Thunder End of the Year Report Card: Theo Maledon

The second-year guard from France exploded for multiple big performances down the stretch.

Theo Maledon fell victim to a slow start out of the gates for the Thunder this season. The second-year guard from France looked lost and was a liability on the floor.

Mark Daigneault has mentioned on multiple occasions now that Maledon actually showed up to training camp too strong. During his offseason workouts, he put on too much muscle which seriously affected his shot.

Maledon really stepped into the spotlight after the All-Star break when Oklahoma City was riddled with injury after injury. He was able to finally find a groove offensively and start to build off of a strong rookie campaign.

After the up-and-down season, Maledon finished the year averaging 7.1 points and 2.6 rebounds per game. While his stats dipped across the board, he played just 17 minutes per game.

Overall, his season was inconsistent but there were breakout games showing flashes of potential.

Season Grade: C

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While Maledon closed the year strong, the overall body of work just isn’t there for the French guard. He simply wasn’t able to play at the beginning of the year, causing him to spend a good amount of time in the G League.

He also saw his 3-point percentage dip heavily, which was one of the most impressive parts of his game last year.

His end-of-the-season burst was likely enough to bump him up a full letter grade, but Maledon only played in 51 games for the Thunder. His inconsistency all around is the reason for the lower grade.

Offensively

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Maledon’s points dipped from 10.1 to 7.1 as his minutes decreased by 10 per game. He shot 37.5% from the floor and 29.3% from 3-point range.

During the final stretch of the season, he was arguably OKC’s best player. Maledon recorded five performances in a row with at least 18 points. On March 28 against Portland, he had a 23 point 10 rebound outing. In the same week, two games later, he poured in 28 points, six rebounds and six assists against the Pistons.

For Maledon, it’s not a question of if the talent is there. The product on the court is too inconsistent right now.Maledon’s points dipped from 10.1 to 7.1 as his minutes decreased by 10 per game. He shot 37.5% from the floor and 29.3% from 3-point range.

During the final stretch of the season, he was arguably OKC’s best player. Maledon recorded five performances in a row with at least 18 points. On March 28 against Portland, he had a 23 point 10 rebound outing. In the same week, two games later, he poured in 28 points, six rebounds and six assists against the Pistons.

For Maledon, it’s not a question of if the talent is there. The product on the court is too inconsistent right now.

Defensively

Alonzo Adams / USA TODAY Sports

Maledon has solid defensive instincts and was able to stay on the floor in crunch time the last few weeks of the season.

Over the final eight games of the season, he recorded a steal in seven of them. He’s a fast, physical guard who will step up and defend when the Thunder need a stop.

He has potential on the defensive end thanks to his athleticism, but potential is all it is right now.

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