As Oklahoma City's Road Stretch Continues, Darius Bazley Stays on the Bench

Even though the Thunder's front court is seemingly short handed, Darius Bazley hasn't played in two straight games.

Wednesday night, Oklahoma City suffered one of its ugliest losses of the season. Even though the Grizzlies are clearly the better team on paper, the Thunder's calling card has been fighting until the finish, finding ways to comeback and defy the odds. Memphis closed the door, though, dominating the fourth quarter in a 123-102 win.

Noticeably absent from the Thunder's last two contests is forward Darius Bazley. The fourth-year post is in the midst of his least impactful season yet due to a dip in minutes and Oklahoma City's roster adding depth across the board. Bazley has often been criticized for his out-of-control isolations and questionable shot-selection, but in limited action this season, he's done all he can to adapt to a role.

The big man's field goal percentage is still lower than normal at 43.7%, but Bazley's 3-point percentage is back up to 36%. He's one of Oklahoma City's only reliable post players when discussing interior defense, and provides the Thunder with security down low. After the Nov. 26 game against Chicago, where scored 17 points on 7-of-9 shooting and two blocks, it looked like Bazley was ready to flourish in his role off the bench.

From there, though, things have inexplicably gone south. The most that Bazley played in the four games following his outburst was 14:45 against the Timberwolves. Now, after the Thunder's third game of the road trip, Bazley has recorded his second straight DNP — Coaches Decision.

Not only did Bazley not play, but he rode the bench on a night when Oklahoma City was incredibly shorthanded at the forward spot. Kenrich Williams, who regularly plays the four-spot, missed Wednesday's game with an injury, while Ousmane Dieng was re-assigned to the OKC Blue. Thunder rookie Jaylin Williams, who has spent most of his time in the G League, was the choice over Bazley against the Grizzlies.

No matter the reason, Bazley's absence is certainly felt on the floor. The Grizzlies front court had a field day at the rim, as Steven Adams and Brandon Clarke combined for 25 points and 13 rebounds on 12-of-14 shooting. There was hardly any resistance at the rim, which led to Ja Morant's 26 points, too.

Trade rumors have surrounded Bazley before, but this time, he's staying on the bench. Whatever the holdup is, if the athletic forward is here to stay in Oklahoma City, finding a way to make sure he's comfortable on the floor again would even out the rotations tremendously.

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