OKC Thunder player grades: Where each player stands at NBA midseason mark

Thursday marks the halfway mark of the Thunder’s season.

Let’s take a quick peek under the hood before we unveil our midseason player report cards.

Oklahoma City (27-13) is second in the West, and it has the best point differential (+8.2) in the conference. The Thunder ranks fourth in the NBA in offense and sixth in defense with an 8.2 net rating — outscoring opponents by 8.2 points per 100 possessions. Only Boston (9.8) has a better net rating.

For context, anything above a 6.0 net rating is elite. Championship-level elite.

The Thunder, the third-youngest team in the NBA, is on a 54- to 56-win pace. OKC last’s 50-plus-win season was in 2015-16 — Kevin Durant’s last with the Thunder.

The Thunder’s rapid ascension has been one of the biggest stories, perhaps the biggest, in the NBA this season.

It’s been an A+ first half for the Thunder. Now, let’s get to our midseason player grades.

Here’s the general criteria: What has a player done based on preseason expectations, and secondly, how have they, in their role, contributed to the Thunder’s success?

Let the grades begin.

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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: A+

Next.

But really, what else is there to say about this guy? He’s averaging 31.0 points on career-high 55% shooting. His 6.3 assists are a career high. His 2.3 steals lead the NBA. He’s shooting 89% from the foul line.

SGA is a bona fide top-five player in the NBA and he has the third-best MVP odds behind Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid, according to FanDuel.

Why is the Thunder this good? Because Gilgeous-Alexander is that good.

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Chet Holmgren: A+

We knew Holmgren’s rim protection would play from Day 1, but I thought it would take a while for him to get comfortable and find his niche offensively.

Boy was I wrong. Holmgren is already a two-way force — the second-best player on what’s been the second-best team in the conference. And he’s doing this as a 21-year-old rookie who hadn’t played competitive basketball in more than a year after missing all of last season with a foot injury.

Holmgren is averaging 17.4 points, 7.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 2.5 blocks per game, which ranks fifth in the league.

Here’s another encouraging set of numbers: Holmgren is averaging 30 minutes per game in his 40 games played. Holmgren has been fully healthy, and the Thunder hasn’t held him back.

He’s the Rookie of the Year as of now. And he’s a fringe All-Star candidate.

Jalen Williams: A+

I originally had an “A” for Williams. I added the plus after watching him log back-to-back 25-point games in Los Angeles with seven and six assists.

Sure, I succumbed to recency bias, but I don’t care. Rather than a sophomore slump, J-Dub has enjoyed a sophomore surge.

He, along with SGA and Holmgren, have formed a fearsome Big Three.

Williams has been insanely efficient, averaging 18.6 points on 55/45/83 shooting splits. He’s assumed a larger role in the offense, which is reflected in his 4.4 assists, up from the 3.3 he averaged as a rookie.

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Lu Dort: B+

We wondered if Lu Dort would embrace a smaller offensive role, if he would settle for the right shots, if he could ever be a league-average 3-point shooter. Check, check and big ole check.

Dort is averaging 8.2 field goal attempts per game, down from 11.8 last season and a whopping 14.2 two seasons ago. He hasn't been as reckless at the rim, and he’s knocking down 3-pointers at a prolific rate (42.5%) on 4.6 attempts per game.

All while remaining the Thunder’s primary point-of-attack defender.

Isaiah Joe: B+

Joe excels at his role as a floor spacer on a drive-heavy team. He was a revelation last season, and he’s been even better this season.

Joe is shooting a career-high 46% from the field, including 42% from 3-point range on 5.2 attempts per game.

Despite his slender frame, Joe fights defensively. He’s drawn a team-high 12 charges, which ranks fifth in the NBA.

When he and SGA share the floor, good things happen.

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Aaron Wiggins: B+

Behind the Big Three, does any Thunder have a higher approval rating than Wiggins? They say he saved basketball. I don’t know what that means or where that came from, but I’m not arguing against it.

Wiggins seemingly plays mistake-free basketball. He hustles, competes defensively, is a smart cutter and has knocked down 3-pointers to a ho-hum 50% rate — 18-of-36, but still.

I know, all of you are pleading for more Wiggins minutes. But who are you taking minutes away from? Also, Wiggins’ impact might not be felt as much in a larger role. I’ll trust Mark Daigneault on this one. He seems to know what he’s doing.

Cason Wallace: B

Wallace predictably cooled off after his flamethrowing start. Heck, he’s still shooting 40% from 3-point range despite shooting 31% from deep in December and 32% in January.

But here’s why Wallace deserves a high mark: He’s a 20-year-old rookie guard who’s played in every game, averaging 20 minutes, for a high-level team. The No. 10 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft has already proven he belongs.

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Lindy Waters III: C+

Waters has only played in 14 games, but he’s done his job as a 3-point specialist, shooting 43% from deep.

Not much more you can ask of a two-way contract player. The former Norman North and Oklahoma State alum has made the most of his NBA opportunities.

Tre Mann: C+

Mann has played well … when he’s played.

In his 13 games, Mann is shooting 50% from the field and 42% from 3-point range.

The 2021 first-rounder could use a change of scenery.

Kenrich Williams: C

It’s been a weird season for Williams. He missed the Thunder’s first 10 games and his 15.4 minutes per game are a career low. He’s been allergic to the free-throw line, where he’s 3 of 10 on the season in 448 minutes.

Williams’ putrid free-throw shooting is confounding, but he’s shooting 41% from 3-point range on two attempts per game and all of his intangible qualities — toughness, leadership, grittiness — remain.

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Olivier Sarr: C

The two-way contract center has been fine in his 68 minutes. But it’s 68 minutes. Sarr is an emergency back-up big man who’s rarely called upon.

Davis Bertans: C

There just aren’t minutes for Bertans, whose 3-point shooting is his only playable NBA skill.

Bertans is shooting 41% from 3-point range, but the Thunder — second in the NBA in 3-point percentage (39.1%) — isn’t desperate for Bertans’ services. He’s losing minutes to Waters.

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Josh Giddey: C-

I wouldn’t be surprised if Giddey’s personal situation affected his play, especially earlier in the season. He looked out of sorts and unsure of his role.

Giddey has played much better of late, though, and he’s quietly shooting a career-high 36% from 3-point range.

Still, Giddey’s stock with the Thunder has slipped. He’s no longer a core piece, at least not to the level of the aforementioned Big Three.

His 24.8 minutes per game are a career-low, as are his averages of 11.8 points, 6.1 rebounds and 4.6 assists.

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Vasilije Micic: C-

Micic has seen an uptick in playing time in the last month, and he’s played well. Micic is a capable playmaker off the bench — a genius passer — but he hasn’t been a reliable 3-point shooter (26%).

The 30-year-old rookie, a former EuroLeague MVP, was probably overhyped (no fault of his), but it’s a win for the Thunder if Micic continues to carve out a role.

Ousmane Dieng: C-

Remember, I’m grading based on preseason expectations and how players have filled their role. So I’m not going to knock Dieng too much. He’s a gangly 20-year-old who’s still trying to figure out what kind of player he is.

The Thunder is also trying to figure that out. It’s harder to evaluate developmental projects when the team is playing this well.

Jaylin Williams: D

J-Will has three DNPs (coach’s decision) in his last six games. He’s becoming a matchup dependent option.

Williams is shooting 38% from the field, which is quite rough for a 6-foot-10 center. After shooting 41% from 3-point range last season, Williams is down to 35% this season.

With Holmgren in the mix, J-Will’s playing time has plummeted. Sadly enough, so has his charge-drawing rate. Williams drew 1.7 charges per 36 minutes last season. This season he’s down to 0.9 per 36 minutes. That’s still high, just not laughably high.

Aleksej Pokusevski: D

Pokusevski made 65 starts in 140 games for the Thunder in his first three seasons. He’s played in just seven games this season.

He hasn’t looked good in a very limited sample. The Thunder’s rebuild has passed Pokusevski by.

Keyontae Johnson: N/A

The second-round rookie has only played in two games. He’s averaging 21.0 points and 7.3 rebounds in eight G League games.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OKC Thunder player report card at 2023-24 NBA midseason mark