5 gifts Santa can bring the Thunder this Christmas

Photo: Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports

Based on three preseason games, it’s not hard to see why Oklahoma City brass was excited about the 18-year-old Serbian.

Pokusevski — who turns 19 the day after Christmas — is not afraid to take the ball up court. He’s not afraid to shoot. He can drive and has court vision that complements his size differently than most 7-footers.

While it was by no means a perfect preseason, Pokusevski showed flashes of why he was a top-20 pick.

Like all rookies, there’s a lot he needs to work on, but one area is purely physical: Despite that 7-foot height, he’s listed at only 190 pounds.

If he’s going to bang around with dominant bigs in the Northwest Division like Nikola Jokic or Rudy Gobert, or power forwards in the Western Conference like Anthony Davis or Zion Williamson, Pokusevski will have to add bulk to that frame.

His 7-foot-3 wingspan and agility can help him guard the perimeter, but adding size will help him defend all.

If Pokusevski rounds out into the versatile player that the Thunder think he can be, he’ll be a key part of the future team. He’s got a lot to learn this year, enough to where bulking up likely isn’t a priority.

Over the next few years, adding weight and muscle will become one of those important tasks. I’m sure Santa has some extra weight laying around that can help him get started.