The Oklahoma City Thunder will be back in action in only 8 more days! As the excitement builds for the start of the 2017-2018 season, let’s take a look at the guy who wears #8 for OKC.
Alex Abrines was born in Palma, Spain in 1993. The shooting guard is only 24 years old as he enters his second season in the NBA. Like all athletes, Abrines had an interesting journey to the NBA. He played for several different professional teams in Europe before finally landing with Oklahoma City a year ago.
His career started when he was only 18 years old. He played for Unicaja in Liga ACB. He set nearly every rookie record for the team. His season high was 31 points against CB Estudiantes. In July 2012, Abrines was traded to FC Barcelona.
Only a year later he was drafted in the second round by the Oklahoma City Thunder. However, he decided to stay with FC Barcelona. Abrines was becoming a star with Barcelona when they offered a contract extension through 2019.
He played a total of four seasons with FC Barcelona, and he was quite successful as well. He won 3 titles with the team, one ABC league championship, one Spanish SuperCup, and one Spanish King’s Cup. Shortly after he was named to the EuroLeague Rising Star list, he decided to finally take his roster spot with Oklahoma City.
Upon arriving in OKC, Abrines earned immediate playing time. His career high in Oklahoma City is 18 points that came against the New Orleans Pelicans. There’s no doubt that Abrines can get a hot hand and start knocking down shots. Last year, he broke James Harden’s record for most 3 point shots made by a rookie.
Alex Abrines gives the Thunder another scoring threat from beyond the arc. Having him on the court really stretches out the defense. This allows Westbrook to penetrate the middle for either a layup, or a wide open dunk for Steven Adams. Abrines is a key part to this Thunder team. The team struggled while he was out with an injury last season. If he can remain healthy this year, I expect him to become a huge part of this Thunder offense.
Alex Abrines has also become a highlight reel during his time in Oklahoma City. Check out this dunk over Tristan Thompson last year:
Article written by Craig Hofeld. Follow @TheThunderGuys on Twitter and Instagram.