(Editor’s note: We are starting individual grades for all players from the 2021-22 Oklahoma City Thunder. To access other reviews as part of this ongoing series, click here.)
With the 2021-22 regular season now officially in the books, the Oklahoma City Thunder (24-58) finished their season with the fourth-best lottery odds. This means it is now time for individual player grades for all 26 players who suited up for the team this season during the 82 games. The grades will be determined by what the season expectations were for each player and how they lived up to them.
The fourth player in the installment is Darius Bazley, who completed his third season. Bazley had another so-so season as his defensive versatility was his moneymaker while his shooting remained inconsistent.
2021-22 statistics
10.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, one block on 42.2 percent shooting and 29.7 percent three-point shooting on 3.9 three-point attempts in 69 games.
Significant Advanced Statistics
Isolation scorer: 5.5 percentile
Block percentage: 3.4 percent
Corner threes percentage: 33.3 percent shooting
Contested shots: 8.7 per game
Contract
2022-23: $4.3 million
Thoughts
In the most important season of his young career, Bazley finished with a meh performance overall. The 21-year-old is still extremely young and has plenty of room to grow, but three seasons in, nothing really stands out for him. Bazley has shown the chops to be a versatile defender who uses his length and athleticism well but the offensive side leaves much for desire.
If Bazley is going to turn into a legit rotation player, the shooting needs to be more consistent and he needs to find a definitive offensive role that suits him. Bazley is a career 30.5 percent shooter from outside and that simply isn’t going to cut it for him. While his defense is a positive, it is not a big enough…
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