2015 NBA Draft Prospects Guaranteed to Interest the Oklahoma City Thunder
Russell Westbrook’s outfit wasn’t lucky enough to win the draft lottery for the Oklahoma City Thunder, but general manager Sam Presti can work his magic with the 14th pick.
Depth at the 2 and 3 are the Thunder’s most pressing needs, and there should be a number of promising wing options available when Presti is on the clock. The prospects discussed below are three of the best perimeter players in OKC’s draft range, and they would all fit nicely on the Thunder roster.
Devin Booker, SG, Kentucky
Strengths
- One of the best three-point shooters in the draft
- Strong combine assuaged concerns about his size/athleticism
- Age (he’ll be just 19 years old at the end of his rookie season)
Weaknesses
- One-dimensional on offense
- May need time to develop his game and body
- Shown flashes of defensive tenacity, but can he be consistent on that end?
NBA Draft Combine Measurements
- Height: 6’6”
- Weight: 206 lbs
- Wingspan: 6’8”
- Maximum Vertical Jump: 34.5”
How He Fits in OKC
Devin Booker has all the tools to become the perfect two-way shooting guard between Westbrook and Kevin Durant. The current crop of OKC 2-guards is an uninspiring bunch, but Booker has the shooting stroke and physical tools to develop into the three-and-D wing who would raise the ceiling of the team.
His lethal jumper makes him a dangerous addition to this OKC offense. The Thunder need a third scoring option on the wing, especially as a spot-up weapon (as opposed to an off-the-bounce playmaker), to maximize the team’s offensive potential.
Booker is most comfortable working off the ball, coming off screens or spotting up around the floor. That’s the role he’d fill for this Thunder team, punishing defenses that help too far off him and adding a “terrifying spacing element to Oklahoma City’s roster in between Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant on offense,” according to Sam Vecenie of CBSSports.com.
His all-around offensive game is underdeveloped—he hasn’t created much of his own offense, finished well around the basket or made many plays for his teammates—but that’s a minor concern for a Thunder team with two of the league’s most dangerous offensive players running the show.
ESPN’s Chad Ford touched on Booker’s one-dimensional offensive game in his recent draft big board, but he pointed to Booker’s elite shooting ability and defensive potential as reason enough to take the Kentucky product in the lottery:
"Teams aren't necessarily sure that he'll be more than a terrific spot-up shooter, but his high basketball IQ and solid defense give them hope that he can be more—especially after posting the best scores at the combine in both the lane agility (10.2 seconds) and shuttle run tests (2.75 seconds). But even if he isn't more than just a shooter, Booker's shot is so picture perfect that he should find his way into the lottery.
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Per Vecenie, that 10.2-second lane agility score was the best for an off-guard since 2001. Such a strong outing at the combine may convince teams that he's athletic enough to become an elite defender and push him out of OKC’s range, but he’s a tantalizing pick if he’s still on the board at No. 14.
R.J. Hunter, SG, Georgia State
Strengths
- Knockdown shooter with deep range
- Great length gives him some positional flexibility
- High basketball IQ
Weaknesses
- Slender frame raises questions about defensive ceiling
- Making the transition from a smaller school
NBA Draft Combine Measurements
- Height: 6’6”
- Weight: 185 lbs
- Wingspan: 6’10.5”
- Maximum Vertical Jump: 33.5”
How He Fits in OKC
Offensively, R.J. Hunter will be a more versatile player than the aforementioned Booker—in the short term anyway. Hunter was the focal point of the Georgia State offense, and he displayed excellent court vision and a solid off-the-dribble game to supplement his primary weapon: long-range shooting.
There are legitimate concerns about his defense, however, and that will be the factor that determines whether the Thunder take a chance on the small-school product. In college, he displayed the intelligence and effort to become a solid team defender in the pros, but Hunter’s lack of elite athleticism and his slight frame limit his defensive upside.
That’s not the end of the world for the Thunder. While a two-way force at shooting guard (like Klay Thompson or Jimmy Butler) would be ideal, all OKC really needs is a 2-guard who isn’t a complete liability on one end of the floor (see also: Roberson, Andre or Morrow, Anthony).
Hunter appears to have the basketball IQ to become a reliable team defender, but Sam Vecenie of CBSSports.com wrote a detailed scouting report of Hunter's game and raised questions about the timeline of that defensive development given Hunter’s college background playing in a zone defense:
"NBA coaches will get with him and help, but the questions here are twofold. First, can [coaches] actually do enough with him fundamentally to make up for the athletic questions? Second, how will his adjustment to a man-to-man scheme go? With so little to go on there, it's hard to project whether or not Hunter can become an average NBA defender in time, even with his length. And regardless of his future, it's really hard for me to see how Hunter is going to be able to make an impact early in his career because of these deficiencies. His length and general basketball intelligence give him a chance to become okay on that end in time. But it might be rocky, especially early on.
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Booker has the higher ceiling, but Hunter would be a fine selection if the Kentucky product has already been drafted. Hunter’s skill set is valuable, and his shooting would definitely help the team.
Kelly Oubre Jr., G/F, Kansas
Strengths
- Tremendous physical tools
- Good perimeter shooter
- Versatile, well-rounded player
Weaknesses
- Poor ball-handler
- Very left-hand dominant
- Effort was inconsistent at Kansas
NBA Draft Combine Measurements
- Height: 6’7”
- Weight: 203 lbs
- Wingspan: 7’2”
- Maximum Vertical Jump: 37”
How He Fits in OKC
Kelly Oubre is a project. That may not jive with the Thunder’s recent string of moves that point to a “win now” mentality (e.g. trading for Enes Kanter, firing Scott Brooks), but it’s hard to make a true “win now” move with the 14th pick in the draft. Devin Booker and R.J. Hunter both appear more pro-ready than Oubre, but it’s possible that none of them are major role players in an OKC playoff run this upcoming season.
And if it’s a matter of taking the best player available, Oubre has the most long-term upside of the group. He’s still filling out his frame, but at 6’7” with a ridiculous 7’2” wingspan, he has the prototypical size to play on the wings in the NBA. Furthermore, he has the lateral quickness to stay with guards, so he’s versatile enough to potentially defend 1 through 3.
Oubre isn’t a proven knockdown shooter like Booker and Hunter, but he showed consistent mechanics and connected on 36 percent of his threes at Kansas. He’s a potential three-and-D monster, but he’s far from a sure thing. Here’s how one NBA GM broke down the risk-reward aspect of Oubre in a conversation with Chad Ford:
"I think he has a chance to be a 3-and-D guy in the league and his best NBA skill will probably be on the defensive end. I think he'll be able to lock down guys if he wants to. And I think he'll be a good shooter. It's the in-between stuff that I'm not sure he'll ever get. I don't think he can really dribble the basketball. But the biggest issue is his head. Is he ready to put in the work?
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He’s quick enough to play shooting guard, but he’s big enough to back up Durant if necessary. Defensively, he has all the makings of a versatile monster capable of shadowing Chris Paul or Kawhi Leonard. Oubre is a year or two away from helping the Thunder chase a championship, but the reward could be worth the wait.
Note: All NBA Draft Combine measurements were obtained from DraftExpress.com.
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