After Theo Maledon’s debut with fanfare last Saturday against Spurs, the alarm clock obviously rang very loudly last night. Playstore, instrument of the Marseillaise, coffee machine set to run the buddy at 2 o’clock and forward Guingamp. Once again Zvezdan Mitrovic’s best friend did not disappoint, and we know a rookie coach who must be asking himself a few questions about his position 1.
Return of the supposed leaders this night on the Oklahoma City side. Al Horford who arrives in the countryside, Luguentz Dort who comes out of his nap but who apparently was still sleeping (0/7 shooting), and a starting five which is emerging for the Thunder with the sniper Justin Jackson to accompany the nuggets Shai Gilgeous- Alexander and Darius Bazley. Facing the Thunder? Bulls in warm-up mode also, and in particular a Zach LaVine / Coby White duo on course to plant ten shots from the parking lot per game this season. But to be completely honest? Let’s say that we didn’t give a damn about all these little people, and that the main reason for our nocturnal hype was rather its origin on the bench of Mark Daigneault. The issue will come a little over two minutes from the end of the first quarter when the old nugget of ASVEL replaces the Canadian back bodybuilder.
We stop you right away, this night was not the scene of a Maledon festival like the meeting against Spurs could be, but we immediately raise from 11 (his number, nothing is left to chance) because the Frenchman’s second outing was all the same… damn positive. Immediately empowered at the end, using a game without the ball interesting for a rookie and turned forward on each of his raises, Theo therefore once again sent an important message, that of a kid who seems ready for a very interesting role out of the bench, and more if affinities depending on the project of his franchise. We’re talking about a guy who masters the pick and roll like a veteran, we’re talking about a player who takes the right shots and when needed, we’re talking about a kid capable of varying the pace of an attack. depending on the moment, depending on his teammates or even adversity, in short we are talking about a playmaker who does not do anything stupid while being able to score closely when the breach opens. Tony’s airs in his early days, very clearly, a rather incredible phlegm for his age, defensive shortcomings still, especially on defensive rotations, but the hope of a whole people therefore, that of saying to themselves that these pre-performance season will open the eyes of the Thunder staff. Because there are the specialists of the Summer League or useless pre-season scrimmages, those of whom we know that most of the NBA career takes place in summer. Then there is Théo Maledon, who has proven for two games that he is ready for the big jump, and who will wait, like us, to know what sauce he will be grilled with when the time comes.
Accuracy, skill, serenity, seriousness. No gri-gris, no celebrations, no sausages sent from the parking lot. Simply basketball, and perhaps already the promise of a nice blue-white-red surprise this season in Oklahoma.
