Did the Thunder draft another Kevin Durant?
In the past 15 years, Oklahoma City’s scouting staff has not disappointed. After drafting three MVPs back to back to back in 2007, 2008, and 2009 in Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden, the Thunder have acquired multiple young players with the potential to be superstars. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Lu Dort, and Tre Mann to name a few. But, none are as intriguing as Aleksej Pokusevski.
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After being drafted in 2020 with the 17th overall pick, Poku averaged 8.2 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game. But his numbers aren’t the interesting part- it’s his skill set. Standing at 7’ and 195lbs, Poku can handle the ball like a guard, shoot the three, and is a solid playmaker. The young Serb scored 29 points on a highly efficient 10-19 from the field (6-9 from three). On top of his great scoring performance, he dropped 8 rebounds and 2 assists. The best part? It was against the Los Angeles Clippers, one of the best defensive teams in the league, in a 117-112 victory.
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Although Poku finished the season strong, he had a rocky start. Through his first 17 games, he averaged 3.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.2 assists. From there, he was sent to the G-League. He showed signs of improvement, averaging 7.9 points, 7.3 rebounds and 4 assists through 13 games. Poku’s return to the NBA was a stark contrast to the beginning of the season. His first game back, he scored 14 points, along with 8 rebounds and 2 blocks. 2 games later, Pokuseveski went off, dropping 23 points on 5-8 shooting from beyond the arc.
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When asked about Pokuseveski’s development throughout the year, Mark Daigneault said, “To think about where he was at the beginning of the season and then the way he played now is a true, tangible example of a player developing.” In the upcoming season, look out for Poku to continue improving, alongside Shai and Lu Dort. With their ever-improving young core and mountain of draft picks, the Thunder could become a very good team in the coming seasons.