Brooks Barnhizer appreciative of social media love from Oklahoma City Thunder fans.
It's been less than a month, but Brooks Barnhizer has gone from a player most Oklahoma City Thunder fans had zero clue of knowing when they selected him with the No. 44 pick of the 2025 NBA draft to somebody they've quickly rooted for.
Fresh off an NBA championship, the Thunder mowed down the competition with one of the best defenses ever. They frequently won the turnover battle on their way to usual blowout wins. While the shot will need plenty of work, Barnhizer has shown he fits right in on that side of the ball.
Barnhizer finished with six steals in the Thunder's 104-85 Summer League win over the Indiana Pacers. That's fresh off a seven-steal performance in the Thunder's 90-81 Summer League win over the Brooklyn Nets. He became the first player in Summer League history to have back-to-back games of six-plus steals.
That's how you win over Thunder fans easily. Shots will come and go. Can't really control that. But blitzing the ball-handler or reading the passing lanes are variables you can control. So is diving for loose balls. Defense isn't as simple as trying hard. That undersells defenders, as you need to be smart and strategic. Barnhizer is the best of both worlds, though. He's not afraid to scrap his elbows and is also savvy enough to dissect what the opposition is about to do.
Of course, none of this is new. Ask Northwestern fans. They saw Barnhizer play four college seasons there and gradually saw his role grow from a freshman who seldom played to a senior starter who played through chipped teeth.
"It's funny because my family, we're so grateful to be here. Especially my brother. He's sent me a lot of funny tweets. Not tweets that I shouldn't be looking at, but like some funny ones," Barnhizer said. "Like, 'Man, I'll run through a brick wall for that guy already and we've had him for a week and a half.' That stuff is cool to see and I'm blessed to be here. I just want to keep trying to be that player they love to see and compete every day."
As the Thunder bring their same roster back for hopes of a repeat, don't expect much out of Barnhizer in his rookie season. That said, the two-way player could win over more minutes with his all-hustle style of defense. That's the side of the ball the 23-year-old will bank on to translate over to the NBA and hopefully carve out a role.
This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: Brooks Barnhizer appreciative of social media love from Thunder fans
Category: Basketball
