Who can take Aleksej Pokusevski’s place as he goes through concussion protocol?
The Oklahoma City Thunder have been eager to give first-round draft pick Aleksej Pokusevski minutes off the bench this season. The 19-year-old, selected No. 17 overall, is averaging 16 minutes per game over his first five contests.
Despite Pokusevski’s shooting troubles, giving him these minutes is logical. Right now, his big hurdle is understanding how to play against NBA players, not an actual lack of talent — he’s shown chops rebounding and playmaking and his shooting stroke looks to have a solid form with a quick release.
In an organization that isn’t judging progress based on wins and losses, playing Pokusevski makes sense in both the short- and long-term.
However, the rookie suffered a concussion during practice on Sunday and is in concussion protocol. That will force the Thunder to turn to other players.
Head coach Mark Daigneault said Monday prior to the game against the Miami Heat that exploring the roster without breaking the rhythm of the lineups is important.
“One thing philosophically that we try to do as a coaching staff and as an organization is explore the roster,” Daigneault said. “Give different guys different opportunities and see how different combinations kind of click.”
Who will get the chance to step up in this specific situation? Let’s take a look at some of the options.
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Purely from a physical standpoint, the second-year forward fits the bill. Isaiah Roby is listed at 6-foot-8 with a 7-foot-3 wingspan, so he lines up along the same lines as Pokusevski, an oversized forward who can, ideally, learn to slide up to the center position. Roby has also gotten on-court chances this season, and he has impressed. He started against the Orlando Magic in place of Al Horford and performed well offensively, posting 19 points on 9-for-12 shooting. He allows the team to keep some spacing provided by Pokusevski, as Roby hit a 3 and used a jab step to send a defender to the floor as he tried to close out. Roby played two games in a row before not seeing the court against the win Magic on Saturday. "A lot of those things are planned ahead of time, they're not impulsive decisions, they're just decisions based on how do we progress the team," Daigneault said. "You’ll see that again tonight and you'll see that throughout this first stretch of the season and probably throughout the entire season." Roby may get back on the court Monday.
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There have been hints that Daigneault likes Justin Jackson. The forward started a preseason game, and was chosen to start in place of George Hill against the Magic last week. He scored eight points, but that's the only game he's appeared in during the regular season. Oklahoma City has a large group of forwards on the bench but has generally stuck with Kenrich Williams and Pokusevski as the rotation players off the bench. There's reason to believe Jackson would be one of the primary options to take a spot in instances of injury. Daigneault did not hint who might play, but he emphasized that early in the season, it's important to get different lineups on the court to see how guys play. "We've got a lot of new faces that we're still learning," Daigneault said. "We've tried to do that a little bit in a way that doesn't disrupt the rhythm or the chemistry of the team."
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Despite not appearing in any games as a member of the Thunder, Darius Miller is active. As of latest reports, he's been a full participant at practice. Could these coming days be his chance to see the court? Miller, 30 years old, has one year left on his contract. It's tough to find time for him because he doesn't play a role into the future planning of the team; he's not a teenager like Pokusevski, not in his early 20s like Roby, not at a pivotal point in his career like Jackson where the NBA needs to figure out whether or not he's hit his ceiling. If it weren't for an Achilles injury, Miller would be seen as a sharpshooter option for a team in need of more 3s. He needs to get back to that point -- over his last two seasons of play, he shot almost 39% from deep -- but needs playing time to do so. It's unlikely the Thunder give him time over Roby or Jackson, but there's a chance they do, if Miller's health allows. We still haven't seen that Achilles in action.
Josh Hall or Moses Brown?
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Josh Hall and Moses Brown are long shot options to get playing time, but they're rostered. Hall, 20, is intriguing with his 6-foot-9 height and wingspan around 6-foot-11. He showed he was a scorer at Moravian Prep, but the NBA is a different beast. He has appeared in garbage time of two games -- and labeling the 47 seconds he was granted against the Orlando Magic as a real appearance is generous -- but nonetheless, he has seen the NBA court. Brown got three minutes against the Pelicans. Listed at 7-foot-2, he could get some center minutes and Mike Muscala could slide to the power forward position. It feels too early in the year to turn to either of these players. It makes more sense to train them during practice and then, if the Thunder go into true tank mode late in the year, roll the dice with them over the final few weeks. However, with them active, they're worth mentioning. For what it's worth, I'd bet on Roby and Jackson seeing time with Pokusevski in concussion protocol.
