Darius Bazley

Bazley saw instant opportunity after being selected by the Thunder with the 23rd overall selection in June 2019. The rookie forward ultimately played 61 regular-season games (nine starts) during the shortened campaign, producing 5.6 points and 4.0 rebounds across 18.5 minutes, numbers followed up by averages 6.6 points and 6.7 rebounds across 18.0 minutes in a seven-game quarterfinal-round series versus the Rockets. Just 20 years of age after entering the league straight out of high school, Bazley naturally has an abundance of room for development, and the rebuilding Thunder figure to give him all the minutes he can handle in order to achieve that objective. At 6-foot-8, Bazley will likely continue filling out his frame for several years, which should allow him to improve his work on the glass. The Princeton High School (OH) alum also has some floor spacer in him, having netted 34.8 percent of his 2.3 three-point attempts per game as a rookie. Having gained valuable experience last season, Bazley could conceivably take a significant step forward this coming season with the Thunder having divested itself of high-usage veterans such as Chris Paul, Dennis Schroder, Danilo Gallinari and Steven Adams.