Thunder End of the Year Report Card: Vit Krejci

After missing last season with injury rehab, Vit Krejci took advantage of opportunity during his rookie season.

Vit Krejci had to step up and play big minutes down the stretch when the Thunder were hobbling to the finish line.

Until the last few weeks of the season Krejci was actually a very efficient 3-point shooter and a smart scorer for Oklahoma City. His season is a weird case study, though, as it’s unclear his path to playing time in the future.

The 6-foot-8 guard has a unique build and game, but was very raw and rough around the edges. While he wasn’t as young or inexperienced, there was a similar learning curve as the one Aleksej Pokusevski had to overcome. Krejci wasn’t on many people’s draft board back in 2020, especially after an ACL tear, so his end-of-season run for the Thunder beat the odds.

He finished the season averaging 6.2 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.9 assists. He also shot 40.7% from the floor and 32.7 from 3-point range.

Heading into the 2022-23 NBA season, Oklahoma City already has a plethora of young guard prospects on the roster. Krejci will be competing with other young guys for a spot on the 15-man and playing time.

Season Grade: B-

Alonzo Adams / USA Today

The second-round pick didn’t have numbers that will blow you away, but he was also on a stage that many didn’t think was possible at this stage in his career or ever.

Krejci started many games down the stretch for Oklahoma City, being a reliable source of offense over the last month of the season.

His defense as a whole isn’t great, but his length allows him to add multiple deflections per game and come away with a steal here and there. On the offensive end, he showed promise as a slasher and a spot-up shooter. His numbers combined with percentages were surprisingly efficient for an inexperienced overseas rookie.

While he didn’t play well enough to earn a higher grade, Krejci is able to hang on because of the magnitude of his underdog story combined with his surprising play.

Offensively

Alonzo Adams / USA Today

Once again, Krejci is a hard prospect to dissect. He had flashes offensively throughout the year but was inconsistent and closed the season on a cold stretch.

His best month of the season offensively came in March, when Oklahoma City was still playing many regular season rotation guys, not 10-day contracts. Krejci shot 45.5% from behind the 3-point line in 15 games, averaging 6.9 points and 3.7 rebounds.

My man Vit Krejci with a couple of cool plays pic.twitter.com/b9ZZgkrUJ4

— Francesco Contran (@FraContran) November 6, 2021

While his averages jumped in the six games played in May, his percentages plummeted with increased opportunity. That’s to be expected, though, as Krejci was tasked to shoulder a good portion of the offensive load.

so tuff Vit@v_krejci | #ThunderUp pic.twitter.com/mwiHXHZXUc

— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) March 31, 2022

Krejci is a decent athlete with random bursts around to rim occasionally and a potential 3-point shooter. He displays creation potential too, especially with his step-back.

Defensively

Alonzo Adams / USA Today

Krejci leaves much to be desired on the defensive end, but part of that is his recovery process. He’s coming off a very serious injury and still regaining his athleticism and burst.

He could potentially be a solid team defender as he seems to have a great general feel for the game, but the odds of him turning into a good on-ball defender are slim-to-none. Krejci is too slow and big to defend guards, but could easily take on the task of a slower small forward with his size.

During the last week of the season, he snatched three steals in a win over Portland, showcasing his potential ability on that side of the ball.