Oklahoma City Thunder: 5 options for pick No. 21 in the 2017 NBA Draft
Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports
An offseason removed from losing the best player in franchise history, the Oklahoma City Thunder get a chance to retool through the 2017 NBA Draft.
It's been a tumultuous year for the Oklahoma City Thunder, filled with both highs and lows. From the nadir of losing Kevin Durant to the zenith of Russell Westbrook's historic triple-double campaign, 2016-17 is a season fans of the Midwestern franchise won't soon forget.
Now that the dust has settled a bit, it's time to look forward. Not with an eye on the Golden State Warriors anymore, but truly towards the future. We take our next step towards that future at the 2017 NBA Draft.
Though it has been called one of the deepest draft classes in recent memory by many pundits, the Thunder still find themselves in a bit of a bind. Because of their 47-win regular season and eventual first round defeat in the playoffs, Oklahoma City will be picking 21st overall — not exactly a spot that is sure to land an eventual contributor, let alone a star.
Even so, general manager Sam Presti is one of the best in the business. Under his guidance, the Thunder have a better chance of finding something worthwhile (even late in the first round) than most other franchises.
One thing's for sure, though: It won't be easy. Here are five potential Oklahoma City targets for pick No. 21.
Honorable mentions: Rodions Kurucs (projected to go early second round), Tyler Lydon (higher-upside option at No. 21), Terrance Ferguson (too raw to contribute anytime soon)
5. Isaiah Hartenstein, PF/C, Germany
Stats as a first-year pro overseas: 28 GP, 4.9 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 0.7 APG, 0.9 STL, 0.6 BLK, 0.3 3s, 1.2 TOs, 56.9 FG%, 28.6 3PT%, 70.5 FT%, 12.5 MPG
Presti and the Thunder could choose to go one of two ways come June 22. They could draft to fill a need (like at the 4), or opt to take the highest-upside prospect available instead.
However, there is a way they could do both of those things at once, and that's by drafting a low-floor, high-ceiling alternative that also plays power forward. A guy like Isaiah Hartenstein, for example.
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The German big man spent the past season playing at Zalgiris of the Lithuanian league. Though he struggled overall (pretty much killing his chances of being a lottery pick in the process), he did show some enticing flashes of skill not common for a player of his stature.
At the recent Nike Hoops Summit, Hartenstein measured in as a legit seven-footer with a 7'2.25″ wingspan. He does need to add bulk, as he weighed just 225 pounds at the event, but his frame suggests it'll be able to support extra weight.
Hartenstein is a 4/5 with a ton of skill; he can put the ball on the floor and attack the basket, as well as shoot the three from his frontcourt spot. Not to mention, he's barely 19 years old, so he's not close to plateauing yet.
The sky's the limit for the left-handed big, and he'd make some sense at No. 21. Thing is, he's probably a year or two away from contributing at the NBA level. Knowing that, will Presti practice patience and take him anyway? Or would he prefer a more pro-ready option, like the next guy on our list?
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4. Semi Ojeleye, SF/PF, SMU
2017 stats (Jr. year): 35 GP, 18.9 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 1.5 APG, 0.4 STL, 0.4 BLK, 2.1 3s, 1.4 TOs, 48.8 FG%, 42.4 3PT%, 78.5 FT%, 34.1 MPG
On the other hand, a guy with a lower ceiling who may be more ready to contribute right away is Semi Ojeleye.
The 6'7″ wing is built like a grown man because, well, he sorta is; at 23, he's one of the oldest players in his class. Regardless, his advanced age is part of what gives him a pro-ready frame, and impressive maturity to go with it.
.@DraftExpress interviewing Semi Ojeleye after a really impressive workout. Very high on him as a prospect. Fits modern NBA, A+ character. pic.twitter.com/tVlnox625Z
— Mike Schmitz (@Mike_Schmitz) June 2, 2017
Originally, Ojeleye spent his first two seasons of college at Duke — participating in merely 23 games during his time there. Seeing the writing on the wall, the stout wing decided to transfer for more playing time.
Safe to say, he made the right decision.
His numbers (which you can see above) exploded. In particular, the fact that he attempted 172 threes on the year and nailed 73 of them (a healthy 42.4 percent) helped his NBA prospects greatly.
If his shooting is real, which appears to be the case, at least in pre-draft workouts…
Semi Ojeleye shooting corner 3s at his Pro Day with the assist from @DrewHanlen. Danny Ainge and Tony Bradley looking on. pic.twitter.com/Vwy8G4wXhx
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) June 2, 2017
…then you can project him as a model 3-and-D wing. These days, it's crucial you have a few of those on your roster. Especially the kind that can play small-ball-4 like the former SMU man can.
Oklahoma City's current starter at the 3 is impending restricted free agent Andre Roberson. If some other team were to offer him an absurd contract and Presti opts to not match it, then having Ojeleye waiting in the wings would make the loss sting a bit less. He's a guy that can play day one, and help the Thunder win games in 2017-18.
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3. D.J. Wilson, SF/PF, Michigan
2017 stats (Jr. year): 38 GP, 11.0 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 1.3 APG, 0.5 STL, 1.5 BLK, 1.1 3s, 1.1 TOs, 53.8 FG%, 37.3 3PT%, 83.3 FT%, 30.4 MPG
Considering need and upside, another interesting option for Oklahoma City is D.J. Wilson out of Michigan. His raw stats don't really jump off the screen, but what he did in postseason play in 2016-17 helped his draft stock soar.
During Michigan's improbable Big 10 Tournament championship run, through their eventual defeat in the Sweet 16 — a seven-game stretch — Wilson was brilliant. In that span, he averaged 15.6 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 2.0 blocks per game while shooting 53.8 percent and 35.7 percent from three.
His agility at 6'10" is special, while his 7'3″ wingspan make him one of the better rim-protecting wings in the entire class. The one issue with the former Michigan man is he's a player stuck between positions — not skilled enough to be a pure 3 and not sturdy enough on the glass to play power forward full time.
Nonetheless, Wilson's ability to hit the three, coupled with his length and finishing around the basket (an absurd 83.1 percent shooter in the restricted area, per Hoop Math) make him a solid candidate for the No. 21 pick.
That, plus his burgeoning skill set, as exemplified here…
…could make him the savvy selection for a Thunder side that may need to replace Taj Gibson after this summer's free agency, and who aren't quite sure if Domantas Sabonis is their stretch-4 of the future yet.
Michael Shroyer-USA TODAY Sports
2. Harry Giles, PF/C, Duke
College stats: 26 GP, 3.9 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 0.3 APG, 0.3 STL, 0.7 BLK, Zero 3s Attempted, 0.7 TOs, 57.7 FG%, 50.0 FT%, 11.5 MPG
According to Draft Express' mock history feature, between April 2016 and October 2016, Harry Giles was projected to go between second and fifth overall in the 2017 NBA Draft.
The former Blue Devil was the No. 1 overall recruit in the country for most of his prep career, for a variety of reasons. Giles was a freak athlete, standing 6'11" with a monstrous 7'3.25″ wingspan. He was agile, explosive, competitive, had an improving skill set and regularly life made hell for whichever poor high school kid had to guard him.
In all, he was like a Create-A-Player character from NBA 2K.
Unfortunately, injuries have gotten the best of him recently. After having torn his ACL as a sophomore in high school, he suffered the same injury during the first game of his senior season, except on the opposite knee.
To this point, he hasn't been able to regain his previous incredible form. His one year at Duke was forgettable — he topped double-digit scoring just twice his entire freshman campaign — and that caused him to plummet down draft boards.
So why would the Thunder take him at No. 21?
Well, apparently, he's starting to get healthy again.
Check out this dunk by Harry Giles (@HGizzle1) at the @excelsm workout we attended in Westchester. Explosiveness is definitely coming back. pic.twitter.com/sWRptnqG6t
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) May 24, 2017
If that is the case, and Oklahoma City gets him in for a workout (where they can then, in turn, check his knees out up close), and comes away impressed, a union between the two parties begins to make more sense.
After all, landing a potential top-five talent in the 20s would be a steal. It really just comes down to his health. Nevertheless, it may be a risk worth taking if Presti really wants to make a splash come June 22.
Joshua Dahl-USA TODAY Sports
1. T.J. Leaf, PF, UCLA
College stats: 35 GP, 16.3 PPG, 8.2 RPG, 2.4 APG, 0.6 STL, 1.1 BLK, 0.8 3s, 1.5 TOs, 61.7 FG%, 46.6 3PT%, 67.9 FT%, 29.9 MPG
We close out our list with a player who would fill multiple needs for the Thunder: T.J. Leaf.
The former UCLA man would both provide depth at the 4-spot for an Oklahoma City team lacking it, and aid in their three-point shooting woes, as he successfully converted on 46.6 percent of his attempts from deep as a freshman.
The young stretch-4 enjoyed a successful one-year campaign in the Pac-12, putting up 16.3 points and 8.2 rebounds a night. Per NBA Math, Leaf finished 2016-17 fifth among all freshmen in offensive points added (a metric that's explained right over here) — an impressive feat considering, by doing so, he placed ahead of various bigger names like Dennis Smith Jr., Josh Jackson and De'Aaron Fox.
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Leaf's advanced metrics are aided by the fact he distributes so well from the 4-spot (3.2 assists per 40 minutes) and scores so efficiently (61.7 percent from the floor) overall.
The sweet-shooting big man has an exciting off-the-dribble game, and surprising athleticism to go with it. Playing with a talent like Lonzo Ball at UCLA helped buoy his numbers, sure, but on the Thunder, he'd be paired with Westbrook, who would do an even better job of getting him the ball in the right spots for easy finishes.
Will Leaf be ready to start year one? Probably not, but he won't have to since Sabonis and Steven Adams have the two big men spots locked up for 2017-18. He can bide his time, learn what it's like to be an NBA player and not feel immense pressure to contribute immediately.
Plus, if he comes on sooner than expected, you can make Sabonis the backup center (a position he should probably be playing anyways) and start Leaf at the 4. His scoring ability, shooting and creativity as a passer will help Oklahoma City's offense find much-needed spacing and flow.
