Discussing a potential Aleksej Pokusevski extension with @HoopsHype cap expert @YossiGozlan
Outside of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Aleksej Pokusevski has made the largest leap on the Oklahoma City Thunder so far this season.
Just how large of a leap? Well, he’s averaging career highs across the board both with his traditional stats and advanced metrics.
After being one of the worst and rawest players in the league his first two seasons, Pokusevski has suddenly developed into a lanky defender with elite blocking skills and a threat from the outside.
On the season, Pokusevski is averaging 9.7 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.6 assists. After shooting 37.6% from the field and 28.5% from 3 in his first two seasons, Pokusevski is shooting 47% from the field and an eye-popping 39.4% from 3 on 3.3 attempts this season.
Pokusevski is also racking up blocks, averaging 1.6 a game. The 20-year-old is tied for 11th in the league in total blocks.
Among Thunder players, Pokusevski has collected the fifth-most win shares at 0.8 and is third in VORP at 0.2. Both of these mark as career highs for Pokusevski as he was in the negatives in each of these categories his first two seasons.
It’s hard to pinpoint the exact reasons Pokusevski has made such drastic improvement. Perhaps after two NBA seasons, his skills and body are growing accustom to the game. Perhaps undergoing his first normal offseason of his career gave him the proper time needed to improve. Perhaps him averaging a career-low usage rate has helped simplify the game and make it to solely focus on his strengths.
Or maybe what we’re witnessing with Pokusevski is the normal career trajectory for someone who was viewed as a long-term project when he entered the league two years ago.
The wobbly clay dough Pokusevski was his rookie season is hardening in his third season.
Regardless of the reasons, if Pokusevski continues to play around this level for the rest of the season, it’s hard to argue against the Thunder extending him to a second contract this offseason.
Which would’ve been nearly impossible to fathom just two months ago! After a poor Summer League stint, it looked like Pokusevski was on his way out of the Thunder. To his credit, if he was ever going to turn it around, it needed to happen this season and that’s what’s happened so far.
The Thunder are notorious for not allowing young players they really like to hit restricted free agency. The Thunder will have a chance to avoid that this summer when Pokusevski will be eligible for a rookie extension.
With that said, what would a Pokusevski extension look like? It’s difficult to play out because of his unique career arc. There’s really no precedent.
I spoke with HoopsHype cap expert Yossi Gozlan to try to play out what a potential Poku extension would look like if the Thunder choose to go that route.
