Oklahoma City Thunder rookie Chris Youngblood made the most of his opportunity in Saturday's preseason matchup against the Indiana Pacers, as the undrafted shooter continued to impress head coach Mark Daigneault. In a game where the Thunder were without Isaiah Joe and Ajay Mitchell throughout the second half, Youngblood was the brightest spark off Daigneault's bench.
Youngblood led the Thunder with 25 points on 6-of-11 shooting, including 4-for-9 from deep, and 9-of-10 from the free-throw line, as Youngblood also attacked the basket to earn frequent trips to the charity stripe. Daigneault discussed the prospect's development after Saturday's 116-101 preseason loss.
“Pretty good. I think all of those guys have done a pretty good job,” Daigneault said. “They've been really professional and reliable. Hardworking. They've kind of just blended into the camp, which is exactly what you want. And they function well in the game. Obviously, he can shoot. He's got some things he can improve on. But we're on that.”
Through four games, Youngblood is shooting at a 44.4% clip (12-of-27) from three. Only Jaylin Williams (13) has drained more threes than Youngblood throughout the Thunder's preseason. His shooting stood out most throughout Summer League, where CY earned an Exhibit-10 deal, which could be converted into a two-way deal ahead of the upcoming regular season.
Alex Caruso applauds Thunder's Chris Youngblood amid preseason
Thunder veteran Alex Caruso knows a thing or two about Exhibit-10 deals — it's what led him to his NBA career and a path Chris Youngblood hopes to follow as an undrafted rookie. Caruso reacted to what he's seen from Youngblood throughout training camp and into the preseason.
Caruso discussed what stood out to him about Youngblood.
“CY has done a great job of being true to himself. Obviously, a tremendous shooter — he's locked and loaded every time the ball comes his way. That carries value and carries a threat in a positive way for the team in the game of basketball nowadays,” Caruso said. “So, for him to have that awareness is really good. I think he's doing a tremendous job as well of being a great teammate.
“Every day he comes in with a smile on his face, and he's working hard, trying to push himself in more drills and more drills. He's a joy to be around. He's a good teammate. So, it makes it fun to show up and go to work each day,” Caruso concluded.
The Thunder will face the Bucks on Tuesday.
