By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Picked up at the 17th spot of the 2020 NBA draft, Aleksej Pokusevski did not have extremely high expectations going into his rookie NBA season. However, a different story is unfolding entering the second season.
Pokusevski, 19, was and still is among the youngest players in the NBA. He will turn 20 in December. Despite still going through some growing pains, the upcoming Regular Season looks very promising for the Serbian forward.
His 8.2 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 0.9 blocks per game are not the complete picture of his rookie season. Most of his scoring outbursts were produced late, including the personal-best 29 points in his last 2020-21 appearance.
The 2021 NBA Preseason did not appear as kind with 5.0 points per game and 6/25 field goals over the first three friendly fixtures raising some doubts. However, the former Olympiacos player exploded for 22 points in Thursday’s preseason finale. The BOK center crowd also enjoyed a dazzling combination with rookie center Jeremiah Robinson-Earl in the fourth quarter.
Poku stuff pic.twitter.com/msKLkCNUVw
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“It was great playing in front of the crowd. They gave us energy when we needed it,” he said, “That’s going to make me try more. I want to do that every night. We just have to keep doing that every night. We have to keep competing on defense. We have to share the ball, drive, and make shots.”
Pokusevski was 4/9 from three-point range, also recorded eight rebounds, three assists, and one steal in just over 37 minutes. Optimism regarding his near future impact bounced right back, despite his side finishing the Preseason at 1-3. Results will indeed start counting at the launch of the 2021-22 Regular Season and such showings from the youngster can only be translated as a positive for things to come.
“We’re challenging him,” noted head coach Mark Daigneault on the second-year forward, “We’re expecting him to take a step in a lot of areas, as we do all of our players. He’s still a really, really young player, but he’s got a lot of experience, so we’re holding him to a pretty high standard. I thought tonight he got rewarded for how he played.”
The Thunder are scheduled to visit the Utah Jazz next Wednesday and the Houston Rockets a couple of days later to tip off the Regular Season.