Bad news:Josh Giddey and three other surprising players could lose their OKC thunder job……

| February 25, 2024 | OKC thunder, Uncategorized | No Comments

4 Thunder players who need monster second halves to save their job

The Oklahoma City Thunder is a team on the rise. The days of using playing time and roster positions for salary dumps or longshot dart throws are long gone. The Thunder are playing well right now, which alters their roster-building strategy.

 

Playtime becomes more scarce, leashes are shorter, and chances to establish oneself are reduced. Expectations place a

greater burden on the shoulders of the stars, and others with less secure roles

bear the weight of impending repercussions.

Which players on the Thunder will need to have strong showings down the final stretch of the season in order to

guarantee a place in the team’s future? Let’s look at four candidates, each in

different roles, and cast a roadmap to ensuring they stick around in the team’s

plans. These four players need monster second halves to save their jobs.

No. 4: Jaylin Williams

On the surface, Jaylin Williams doesn’t look like a player in danger of losing his

role. The same-named, charge-taking undersized big has carved out a real role

for himself as the backup center, with just enough shooting pop to stretch the

floor and enough defensive instincts to survive his lack of size on defense.

Despite having worked hard and earned his spot, he has, at best, a shaky hold on the position. Bismack Biyombo was previously brought in by the Thunder to give size at center, something that Williams, who is 6’9″, just cannot provide. In addition, his deal is non-guaranteed, which means it could be terminated in order to create space for a huge free agent signing.
Although Williams is a good player and should have a lengthy NBA career, the Thunder would undoubtedly lose him if they decide they need more size inside the paint because undersized centers are not in high demand in the league. To guarantee he has a job the following year, he must demonstrate his value to the team in the closing minutes.

No. 3: Aleksej Pokusevski

When the Oklahoma City Thunder traded up to draft Aleksej Pokusevski in the 2020 NBA Draft, most draft evaluators praised Sam Presti for taking the big swing. Perhaps the raw-yet-talented seven-footer would put it all together and become the next Giannis Antetokounmpo. If he didn’t, it was worth the swing as the Thunder entered a rebuild.

Pokusevski hasn’t been able to put the puzzle pieces together, but it’s not his fault that the Thunder bounced back quickly to become a contender. His brilliant moments are interspersed with poor defensive assignments, poor foul calls, and shots that fall short of the hoop. When he does play this season, he only averages six minutes per game and mostly serves as the mop-up crew in blowouts during his ten games.

The Thunder can’t afford to wait on him any longer; if he can demonstrate that he’s making progress, they’ll allow him to exercise his right to restricted free agency this summer. If he can win some rotation minutes, show his mettle, and rule the G League for two weeks to the company, he could be able to stay in OKC for an additional year. Maybe he gets to play for another team.

If he doesn’t improve, though, this will be his final NBA season.

No. 2: Gordon Hayward

This is a simple one. The Oklahoma City Thunder just acquired Gordon Hayward, a former All-Star whose career path was redirected due to a gruesome broken leg. To Hayward’s credit he has brought himself back and carved out a long career, but he is not the player that he once was.

The Thunder aren’t banking on him to be that, however. They just want him to come in and fill a rotation role as a playmaker and shooter. On an expiring contract, Hayward’s most likely use to the Thunder moving forward is as matching salary in a sign-and-trade.
That calculus changes, however, if Hayward has an incredible ending to the season and shows out in the playoffs. If he stays healthy and proves to be a seamless fit with the rest of the Thunder’s core, suddenly he goes from a veteran rental to the final piece in the starting lineup, replacing Josh Giddey and earning himself a new contract.
At worse, a strong showing down the stretch earns him his pick of his next job. Even if the Thunder have other options and don’t want to commit significant salary to him, a monster second half opens up more doors in free agency to join a team as an expected starter on a commensurate contract. Whether it’s in OKC or elsewhere, how he finishes will decide what his next chapter looks like.

No. 1: Josh Giddey

The idea of Josh Giddey is an exceptional vision, a player who can make every pass, snatch every rebound and score dynamically in transition and at the rim. Squint your eyes, and you see Luka Doncic without the lethal stepback.

The issue is that Giddey is currently not talented enough to be Luka Doncic, and the Thunder have Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams, two players who are at least as dangerous with the ball in their hands. Giddey must therefore figure out how to contribute while off the ball, as the experiment has been a huge failure. His defense is so poor that opponents regularly target him, and his 3-point shooting is so poor that defenders don’t bother guarding him.

Giddey’s ability to lead the second unit at a high level is something the Thunder would love to see continue developing, but if he can’t play well with the other key players, it won’t be worth paying him what he’s worth. He will be acquired by the Thunder for a player who is a better fit for their stars, making them more valuable.

Giddey will compel the Thunder to hold onto him and allow him to develop

further if he can tighten up defensively, improve his shooting, and establish

himself as a dominant player in transition. If he doesn’t, and he keeps

shooting 32.5 percent from beyond the arc while letting everyone and their

mother pass him, his time in Oklahoma City may be drawing to an end.

The finest illustration of a Thunder player who needs to have an incredible

second half to keep his job is Giddey. But all four of these guys will be competing for their futures, so he’s not the only one.

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