Aleksej Pokuševski had gotten his taste of the NBA over the first two months of the season. It was coming in morsel-sized stints of playing time in the Thunder’s rotation for about 17 minutes per night. In February, it became time for him to settle down for a whole meal’s worth of professional basketball action, allowing for longer rotations in the game, more responsibility on his shoulders and more freedom to grow into his game.
That was the backdrop for the Thunder’s decision to send Pokuševski to Orlando along with three others to compete with the Oklahoma City Blue in the G-League Bubble. That option was forecasted before the season even began as highly likely for the 19-year-old, 7-foot Serbian product of Greece’s Olympiacos club.
The Blue’s season in Orlando came to an end last week, so Thursday night’s 116-108 win against the Dallas Mavericks was Pokuševski’s first game back with the Thunder since February 1st. Despite not playing against NBA competition for the Thunder’s last 17 games, Pokuševski was in the starting lineup for Mark Daigneault, giving the raw, lanky hooper a chance to show what he learned.
First career NBA start for @aleksejpokusevs
Lineup presented by @EnableMidstream pic.twitter.com/oAmOqejHWk
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) March 12, 2021
Over the first two months, Pokuševski was primarily a spot-up shooter in the Thunder’s offensive flow, with higher-usage players around him taking on playmaking duties. The time with the Blue was an opportunity to focus on his ballhandling and decision-making while exploring the breadth of his game on offense. That’s exactly what the rookie did, posting averages of 7.9 points, 7.3 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.1 blocks in 25.2 minutes per game.
“From the first day, I just tried to do the little things for the team – doing the right things,” said Pokuševski.
“I like to pass the ball, find a free man and play for the team,” continued Pokuševski. “I just like playing with the ball for my teammates – finding the open man.”
EARLY WORK
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) March 12, 2021
Poku pass Théo 3#ThunderUp pic.twitter.com/y7BO5kNjpm
On Thursday Pokuševski clearly brimmed with a quiet confidence from the bubble experience, making a deft extra pass into the corner to fellow rookie Théo Maledon for a 3-pointer on OKC’s very first possession. As his first quarter rotation continued, Pokuševski dished another assist to Al Horford for a 3 then earned hockey assists on a 60-foot outlet pass to Théo Maledon and a pass from the corner up around the arc that ended in a Lu Dort 3.
“Poku played with really good poise tonight,” said Head Coach Mark Daigneault. “Offensively tonight, he looked like a guy who had played in NBA games before. He just let the game come to him. The shots he took were great shots. He took them in rhythm. The passing was simple but it was really, really effective.”
Playing off instinct, not thought, Pokuševski competed with the type of balance earned only through extended playing time, which was the goal of the G League experience. When Maledon explored the lane on a dribble drive, Pokuševski saw a crease, cut to the free throw line and buried a midrange jumper without hesitation. He nailed a 3 off of a pass from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in the second quarter, then provided a flurry of activity in the third frame.
Attacking left off the bounce, Pokuševski drew a foul and earned his first career free throw attempts, a further sign of the game slowing down a bit for the rookie since he last wore a Thunder jersey.
A few minutes later he found a cutting Horford for an old-fashioned 3-point play, then towards the end of his third quarter rotation, he showed off the playmaking prowess he sharpened in Orlando. Starting on the right side of the floor Pokuševski drove middle and extended the ball out with his left hand for a finger roll layup. Before the orb had finished spinning off the rim, Pokuševski was back up off his feet, using the second-jump speed of his fresh 19-year-old legs to spring him off the floor to put back his own miss before his defender had even finished landing.
When Pokuševski left the floor in the third quarter, the Thunder held a double-digit lead. Suddenly, inside the final four minutes, a Dallas rally made it a two-possession game with under two minutes remaining. As Mavericks guard Jalen Brunson drove towards the rim, Pokuševski kept his body safely away to avoid a foul but kept his arms up and ready to swipe – blocking Brunson’s layup with a fingertip.
“I thought he was great. He really played within himself,” said Horford. “Defensively, his presence was felt. His length really bothers shooters and at the basket.”
“I’m just happy for him,” Horford continued. “Being down in the bubble helped him. He came out and he was very confident.”
At the NBA level during his first stint, Pokuševski showed off a well-rounded game, leading the Thunder in total blocked shots and ranking in the top five among rookies in that category before taking off for Orlando. He was often in the correct positions defensively, cleaned up the glass and most importantly, didn’t get played off the court on that end like many NBA rookies much older and more experienced than him have. He fouled less than one time per game, and fewer times per-36 minutes than every Thunder player besides Darius Bazley and George Hill.
That defense is what allows Pokuševski to be on the floor in crunch time, and that’s when he capitalized on his chance to deliver offensively for his team on Thursday. After a late Thunder possession started to break down, guard Lu Dort drove to the lane and lobbed a pass into the corner where Pokuševski waited, hands at the ready. As time on the shot clock quickly ticked, Pokuševski went straight up with a corner 3 and buried it, along with Dallas’ chance at a comeback. The bucket gave the youngster a final stat line of 14 points and eight rebounds, both career-highs, along with three assists and two blocks.
Poku’s clutch 3 helps seal it.
14 points | 8 rebounds pic.twitter.com/HWyJeJ7uVR
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) March 12, 2021
“Poku is so much more comfortable on the court - you can tell,” said Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. “Going to the G (League) really helped him. His confidence is high here. He’s making the right plays in the right spots. Poku had arguably the biggest shot of the night with the corner 3. He’s a guy who works hard. He’s super young. You’re going to see growth from like that from him throughout the season and for years to come. I’m excited for his future.”
The bucket gave the Thunder a 110-103 lead with 53.8 seconds to go, and as Pokuševski hustled back down on defense, he let himself have a restrained celebratory fist pump. After returning to the fold with a new certainty of self, that dagger had to feel good.
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