Thunder Forward Aleksej Pokusevski Proving Projects Take Patience
Oklahoma City forward Aleksej Pokusevski has likely heard it all. And, some of it, for good reason.
Of course the attempted behind the back lob passes and fading out of the corner 3-point attempts weren’t going to be met with applause, but there was some level of added vitriol from all sides when things weren’t going his way.
"Another Presti project."
And though it feels as if battle-hardened Pokusevski has seen a lifetime of Thunder woes, the 20-year-old will be entering just his third season, and has already shown marked improvement in the preseason slate.
Through four preseason games, Pokusevski is averaging 9.0 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.3 blocks while shooting 50 percent from the field. Perhaps most remarkably, he’s shooting 44 percent from three on 4.0 attempts per game. All in just 21.5 minutes per contest.
These numbers aren’t likely to keep up, as it’s been against lesser competition. But Pokusevki has shown progress even outside the numbers.
He’s playing more within the offense. His shot shows cleaner, flowing mechanics and a wider base. All over the court he’s oozing with more confidence. His defensive versatility has been on full display.
Pokusevski in the preseason has looked long-removed from the turnover-prone, shot-heaving days of old.
It’s a testament to general manager Sam Presti and his staffs patience with project selections in the NBA Draft.
It doesn’t happen overnight, and it still won’t for Pokusevski, who likely now has another hard year ahead of adjusting to a full, consistently rigorous NBA season.
But in a few games, the Serbian 7-footer has shown progress, and potentially even more improvement on the horizon.
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