Brooks Barnhizer, the Oklahoma City Thunder’s 44th pick of the 2025 Draft, has been a premier player for the team during Summer League and preseason. Barnhizer has shown his electric transition play, physical defense, and most importantly, his catch-and-shoot ability — shooting over 57% from deep in the preseason.
Because of his impressive play, along with injuries to bench players Kenrich Williams and Nikola Topic, Barnhizer is more than deserving of a shot at the Thunder rotation in the regular season.
Ability to Run the Fastbreak
One of Barnhizer’s best traits in college was his ability to control the fastbreak — the NBA has been no different. He is never afraid to go at a defender or draw a foul in transition; his bullish frame and 6-foot-7 height largely contribute to this, which has made him very reliable on fastbreak opportunities.
OKC was fifth in pace last season (100.0), and Barnhizer’s tendency to push the pace and constantly provide off-ball movement fits very well with the Thunder’s current identity.
Defensive Physicality
Because of Barnhizer’s height, he’s always comfortable guarding forwards and certain big men. He’s very aggressive with his hands and has excelled at generating turnovers — averaging 1.8 steals per game in preseason. His aggressiveness in the interior has also led to quality rebound numbers of 6.0 per game.
The backbone of OKC’s championship was forcing turnovers and having everyone be able to switch on defense; this has been Barnhizer’s best defensive trait.
Barnhizer Playing at His Own Pace
Barnhizer’s offensive control, patience, and composure are reminiscent of an NBA veteran. He will never rush his game, backing down his opponent with ease and smoothly going to work in the non-restricted paint area. He is rarely knocked off his base and continuously gets the look he wants in these positions.
This is Barnhizer’s most unique trait, and an invaluable skill for any young player to possess.
Surprisingly Good Jump Shooting
Barnhizer’s biggest knock as a prospect was his spotty jump shooting — he shot 31% from three in college. So far in the preseason, he’s been lights out — shooting 57% from deep with a 60.1% true shooting percentage. Although this isn’t at a very high volume — just 1.8 attempts per game — it is still very promising. If he can shoot with average splits, it will be hard to think of a reason not to give him minutes.
Barnhizer has been a standout player for Oklahoma City throughout the offseason and will continue to be someone to watch for in the regular season.
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