Full Scouting Report for the Top 2015 Draft Targets of the Oklahoma City Thunder
The Oklahoma City Thunder already have the goods to make another run at an NBA title, and it's difficult to look at their roster and find a real need at pick No. 14 in the 2015 draft.
They're the most un-lottery team ever, only missing the playoffs on a tiebreaker despite their superstar duo of Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook missing a combined 60 games. The goal should be to either add depth or swing for a prospect with potential—read: not ready to contribute yet—who has the chance to develop into a starter.
Based off reports that the Thunder have made a draft-day promise to point guard Cameron Payne, according to ESPN's Chad Ford (h/t ESPN.com's Royce Young), the first option appears to be to add depth at the position where OKC is the thinnest. That makes sense considering Westbrook has missed 51 games over the last two seasons and backup D.J. Augustin has only one year left on his contract.
Multiple mock drafts have Payne going to the Pacers at No. 11, and if you buy into what the mocks are selling, plan B for the Thunder is to go get a three-and-D prospect with potential in Kelly Oubre. If Payne is not there, the depth at point guard in the middle of the draft is strong, and OKC could still go that route.
Let's take a look at the best point guard options who could be available at the end of the lottery and how Oubre would fit in OKC's future plans.
Option 1: Cameron Payne
The Thunder have had a preference for playmaking guards who can create off the dribble. And if you take a look at the last four point guards they've chosen in the draft—Westbrook, James Harden (he plays enough point guard to count), Eric Bledsoe and Reggie Jackson—they're really good at making those picks.
| 2013-14 | 16.8 | 5.4 | 45.6 | 34.1 |
| 2014-15 | 20.2 | 6.0 | 51.3 | 37.7 |
Payne, at 6'2" and 180 pounds, is undersized for this group, but he fits the playmaking criteria. He was essentially the Harden of Murray State, a point guard who dominated the ball and was relied upon to either score or create scoring opportunities. He used 31.5 percent of his team's possessions and had an assist rate of 39.8 percent (fifth best nationally), per kenpom.com.
Payne's vision and his ability to comfortably operate using ball screens are what make him intriguing as an NBA point guard. New OKC coach Billy Donovan uses a lot of ball-screen action in a spread attack to create opportunities for shooters. With the Thunder's roster, having a point guard on the second unit who can get shots for all the shooters or create lob opportunities for the bigs makes sense.
The question mark with Payne is the level of competition he faced at Murray State. That shouldn't be too big of a concern. We've seen plenty of guards make a successful jump from a small mid-major league to the pros, including former Murray State guard Isaiah Canaan.
Ball skills and shooting are valuable in today's NBA, and among the point guards in this draft, Payne has the best combination of the two outside of D'Angelo Russell.
The Other Point Guards
If Payne isn't there and the Thunder decide to still go with a point guard, the top option will likely be either Jerian Grant or Tyus Jones.
Both guards have high basketball IQs and a great feel for the game. Both are advanced enough that they could likely come in right away and play a backup role.
Jones is more of a true point guard, and he helped ease some of the concerns scouts had with his play in the NCAA tournament.
"He has deficiencies. He's challenged by his size. He's challenged by his athleticism and that sort of thing, but he definitely has the mentality of an NBA player," a scout told Bleacher Report in April. "He has the self-awareness and confidence of an NBA player, especially for a position that's become more and more important by the year."
"There's some teams that are really going to prize intelligent point guards," another scout told B/R, also back in April. "Personally, I think he's a little bit quicker than I thought originally, which I think is going to help him."
Jones and Grant, like Payne, were exceptional in college operating out of a ball screen. Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski trusted Jones so much that many of his late-game play calls were to simply set a screen for Jones and let him create.
Notre Dame coach Mike Brey had a similar philosophy with Grant.
"With Coach Brey, it's always been a lot of freedom, but this year it's taken it to another level," Grant told B/R in February. "He lets me call the plays. He lets me decide what I want in the ball screens."
With Jones, the Thunder would get an undersized point guard who shares many similarities to Augustin.
Grant would add something different. In addition to checking all the mental boxes, he has good size for an NBA point guard—he's 6'5"—and he played both guard positions in his time at Notre Dame.
"I'm not sure which guard position he plays," a scout told B/R in February. "Combo guard is almost a derogatory term when you talk about the NBA, but I think for him, it's a good thing. He can probably play both positions. He should be a guard, back in the day when we just had guards. He's an old-school guard who can play both guard positions well and a guy you want in the locker room. Mature and ready."
Option 2: Kelly Oubre
Oubre fits with the Thunder's philosophy of drafting young players with size and potential to be a starter in the league. The organization has not drafted a senior with its first pick since 2003 when the Sonics took Nick Collison with the 12th pick.
| Kevin Durant (2007) | Freshman |
| Russell Westbrook (2008) | Sophomore |
| James Harden (2009) | Sophomore |
| Eric Bledsoe (2010) | Freshman |
| Reggie Jackson (2011) | Junior |
| Perry Jones (2012) | Sophomore |
| Steven Adams (2013) | Freshman |
| Mitch McGary (2014) | Sophomore |
Shooting guard is probably the weakest, albeit deepest, position on the roster. OKC currently has Dion Waiters, Andre Roberson, Jeremy Lamb and Anthony Morrow at shooting guard.
What they lack at that spot is a two-way player who provides value on both ends. Oubre is not there yet, but some see the potential for him to become that. He showed flashes of special defensive potential at Kansas. He's quick for his size (6'7"), and his long arms (7'2" wingspan) can be disruptive. He also has good rebounding instincts and averaged 5.0 rebounds in 21.0 minutes per game.
Offensively, Oubre is a work in progress. His jumper is flat and inconsistent, but there's hope there. He'd get hot every once in a while, and he shot 35.8 percent from deep. He's a good finisher above the rim in transition and on straight-line drives, but he struggled shooting off the bounce or in traffic. He's not a good passer, and his handle is also shaky.
The Thunder have done a good job developing young talent, so Oubre could be a good fit there. Oubre also provides the versatility of being able to play two positions—the 2 and 3.
A more seasoned option and another guy who could turn into a valuable two-way player is Wisconsin's Sam Dekker. At 6'9", it's hard to picture Dekker sliding over to shooting guard. The Thunder, however, have been willing to think outside the box when it comes to positions, playing Perry Jones, a college power forward, at point guard for stretches early last season.
Similar to Oubre, Dekker is an inconsistent shooter who shows flashes of ability from deep—see a 15-of-30 run in the first five games of the NCAA tournament. Dekker is more developed as a ball-handler and driver and offers some of the same promise as a long athlete.
Regardless of how the Thunder decide to attack that No. 14 spot, they have flexibility. With most of the roster under contract, trading the pick could be an option. And if they stay there, it's a good spot to add point guard depth or swing big for a prospect worth stashing such as Oubre.
C.J. Moore covers college basketball for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @CJMooreBR.
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