As the Oklahoma City Thunder prepare for a busy January, reinforcements could be on the way from the G League.
The Thunder (21-9) will play a brutal upcoming stretch of games. In January, they’re scheduled to play 17 games in 31 days, including five back-to-backs.
With such a high number of games, Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault might need to dig into his bench to avoid overworking his starters in the dog days of the regular season.
“We have a very condensed schedule — as most NBA teams do — coming up,” Daigneault said about expanding his rotation following their win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. “And we’re gonna need everybody. … We’ll continue to take a look at our whole roster.”
A potential benefactor of an expanded rotation is two-way rookie Keyontae Johnson. The 23-year-old has spent the bulk of the season with the G League’s OKC Blue.
After being drafted with the No. 50 pick of the 2023 NBA draft, Johnson has appeared in one game for the Thunder this season. He played six minutes in OKC’s home-opening loss to the Denver Nuggets.
This means the two-way rookie has 49 appearances left on his current two-way deal, which makes him an attractive option for absorbing minutes in the upcoming stretch.
In the G League, Johnson has been one of the Blue’s best players. In 13 games during the Winter Showcase portion of the season, he averaged 19.4 points on 53.9% shooting, 6.7 rebounds and 2.1 assists. He also shot 43.2% from 3 on 3.4 attempts.
In two games since, he’s averaged 18.5 points and 4.5 rebounds.
Johnson has found his groove as a small-ball forward/center who can stretch the floor and crash the boards. This type of prototype player could bolster OKC’s bench.
When asked how he thinks Johnson could look in the NBA if he gets called back up this season to absorb minutes, Blue head coach Kameron Woods is confident the transition would be seamless.
“When these (Thunder) guys are here and just knowing them, they’re hard-working guys that keep themselves ready,” Woods said. “I think they’ve done a nice job each individually growing in the areas that are most important to them.”
Johnson also said his extended time in the G League has proved valuable. It has given him a chance to receive significant playing time and chances to develop.
“It’s been good. Just helping me get the reps I need for me to be able to play with the Thunder one day,” Johnson said on his time with the Blue. “Just trying to do the best in my role they have me in.”
Discussing in-season improvements, Johnson said he’s slowly found his identity within OKC’s offense after overcoming a learning curve.
“Just being more aggressive. I feel like defending, picking up better. Just knowing my spots on the court,” Johnson said. “I feel like that’s the progression I’ve been making. At first, I was just running around, didn’t know where to be. Now it’s like I know (where to be).”
The NBA season is a seven-month grind in which teams play practically every other day. It’s only logical that requires teams to fully utilize their 18-player rosters throughout the season.
For the Thunder, this might mean needing their second-round rookie to translate his G League success to the NBA. The blueprint is there for Johnson to be a key contributor down the stretch.
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