Grading OKC Thunder Performances in Win Over Pelicans

Another day, another impressive Summer League performance.

That should be the motto for the Oklahoma City Thunder this summer, going 4-0 in their four battles in the Las Vegas Summer League. They'll now move on to the semifinals, with opponents and game times yet to be determined.

There were plenty of standouts for the Thunder in their final game, a 95-81 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans. They won this one without Ajay Mitchell or Nikola Topic, and obviously without first-round rookie Thomas Sorber.

This looked like a signature OKC win, doing so with gritty buckets and plenty of defense. They forced 14 turnovers and only turned the ball over once in the second half, leading them to come back and eventually win.

Here are some letter grades for each member of the team that played 10 minutes or more in OKC's win over the New Orleans Pelicans on July 16.

Brooks Barnhizer: A+

There is no doubt that Barnhizer was the best player on the court. Even when the offense was brutally struggling in the first half, Barnhizer was the Energizer Bunny that OKC needed on defense.

The offense came to him eventually, and most of it came from the defensive end of the ball. He finished with 19 points on 8-for-12 shooting, adding nine rebounds, a steal and two blocks to that total.

He continues to be a monster presence on the glass, which is impressive given his size. He found most of his buckets on cuts to the rim or isolation moves that revolved around him getting to the paint. He did it and he made it look easy, single-handedly pushing the Thunder to a win. This may be the most impressive performance of any Thunder Summer League player so far.

Chris Youngblood: A-

Youngblood came alive in the second half, especially the fourth quarter. He knocked down some big triples that helped OKC come back and extend its lead, while maintaining his usual intensity on defense.

He finished with 14 points on 5-for-9 shooting, going 3-for-6 from the perimeter. He's now shooting 50% from the perimeter this summer, on 5.5 attempts per game. For the math people, he's 11-for-22 in the four Las Vegas games. He's getting close to earning himself a two-way roster spot.

Jazian Gortman: B+

This may have been Gortman's best Summer League performance so far, given he had the chance to operate the offense with Mitchell and Topic on the bench. He finished with 10 points, five rebounds and four assists. He looked comfortable as well and only turned the ball over twice.

Erik Reynolds II: B+

Reynolds also recorded the best game of his summer so far. Finishing with 10 points off the bench on 3-for-7 shooting might not look great, but his three makes all came from the perimeter. He went 3-for-5 from there in total.

Things haven't exactly gone Reynolds' way yet, so it was nice to see him have a good outing.

Malevy Leons: B

At this point, people expect more from Leons against this level of competition. He finished with nine points on 2-for-5 shooting, grabbing six rebounds in the process. He was a defensive menace, which boosts his grade, but it wasn't his best offensive outing.

Branden Carlson: B

There is also a high expectation for Carlson, especially in these games. He was fine and certainly helped the Thunder get back into the game, but we've seen better from him.

He finished with 10 points and four rebounds off the bench, logging 17 minutes. He shot 3-for-7 from the field and 1-for-3 from the 3-point line, which slightly lowers his grade.

Cameron Brown: B

Brown really sticks out as a solid role player for this Summer League squad, seemingly using some of his experience to his advantage. He finished with seven points on 3-for-6 shooting, hitting a lone triple that gave OKC some offensive momentum when they needed it most.

Zack Austin: B-

It's still hard to get a read on what Austin does great, at the moment. He did play better than he has against the Pelicans, logging seven points and four rebounds in 16 minutes. He provided some nice size and hustle in the second half.

Hason Ward: C+

Ward has been quietly impressive this summer and in some extended run against New Orleans, he didn't exactly take advantage of it.

He played 16 minutes and started, scoring four points and grabbing three rebounds. He also picked up two assists, two steals and two blocks. This was not a bad game by any means. In fact, it was pretty good. But he's done more with less so far, so the expectations may have been a little higher for him.

Ty Brewer: D+

Brewer didn't get much run, but when he was in, it wasn't exactly pretty. He finished with three points on 1-for-5 shooting in 12 minutes of action. It could have been worse, but it certainly could have been much better.