National Basketball Association

Oklahoma City Thunder: 2017 NBA Draft grades

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 7:30 p.m. ET

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The Oklahoma City Thunder selected shooting guard Terrance Ferguson with the 21st overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft. How does the selection grade out?

The Oklahoma City Thunder had only one selection in the 2017 NBA Draft, picking 21st. With the 21st overall selection in the 2017 NBA Draft, the Thunder selected "international" small forward, Terrance Ferguson.

Ferguson is considered an international prospect because he spent last season playing in Australia for Adelaide. He was recruited by the Arizona Wildcats, but was unable to attend the school because of academic issues. As a result, he ended up overseas.

The results for Ferguson were not pretty. He played in 30 games, starting 17 of them. However, he averaged only 15.2 minutes per game and didn't produce much. He posted only 4.6 points, 1.1 rebounds and 0.6 assists per game. His shooting numbers were woeful as well, as he made only 38.1 percent of his looks from the field, 31.3 percent from beyond the three-point line and 60 percent from the foul line.

How does a player that performed that poorly get picked as high as Ferguson? Well, because of his upside. NBA teams use the draft as a way to build for the future, and this selection for the Thunder is no different. The same thinking was used by the Sacramento Kings the pick right before the Thunder, as they selected Duke center, Harry Giles.

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Like Giles, there is a lot of upside in Ferguson. For the Thunder, this is a strong selection. Ferguson fits the mold of the type of player they usually target; long wings that can (hopefully) shoot the ball. There is no denying the talent that Ferguson has, as he was a top-10 recruit coming out of high school. While the statistics from Australia may not show it, there is a lot of talent here.

Arguably the biggest need for the Thunder this season was finding a floor-spacer to help Russell Westbrook, and they found that in Ferguson. Despite the percentages, Ferguson projects to be one of the best shooters in this draft class, as he has deep range on his three-point shot. His shooting is considered elite by some, which makes him intriguing for the Thunder.

In addition to his three-point shooting, Ferguson is also regarded as an excellent defender. 3-and-D guys are always needed in the NBA, especially nowadays with the emphasis on small-ball and floor-spacing.

In addition to the three-point shooting and defense, Ferguson will also possess good athleticism and length. Ferguson is a solid upside pick by the Thunder as he could grow into an above-average 3-and-D player.

The Thunder are stuck in the middle; should they go for it or do a bit of a retooling? They have some long-term deals that will make it tough to do a true rebuild, so the selection of Ferguson is a bit confusing from that standpoint. Ferguson fits a need for the Thunder, but he will need some time to grow into his role. Whether the Thunder can afford him that time is another question.

He could be relied upon right off the bat. Andre Roberson is a restricted free agent. If a team overpays for him, the Thunder may struggle to retain him, which could push Ferguson into a prominent role right away.

Ferguson would present a better shooting option that Roberson, but it would be unfair to expect him to play defense at the same level. If the Thunder want to make any noise, they would be best served retaining Roberson and hoping he learns how to shoot a jump shot so that all of the pressure is not placed on Ferguson.

While he fits a need for the Thunder, there are questions as to whether he can contribute right away. If the Thunder wanted a player that could contribute right away, there were more NBA-ready options on the wing such as SMU's Semi Ojeleye or Jonah Bolden. Duke's Frank Jackson, who had been mocked to the Thunder a lot, was also still available.

If the Thunder wanted to swing for the fences on an upside pick, Indiana's OG Anunoby was sitting there for the taking. Anunoby had to undergo knee surgery during the season, but was a projected lottery pick before the injury.

Ferguson isn't an awful pick by any means; he does fit a need for the Thunder. He has some good upside, but the question remains how much he will help them now, which knocks down this grade a little bit.

Grade: B