For Mark Daigneault, the perseverance of Aleksej Pokusevski is an example to follow

Became an NBA player at 18, in November 2020, the evening of this famous Draft postponed by almost five months because of the health crisis, Aleksej Pokusevskytwo years later, is already in his third season with the pros.

A career that is (already) spinning at high speed, even if the young Serb, trained at Olympiakos for five years before joining the country of Uncle Sam, is still only 20 years old, after all.

” It’s like he was a rookie ten years ago » had fun by the way Mark Daigneaultwho can only savor, while his player has clearly reached a milestone this season (10 points at 50% on shots, 4.9 rebounds), after two more hectic first exercises (34% then 40% on shots).

” [Ces deux dernières années], he went through some tough times. And I have a lot of respect for him because he continued to persevere despite everything. I’m really happy he’s where he is. »

The native of Belgrade, for his part, thanks his organization, which has shown patience, despite a sluggish start and the turbulence inherent in the transition between Europe and the NBA for such a young player. ” I feel like I’ve been there for five or six years, but I only have two seasons under my belt, and I’m only twenty years old. Every day I try to progress. And the Thunder have been there for me since the beginning. Whether I play well or not. »

In short, Aleksej Pokusevski is the model of the player developed internally. ” He is the perfect example of the importance of seeing the big picture, of aiming for the long term. [avec un jeune] concluded Mark Daigneault.