The Oklahoma City Thunder were able to make easy work of the Israel National League’s Maccabi Ra’anana during Sunday’s preseason game, 144-97.
With the Thunder missing several of their best players, this was the perfect opportunity to give other players on the team some valuable game reps as a leading scorer or ball-handler.
This game also marked the return of Lu Dort, who was under concussion protocol for the last week. Dort only played one half as he finished with 23 points in 18 minutes.
For the opposition, Jason Siggers was the best player of the night as he scored a game-high 40 points. Former NBA players Norris Cole and Terrence Jones also played in this game.
Here are player grades for the Thunder’s 47-win over Maccabi Ra’anana
Lu Dort: A+
Lu Dort’s return from concussion protocol could not have gone better.
Dort played just 17 first-half minutes before sitting out the final two quarters but left his mark on the game with his shooting. Dort finished with 23 points on 8-of-14 shooting that included going 4-of-8 from deep.
The talent gap between both teams was clear before the game and Dort showed that in the first half, toying with the opposition’s defense and getting whatever he wanted whenever he wanted.
Aleksej Pokusevski: A-
It looks like Aleksej Pokusevki has taken a jump. How high the jump is yet to be determined, but it’s been quite evident in preseason so far that the 20-year-old looks like a much more polished player.
Pokusevski finished this game with 15 points and dished out 10 assists to collect a double double.
Eugene Omoruyi: A-
The undrafted big man showed off his outside range this game as he went 4-of-6 from three. Overall, Omoruyi finished with 25 points and 12 rebounds.
Just like it’s been the case every other preseason game, Omoruyi continues to impress and be one of the Thunder’s better players. His performance might keep him on his two-way spot to start the regular season, but it’s unknown right now if it’ll impact his rotation minutes once the games start to matter.
Jalen Williams: A-
Any potential rust collected from dealing with strep throat was cleared out this game for Jalen Williams.
Off the bench, Williams finished with an 15-point and 13-assists double double and a game-high +46 plus-minus.
The 21-year-old rookie has stated before how much he loves playing backup point guard due to the amount of touches he gets. If he continues to run the second unit like a well-ran machine, he’ll continue to be rewarded reps as backup playmaker.
Jaylin Williams: B+
The Thunder’s rookie class had quite the night as second-round pick Jaylin Williams collected a 14-point and 12-rebound double double.
Williams’ playmaking was even on display as he finished with four assists.
