After a rookie season marred by injury, Sam Dekker is beginning to make his mark as a member of the Houston Rockets. On Friday night in Oklahoma City, Dekker may have submitted the best highlight of his young NBA career, and it came at the expense of Thunder big man Enes Kanter.
Dekker was filling the lane on the right side in transition and he received a picture-perfect pass from point guard Patrick Beverley. From there, the 6-foot-9 forward did all of the work, gathering and transforming into a flying missile in one motion, teeing up Kanter for what would become a facial of the highest order. Afterward, Dekker also took a moment to admire his work, staring down the victim for a noticeable period of time and not exactly shying away from the damage done.
Kanter is not exactly known for his defensive prowess, but in this case, there wasn’t much that the 6-foot-11 big man could do, as Dekker was coming with a full head of steam and resistance was futile. Coming out of Wisconsin, Dekker was seen largely as a scorer first and foremost, but his athleticism and length are very real at the small forward position, and Kanter can now attest first-hand considering the carnage that transpired here.
First-quarter dunks aren’t the most important thing when determining wins and losses in a game between two playoff teams, but Sam Dekker (and, unfortunately, Enes Kanter) will likely remember this one for quite a while.
