Hamidou Diallo played in 40 of the Thunder’s first 46 games last season, but then came the wall most rookies hit.
Diallo played in just 11 of OKC’s final 41 games, including the playoffs.
Defensive improvement is Diallo’s key to more playing time in his sophomore season.
“He’s got the ability to be an elite defender,” Thunder coach Billy Donovan said Monday. “He has the ability, but he didn’t have the experience so he was very foul prone.”
Diallo averaged seven fouls per 48 minutes — the third-highest rate on the team last season behind Nerlens Noel (7.