Opinion
For so long, Aleksej Pokusevski has resembled a mixed bag of potentially resplendent adroitness sheathed in the lankiest frame in the NBA. Today he emerges as an asset in the Oklahoma City Thunder cog that honed him over the past two years.
His evolution has been apparent in the 18 games he’s played so far. Slotted in the middle of the Thunder’s five-out offence and ever-flowing, scrambling defence, Pokusevski averages 9.8 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game, which ranks him eighth in the entire league.
Poku has been one of the most, if not the most, important two-way players for the Thunder this season. His defensive discipline has been a beam of brilliance. Without the frame to bang bodies inside, Poku uses timing, feel and overall finesse to deter shots at the rim.
Expectations were timid for Pokusevski entering the season – even when OKC head coach Mark Daigneault teased the kind of Poku the league has been seeing in the past couple of months last October.
“If a spaceship came down and dropped him here, and we had never seen him before, we’d be like, ‘Man, this guy’s a really good player’,” he said.
In the last two seasons, Pokusevski played the role of a perimeter disruptor, often tasked to bother passing lanes, defend the perimeter and tag rollers, which he flashed a bunch of positives from. He played 17 per cent of his minutes at centre in his rookie year and 49 per cent in his sophomore year. Now playing at around 95 per cent of his minutes in the middle, the Serbian’s defensive chops have been on full display.
Having been unlocked in the centre position, Pokusevski, who still is the 38th youngest player in the league, now plays at a more purposeful pace with a strong emphasis on defence. With much-polished timing and commendable defensive exertions, his blocks have been a delight to watch.
In the month of November, only Brook Lopez (35), Anthony Davis (29), Myles Turner (28) and Nicolas Claxton (26) had more blocks than Poku, who recorded 25.
His resistance in the paint has driven his resurgence as a two-way player after being seen as a major liability on that end. According to PBP stats, he has already surpassed his total number of at-the-rim blocks from the past two seasons, tallying 22 across 18 games this season, a tad higher than his 21 in his rookie campaign and 17 last year.
A chunk of Oklahoma City’s 113.6 defensive rating, which hangs around the tenth spot in the NBA, can be credited to the 20-year-old. Though their defensive schemes have been predicated on communication and rotations, Pokusevski’s shot-blocking ability has been the cherry on top of the Thunder’s defensive frosting.
At the start of the season Poku had this to say about his new role at centre: “I feel pretty comfortable, especially on defence and on the drop”.
Playing drop coverage on most screening actions, his defensive awareness stands out. He navigates his counterparts with a type of dash, unlike anything the league has seen from him in his first two seasons, thanks in large part to his new-found mobility and sheer limbs.
While the comfort continues to translate to stops, his offensive game remains on a steady rise.
Pokusevski has been shooting at a career-high rate of 54 per cent on two-point field goals and 41 per cent from three on 3.3 attempts per game. For someone who had been scrutinised heavily for his shot inconsistency in the past season, his shooting rates are something to behold.
He has also normed a 57.7 true shooting percentage thus far, which counts about 8 per cent higher from last season and 15 per cent better than his rookie year. His effective field goal percentage also jumped from 47 per cent last season to 57.4 per cent – all these on just 23 minutes per game, which is even fewer minutes than his 24-minute average in his rookie season, while also on a career-low 17.5 per cent usage rate.
With the threat of his perimeter game looming on opposing defences, he still leans on his craftiness, oftentimes eluding defenders with his distinctive tempo to get to the rim or shoot from long range. He has been shooting 78 per cent of his shots near the rim or in the three-point area. Poku has also been drilling just above 36 per cent on catch-and-shoot threes, up from an underwhelming 31 per cent clip last year.
More than his unique creativity, Pokusevski has now learned to make defences pay.
Yet things are still left to be desired in his new role.
With his slight build, Poku barely uses contact when setting screens. In the eye test his picks look as soft as a sandwich.
When he makes contact, his angle hardly gives the driver any advantage, which often stalls their offence. While he will only get better as the season goes on, these frailties are hard to ignore.
Nevertheless, Poku is a 20-year-old phenom whose role in the rebuilding Thunder is now much less hazy. His development has been a joy to lay eyes on. With a role he can now functionally serve, Poku’s future looks brighter than ever.
He was an experience to watch since he burst into the NBA scene. But the highlights have now been overshadowing the low points. Out from his rookie initiations and sophomore slump, Pokusevski’s early returns stir intrigue anew – now, more about what he is showcasing on the floor than the potentiality that comes with the skill set he has.
It’s easy now to get aboard the Poku train.
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