ESPN’s Zach Lowe and Kevin Arnovitz discussed the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday after they lost the first-round series to the Houston Rockets, and they keyed in on two Thunder rookies who impressed them.
Lu Dort and Darius Bazley got the attention of the two analysts. The Lowe Post podcast host and guest praised Dort’s play style and talked up Bazley’s potential.
“Dort. It’s my favorite story of the playoffs. I just love it,” Arnovitz said.
“Guys like that are the soul of the NBA. Undrafted rookie from Montreal, just defends his ass off like his life depends on it. Still hasn’t touched a screen — that’s how good this guy is. He can’t shoot for hell, then comes out in a Game 7 and is 6-for-12 (from 3). It’s a beautiful story.”
Dort captivated audiences with his defense of James Harden and then his 30 points in Game 7.
Bazley played a less prominent role, but he showed out in the bubble in a way that he did not during the first several months of his career.
“One of the big winners from that series, and a guy I wrote about in ’10 Things’ early in the season as someone who I really liked and feels the game really well, they’ve got someone in Darius Bazley,” Lowe said.
While Bazley’s shooting still needs work, he did show a step-back game during the weeks inside the bubble. Lowe thinks he’s already a smart player, one who sees that game well, especially for a rookie.
“His passing and his movement signaled very early on (that) yeah, the other skills have to catch up, the shooting has to catch up, all that, but like, this guy reads the game and he understands the game at a high level and he stepped it up in the playoffs,” Lowe said.
Can Bazley slide into the starting lineup if Danilo Gallinari leaves and be a longterm starting power forward?
Oklahoma City hasn’t started a season with the same starting power forward as they did the year prior since Serge Ibaka. Since they traded Ibaka in 2016, the primary starting power forward over the course of the season has rotated from Domantas Sabonis to Carmelo Anthony to Jerami Grant to Gallinari.
If Bazley can continue to improve not only at the power forward position, but also the small forward and center positions, which he did play some in the bubble, he’ll be versatile enough to be a dangerous option.
“They’ve been cycling through that position, looking for that guy, that sort of 4-man who can do a little bit of everything on offense,” Lowe said. “They might have it now.”
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