Re-drafting the 2019 NBA Draft — 24. Darius Bazley, Phoenix Suns
Darius Bazley has been afforded an atypically long leash in OKC, where the goal is to give young players a long leash, not to win games. Bazley has been expectedly inconsistent in his first two NBA seasons, the product of a young age and a lack of high-level experience prior to joining the NBA.
That said, the Thunder have given Bazley plenty of opportunity to showcase why he was a first-round pick. He has done just that, with offensive flourishes that are rare for a player of his size. At 6-foot-10, Bazley score off the dribble, push the ball up court in transition, and even feign point guard skills from time to time. He’s exceedingly raw and shot only 39.6 percent from the field last season, but his raw production and physical tools are hard to pass by.
Phoenix can limit Bazley’s role and put him on a more regimented development track. That might keep him on the outskirts of the rotation early on, but it could benefit his development long term. The goal for Bazley is to one day contribute for a winning team, not average 15 a night while OKC loses 70 games.