Theo Maledon’s first NBA assist in his rookie debut for the Oklahoma City Thunder against the Charlotte Hornets on Saturday did not look like a pass that came from the hands of a second-round draft pick.
Forget about impressive for a rookie; Maledon’s weave around a defender and through the middle of the court to center Mike Muscala down low for the easy layup was impressive for any player, period.
Maledon may be debuting in the NBA, but he’s not a professional rookie. The point guard played for ASVEL in the first division French league before declaring for the draft, and has been a pro player since 2017.
First NBA assist for Théo Maledon in his debut and it's a ✨ dime! #ThunderUp pic.twitter.com/cy6vnSFzYK
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) December 27, 2020
Maledon got his first action in the first quarter. Through his first seven minutes of play, he was scoreless on two shots, but had a steal and that nice assist.
The guard was away from the Thunder for much of the week due to personal reasons. Head coach Mark Daigneault announced Saturday afternoon that he would be available for the season opener.
Maledon was selected with the 34th pick of the 2020 NBA draft. Oklahoma City acquired his draft rights from the Philadelphia 76ers in a draft-day deal.
