Thunder End of The Year Report Card: Mike Muscala

InsideTheThunder.com continues it end of season report cards, this time evaluating stretch big man Mike Muscala.

Mike Muscala was the ultimate team player for Oklahoma City.

When "Moose" wasn't raining threes, he was coaching up the Thunder's young roster. Despite playing a short season, Muscala statistically had one of the best seasons of his career.

Here are SI Thunder's grades for the veteran big man:

Nick Crain's Grade: B

Mike Muscala was a quality player on the court thus season in OKC and an even better person off. When it comes to encompassing the Thunder culture, Mike Muscala was as good as anyone.

Through 35 games played this season, Muscala averaged an efficient 9.7 points and 3.8 rebounds in just 18.4 minutes per game. A big man who has the ability to stretch the floor, he knocked down 37.0 percent of his 5.3 3-point attempts per game.

Strong first quarter for Mike Muscala, 4 for 4 from behind the arc. #ThunderUp pic.twitter.com/ObnwAz4cfJ

— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) December 13, 2020

While his season was cut short due to the team wanting to let young guys get minutes and experience, Muscala was the ultimate veteran. While he had the opportunity to potentially get traded to a contender at the deadline, he chose to stay, even though he knew he wouldn’t get much court time.

A player who truly loved being in Oklahoma City, Muscala got extremely emotional in his exit interviews after the season, knowing it might be the end of his time as a member of the Thunder.

“I’m gonna get emotional,” Muscala said. “Coming to OKC, I’m grateful for it. It’s helped me a lot. As a person and as a player. Whatever happens this offseason, I’d love to be back. I’ll always be a Thunder fan.”

A heck of a team player, Mike Muscala is someone all of the young OKC players have looked up to all season. 

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Derek Parker's Grade: B+

Mike Muscala’s tenure with the Thunder will be a memorable one.

From the beginning to end, when Muscala wasn’t making memorable plays, he was making impressions in other ways.

That sentence encapsulates what could be his final season with the team. He played just 35 games, but had one of his best-ever NBA seasons, scoring 9.7 points and bringing down 3.8 rebounds per game.

Per 36 minutes, Muscala averaged 18.9 points, 7.4 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game.

Despite the fact he might not don an OKC jersey next season, there is good news for Muscala. His 37 percent clip from beyond the arc would be beneficial to any contender needing to stretch the floor.

A tear-filled exit interview capped off what might be Mike Muscala’s last Oklahoma City moment.

If there was to ever be second Mr. Thunder, Mike Muscala is it.

Ryan Chapman's Grade: C

Mike Muscala obviously subscribes to how Oklahoma City wants to run their organization. 

With a great focus on the actual people in the organization, as well as grinding out results on the court, Muscala was emotional during his exit interviews, saying he hopes he is able to return to the franchise and that he will always be rooting for the Thunder. 

Unfortunately, he wasn't allow to make a huge impact on the court. 

Making the most of his minutes when he got them, Muscala was absolutely a positive on the offensive end. The former Bucknell star shot 44 percent from the floor and 37 percent from 3-point range, essentially his career averages while playing a larger role than he has in years past. 

He was a key cog in the Thunder defense as well, incredibly vocal and helping the young OKC core ensure they were in the right place for their defensive coverages. 

But injuries cut Muscala's season short, as he was shut down for the year after just 35 appearances. 

Other bigs like Moses Brown, Tony Bradley and Isaiah Roby all mentioned how big of a help he was off the floor, but he simply was not afforded the chance to continue to carve out a major role for this year's Thunder team.