Rockets 2020 Player Recaps: Thabo Sefolosha

Thabo Sefalosha

Recap: Thabo Sefolosha played a role somewhat familiar to Rockets fans, Designated Friend, as he essentially began his career with Russell Westbrook and James Harden in Oklahoma City, and will perhaps end it with them as well.

This season may mark the end of the road for the 14 year NBA veteran, as he saw his minutes decline, and he chose not to participate after the season restart in the bubble. Some reports have it that the Swiss national Thabo Sefolosha opted not to rejoin the Rockets in the Orlando Bubble due to four Rockets testing positive for COVID-19. He appears to have weighed the risk, and the low likelihood of meaningful minutes, and decided to call it a season, if not career.

Sefolosha only averaged around 11 minutes per game in the first half of the year, before the season was suspended, logging a fair number of DNP-CD in that time. Observers might have notice that Sefolosha never still quite fit, despite his combination of good height and good shooting skills. His three-point shooting fell from nearly 44% in Utah the previous season, to around 28% in Houston, apparently afflicted by the Rockets Three-Point-Shooting Curse. This malediction sees players’ deep shooting percentage typically drop upon joining the three-point shooting heavy Rockets.

2021 Outlook: It’s difficult to envision Sefolosha’s career continuing at this point, after he opted not to resume playing with the restart, and would turn 37 in the upcoming season. Sefolosha seems a player a bit out of time, as the was originally cast as an all-around guard (starting ahead of James Harden in OKC).

He’d likely be regarded as an ideal Houston Rocket if his career were restarting this season, with his historically good defense and solid three-point shot. He was miscast as an attacking guard early on in OKC, as his handle and basket attack never seemed up to that job on the highest level, but in the modern game, he’d be an ideal 3-D player.

It is possible Thabo might sign with an NBA team as a three-point shooting specialist, as he remains 35% for his career from beyond the arc. It’s also possible he will simply remain outside the United States for various reasons, and perhaps catch on with a European side.

Sefolosha is not signed with the Rockets for the upcoming season, and it seems unlikely he would be offered another contract in Houston.

TDS wishes Thabo Sefolosha the very best in the future, applauds his long NBA career, and salutes a man who spoke up for human rights, and fought hard against injustice.