College: None Florida, visit Central Florida, half real fast if you go by pre- said. "We can play small, play a zley shot 11-of-22 from 3-point star prospect in the 2020 class, Last season: Averaged 7.3 battle Arkansas in Tulsa, meet season stuff and production to little bit bigger. That versatility range in OKC's playoff series but he opted to forgo college points and 2.7 assists for ASV- Washington in Las Vegas for this point. in conference play, whether it be loss to Houston. Poised for a and declare for the NBA draft EL Lyon-Villeurbanne in France sophomore leap, Bazley is likely as a fifth-year prep player. The Notable: The Thunder select- the Pac-12 Coast-to-Coast Chal- “It's a tough stretch and ev- an Ankle sprain or COVID test to start at power forward this Durham, North Carolina, na- ed Maledon with the 34th pick lenge and compete in the Di eryone's going to have one of or foul trouble, that depth this year, is as important as ever." season. tive signed a two-way contract in the draft. The French point mond Head Classic in Honolulu. two of those stretches during Moses Brown, center, No. 9 with the Thunder after going guard tallied 20 points, five re- ‘The program lost those op- conference play. We have ours ‘The Sooners dealt with a few bounds and two assists in his portunities, which would have right off the bat.” COVID issues earlier in their Height/weight: 7-foot-1, 245 undrafted. schedule, tieing without Victor pounds George Hill, guard, No. 3 preseason debut. Maledon re- been helpful to it making the ‘The Sooners are at least a bit Iwuakor, issanza and Josh Experience: 2nd season Height/weight: 6-foot-3, 187 ceived votes as the biggest steal NCAA Tournament, and ex- further along as a group, com- O'Garro their first two games. College: UCLA pounds in the draft in NBA.com's GM pect to play just six non-Big 12 pared to when they opened Big At full eng the Sooners Last season: 9 games, 3.7 Experience: 13th season survey. games this season. 12 play against TCU with just (6-1, 1-0 Big 12) hope they can minutes, 1.2 points, 1.6 re- College: IUPUI Darius Miller, forward, No. Both good and bad news for one nonconference game under make a splash with their rigor- bounds, 0.1 assists, 40.0 FG% Last season: 59 games, 21.5 12 the Sooners, their Big 12 sched- their belts. ous conference slate. Notable: The Thunder signed minutes, 9.4 points, 3.0 re- Height/weight: 6-foot-8, 225 ule will provide plenty of chanc- OU's 2020-21 group is still a Perhaps the team that fin- Brown to a two-way contract bounds, 3.1 assists, 51.6 FG% pounds es to pad their portfolio. work in progress as it continues ished third in the league stand- this offseason. Brown played Notable: Hill led the NBA in Experience: 6th season Starting tonight at 6, OU will to push for more consistency ings last season will. for the Trail Blazers last season 3-point shooting last season ‘ollege: Kentucky face No. 15 Texas Tech in Nor- and raise its physicality to the Joe Buettner, 405-366-3580 on a two-way deal. The Queens, at 46%. Hill has shot better Last season: Out with injury man, host No. 7 West Virginia Big 12's standard, Kruger said. Follow me @JoeBuettner New York, native averaged 14.4 than 40% from behind the arc Notable: Miller missed all ‘on Jan. 2, go to No. 2 Baylor on Working for OU is its depth, jbuettnerenormantranscript. points, 7.7 rebounds and 13 in four of his last five seasons. of last season while rehabbing Jan. 6 and No. 3 Kansas on Jan. which Kruger has worked to com blocks in 30 games for the G ‘The 34-year-old guard was sent from a right Achilles tear, and League Texas Legends last sea- from Milwaukee to OKC as part he didn't play in any of the son. of the Steven Adams trade with Thunder's preseason games. Hamidou Diallo, guard, No. 6 New Orleans. He's a trade can- Miller averaged 8.2 points, 2.1 OU men’s basketball: Quality wins up for Height/weight: 6-foot-5, 202 didate the Thunder could flip for assists and 1.9 rebounds for the pounds Experience: 3rd season another asset. Al Horford, center, No. 42 Pelicans in 2018-19. He's a ca- reer 38% 3-point shooter. grabs as Sooners begin Big 12 gauntlet College: Kentucky Height/weight: 6-foot-9, 240 Mike Muscala, center, No. 33 Last season: 46 games, 19.5 pounds Height/weight: 6-foot-11, Joe Buettner, The Norman Tran- bench. Ten Sooner players are minutes, 6.9 points, 3.6 re- Experience: 14th season 240 pounds script “Any time you look at any averaging 14 or more minutes, bounds, 0.8 assists, 44.6 FG% College: Florida Experience: 8th season three-, four-or five-game stretch while another two are averaging Notable: Diallo is the Thun- Last season: 67 games, 30.2 College: Bucknell Oklahoma's chances at re- in Big 12 play, it’s probably go- 5.3 and 6.8 minutes. der's longest-tenured player. minutes, 11.9 points, 6.8 re- Last season: 47 games, 12.2 sumé-building wins dwindled ing to be something similar to “Versatility and being able to The 22-year-old guards a career bounds, 4.0 assists, 45.0 FG% minutes, 4.8 points, 2.3. re- when its nonconference sched- what we have here,” OU coach identify different matchups that 24.7% 3-point shooter, but he Notable: Horford's tenure in bounds, 0.9 assists, 40.7 FG% ule was dramatically reduced. Lon Kruger said. “We're getting we like, it’s really big.” Kruger graded out as one of the Thun- Philadelphia lasted just one sea- Notable: _ Muscala shot ‘The Sooners had plans to host the true test of the top half real said. “We can play small, play a der's best defensive players last son. He and Joel Embiid were 37.8% from 3-point range last Florida, visit Central Florida, fast if you go by preseason stuff little bit bigger. That versatility season. Diallo is entering the fi- an odd fit together in the 76ers’ year, and 72% of his points battle Arkansas in Tulsa, meet and production to this point. in conference play, whether it be nal year of his contract. starting lineup, and Horford came from 3-pointers. Mus- Washington in Las Vegas for “It’s a tough stretch and ev- an Ankle sprain or COVID test Luguentz Dort, guard, No. 5 shot a career-low 45%. Hor- cala picked up his $2.3 million the Pac-12 Coast-to-Coast Chal- eryone’s going to have one of or foul trouble, that depth this Helght/welgit 6-foot-4, 215 ford, 34, now finds himself as player option to return to OKC lenge and compete in the Dia- two of those stretches during year, is as important as ever.” pounds the starting center on a young, for a second season. He'll back mond Head Classic in Honolulu. conference play. We have ours ‘The Sooners dealt with a few Experience: 2nd season rebuilding team. The five-time up Horford at center. Muscala The program lost those op- right off the bat.” COVID issues earlier in their College: Arizona State All Star has three years and $81 played with Horford for three portunities, which would have ‘The Sooners are at least a bit schedule, going without Victor Last season: 36 games, 22.8 million left on his contract. seasons in Atlanta. been helpful to it making the further along as a group, com- Iwuakor, Rick Issanza and Josh minutes, 6.8 points, 2.3. re- a Jackson, forward, No. Aleksej Pokusevski, forward, NCAA Tournament, and expect pared to when they opened Big O’Garro their first two games. bounds, 0.8 assists, 39.4 FG% No. 17 Notable: The Thunder signed Height/weight: 7-foot, 195 to play just six non-Big 12 games 12 play against TCU with just At full strength, the Sooners we Sie sht/weight: 6-foot-7, 220 one nonconference game under (6-1, 1-0 Big 12) hope they can Dort to a four-year, $5.4 mil- pounds this season. Both good and bad news for their belts. make a splash with their rigor- lion contract in June after he Experience: 4th season Experience: Rookie the Sooners, their Big 12 sched- OU's 2020-21 group is still a ous conference slate. cementeda spot in the starting College: North Carolina College: None ule will provide plenty of chanc- work in progress as it continues Perhaps the team that fin- lineup. The undrafted rookie Last season: 65 games, 16.1 Last season: Averaged 10.8 es to pad their portfolio. to push for more consistency ished third in the league stand- ial earned national atten- minutes, 5.5 points, 2.4 re- points, 7.9 rebounds and 3.1 as- tion in the playoffs for his un- bounds, 0.8 assists, 39.6 FG% sists for Olympiacos B Starting tonight at 6, OU will and raise its physicality to the ings last season will. relenting defense against James Notable: The former first- Notable: The Thunder traded face No. 15 Texas Tech in Nor- Big 12's standard, Kruger said. Joe Buettner Harden and his 30-point Game round pick averaged career lows up to select Pokusevski with man, host No. 7 West Virginia Working for OU is its depth, 405-366-3580 7. But that offensive perfor- in points, field goal percentage the 17th pick in the draft. The on Jan. 2, go to No. 2 Baylor on which Kruger has worked to Follow me @JoeBuettner Jan. 6 and No. 3 Kansas on Jan. establish by going deep to his jbuettner@normantranscript. Why OKC Thunder is unlikely to match speed of Seattle SuperSonics rebuild Joe Mussatto, The Oklahoman trades of Russell Westbrook and ‘The Sonics went 35-47 in 2005- Later that offseason, Lewis ‘Then a conference finals appear- Before 2019, the team with Paul George, but the teardown 06 and 31-51 in 2006-07, the headed to Orlando as part of a ance in 2010-11 and the NBA the worst regular-season record ‘The time was right to rebuild. didn’t start until the exits of first season under a new Okla- sign-and-trade with the Magic. Finals in 2012. had a 25% chance of winning So Sam Presti traded an ag- Paul, Adams, Danilo Gallinari homa City ownership group led It ended his nine-year tenure in Durant, Westbrook and Hard- ing hall-of-fame guard, and less and Dennis Schréder this off- by Clay Bennett. Seattle. en became superstars in Okla- the lottery. The second-worst than two weeks later the team season. The Sonics weren't trying to ‘The Sonics, without their star homa City and beyond. team had a 19.9% chance and moved on from a 27-year-old ‘After 10 years of remarkable earn a top pick in the 2007 NBA duo of Allen and Lewis, went ‘That path doesn’t exist this third-worst a 15.6% chance. fan favorite who had grown up success for the Thunder — rank- Draft. They were just uninten- 20-62 in Durant’s rookie season time Today the three-worst teams ing only behind the Spurs in tionally and fortuitously bad. and Year 1 of the rebuild. First, the Thunder's starting all have a 14% chance of win- winning percentage since 2010 Rick Sund was removed as ‘The Sonics were projected to point for a rebuild is different. onship to be making the play- — it’s easy to forget Presti and general manager in April 2007, pick second in the 2008 draft, Shai _Gilgeous-Alexander ning the lottery. offs,” Presti said. “We want sus- the organization have been here and Presti was hired away from but this time they fell to fourth, might very well develop into The Thunder owns 18 first- tained success.” before at the start of something San Antonio in June 2007 to selecting Westbrook in what was an AIL-NBA player, but he’s not round picks through 2027 ‘That was the summer of 2007, new. become Seattle’s new general then seen as a reach. Presti then Durant, a generational talent. thanks to Presti’s trades of the and Ray Allen and Rashard Lew- It looked simple enough the manager. picked Serge Ibaka at No. 24 — OKC has cleared the path for past two years. The Thunder is were the SuperSonics on the last. time. ‘The SuperSonics/ The SuperSonics were pro- a pick the Sonics received from Gilgeous-Alexander much like move under the watch of Presti, Thunder had three bad years, jected to pick fifth in the 2007 the Suns for taking on Kurt Seattle did for Durant, but Du- has given itself more chances at Seattle’s new 30-year-old gener- obtaining three top-four picks draft, but they landed the No. 2 ‘Thomas’ contract. rant accelerated the Thunder's top picks and more flexibility to al manager. More than a decade which turned into three MVPs: selection in the lottery behind The young core of Durant, rebuild in ways that will be dif- bundle picks together to move later, the Thunder departures of Kevin Durant, Westbrook and the Trail Blazers. Westbrook and Green — sud- ficult to match. Chris Paul and Steven Adams fit James Harden. Portland selected Ohio State denly sporting Thunder blue — Second, the league landscape up the board. asimilar description. But as Presti and the Thunder center Greg Oden with the No. went 23-59 in their debut 2008- has changed since Presti took But landing even one player at “We're not looking for half front office embark on another 1 pick, making Durant the ob- 09 season in Oklahoma City. over in 2007. Two new collec- the level of a Durant, Westbrook measures around here,” Presti rebuild, they're not looking at vious selection for Seattle. That Presti, for the third consecu- tive bargaining agreements have or Harden would be a win. said this offseason, echoing his what happened in Seattle as a pick changed the course of NBA tive year, would pick in the top been passed since then. Player Now it comes down to luck message from 2007. “We want realistic model to repeat. history and Oklahoma City his- four. movement is more common and repeating. to strive to see if we can be ~The 2004-05 SuperSonics tory. Sooner star Blake Griffin was teams are smarter and more an- great. We're willing to take the won 52 games under Nate Mc- Bat just before the pick was the top pick in the 2009 draft alytically driven. “You look to the past for in- paths that require extreme com- Millan. Allen and Lewis were announced came news that Al- and UConn center Hasheem Flattened lottery odds have spiration,” Presti said, “but petitiveness to do that.” both All Stars, averaging better Jen had been traded from Se- ‘Thabeet went second. made building through the draft you're certainly having to create ‘The trade of Allen and the than 20 points per game. Nick attle to Boston. The SuperSonics ‘The Thunder selected James something new going forward. I more unpredictable, but it’s still sign-and-trade of Lewis jump- Collison was a rookie on that received Delonte West, Wally Harden third, and the rapid re- the best route to contention think that’s kind of the exciting started Seattle’s rebuild. ‘The vi- team, which lost to the Spurs in Szczerbiak and the rights to Jeff build was complete. for small-market teams like the sion for Oklahoma City’s rebuild the second round of the playoffs. Green, the No. 5 pick in the ‘The Thunder improved from ‘Thunder that won't attract star thing about sports in general. was born last summer after the ‘Then Seattle underachieved. draft. 23 wins, to 50 wins, to 55 wins. free agents. It’s always evolving”