Happy Monday, Thunder fans! Welcome back to The Graham Jam.
We are now exactly two weeks away from the end of the Thunder season. OKC sits at 21-53, fourth in the "reverse standings" with three 20-win squads — Houston, Detroit and Orlando — ahead of it. The race to the bottom will come down to the wire.
The Thunder did snap their losing streak this past week with a 118-102 victory over the Magic. They were led by Theo Maledon, of all people, who finished with 25 points and six assists, both team highs on the night.
OKC played without Shai Gilgeous-Alexander that night and again on Saturday in Denver; it's unclear whether he will play again this season, at all. Josh Giddey has been ruled out for the remainder of the year as he battles a hip problem. Darius Bazley also left Saturday's game with a sprained right knee, and could miss extended time.
That leaves OKC with eight healthy players, all of whom have played in the G League at some point this season.
In this edition of The Graham Jam, we'll go over some reasons to watch this late-season team and play another round of Tank Time. Let's go!
Last week
Boston 132, Thunder 123 (3/21 HOME)
Thunder 118, Orlando 102 (3/23 HOME)
Denver 113, Thunder 107 (3/26 AWAY)
What 2 Watch For
With Gilgeous-Alexander, Giddey and Bazley all sidelined for the time being, it can be surprising to tune into a Thunder game these days. You might not recognize, or be very familiar with, the entire starting five, much less the whole rotation. And with OKC 10 games behind the 10-seed Lakers, they're not about to make a playoff run, either.
Still, there are plenty of reasons to tune in for the last couple weeks of Thunder basketball. Here's a handy viewing guide of things to look out for:
Poku Power. Aleksej Pokusevski has had a roller-coaster season that sent him from the bench, to the G League, and to the margins of this team. Many were wondering whether Poku could ever really cut it in the NBA. But the past few weeks have been encouraging for the 20-year-old Serbian, and he'll look to end the season proving that he deserves a shot at starting this fall.
Poku played one of his best games of the season on Saturday in Denver. He put up 17 points with five rebounds and five assists, and was a team-high +4 in plus/minus on the evening.
When glancing at the stat line, it's not obvious that Poku improved from last season to this one. His points and minutes are slightly down, and he somehow shot better from 3 and the free-throw line last season.
But Poku's come on strong lately, and his overall season numbers feature a much better two-point percentage and a better effective field goal percentage. Coupled with fewer turnovers and fewer shot attempts, it's clear Poku is learning his role and moving toward an NBA future. His play is worth following as the season winds down.
Mann Alive. Tre Mann is perhaps the most talented player still healthy and active for OKC at this point. His late-season pop has been a joy to watch during a dark time for the franchise, and he is asserting himself as an important part of the Thunder's rotation next season.
His 7-for-7 3-point start against Boston this month was incredible, but he has made at least three 3-pointers in six of his last eight games. After a year spent doing the "broccoli" stuff in Mark Daigneault's system, this roster crunch is giving Mann a chance to shine and eat all the "Skittles" he wants.
Lottery Odds. Mann and Pokusevski are some of the up-and-coming players to keep an eye on. But the biggest thing to watch as the season ends will be the draft lottery odds, as OKC tries to move into the top three and snag a 14% chance for the No. 1 overall pick.
To this end, their games against Portland (on March 28 and April 5) and Detroit (on April 1) will be among the most important they play for the rest of the season.
Tank Time
Here's the results of this week's draft lottery simulation on Tankathon.com:
1. Houston (+2 from current record)
2. San Antonio (+6)
3. Washington (+8)
4. New York (+8)
5. Detroit (-4)
6. Orlando (-4)
7. Oklahoma City (-3)
8. Indiana (-3)
9. Sacramento (-3)
10. Portland (-3)
11. Memphis (via LA Lakers, -2)
12. Portland (via New Orleans, -2)
13. Atlanta
14. Houston (via Brooklyn)
This is a highly unlikely outcome. But it's important to keep in mind that, as much as we want a top-four pick, we might not get one. It would be easy for OKC to fall a bit, maybe as far as No. 7. At that point, Thunder fans would definitely be asking themselves whether the losing was worth it. But likely the only thing Sam Presti could do in that situation would be to double down and try to get a better draft pick next year.
So let's hope for a better result on May 17.
That's all from me this week, folks. Thunder Up!
This week
3/28: Thunder @ Portland, 9 p.m., Bally Sports Oklahoma
3/30: Thunder vs. Atlanta, 7 p.m., BSOK
4/1: Thunder vs. Detroit, 7 p.m., BSOK
4/3: Thunder vs. Phoenix, 6 p.m., BSOK