The Oklahoma City Thunder have two of the best players in the NBA: Paul George and Russell Westbrook. They have a legitimate All-Star candidate in the middle, with Steven Adams locking down the paint. Yet in the past three seasons, all they have to show for their talent is three straight first-round playoff exits.
The Thunder turned opponents over more than any other team in the league, and George had an MVP-caliber season while Westbrook had his best defensive year yet. However, the Thunder continue to be haunted by a lack of perimeter shooting and tremendous inconsistency–especially from Westbrook–at playoff time.
Still, their future is mostly intact. Westbrook, George, Adams and point guard Dennis Schroeder are all signed through the next two seasons, with nearly every major contributor returning next season.
Oklahoma City is as capable of making a run as any other team in the Western Conference, and may in fact pose the toughest challenge to the Golden State Warriors given their personnel and defensive improvements along with the rebounding prowess in the frontcourt.
They need to gain momentum by winning playoff series, and that will likely happen only if they add shooters in free agency or in the upcoming NBA Draft.
With that in mind, here are three ideal targets for the Thunder with the No. 21 pick:
1. Cameron Johnson
Coby White might be the first UNC Tar Heel taken in the draft, and Johnson could be as low as the third Carolina player to go off the board (with Nassir Little continuing to move up mock draft boards), but he might just be the perfect fit for the Thunder.
Johnson has size (6-9 in height) and is probably the best pure shooter in the draft. The Pittsburgh transfer proved he is a legitimate perimeter threat in his second year in Chapel Hill, averaging 16.9 points and 5.8 boards while shooting over 45 percent beyond the arc. Mind you, that was on nearly six 3-point attempts per game.
Whereas the Thunder have swingmen Terrance Ferguson and Alex Abrines to space the floor, Johnson has more size and is a more legitimate threat to torch defenses from deep. He would almost certainly mesh immediately with Westbrook and George because of his ability to catch and shoot while simultaneously making some plays off the dribble.
The Thunder once made the mistake of trading James Harden for a package centered around Jeremy Lamb. Nearly six years later, Johnson may be a better version of Lamb while also making continuous strides on the defensive side of the ball.
2. Tyler Herro
Herro eventually became one of the primary ball-handlers at Kentucky. Although he shot just over 35 percent beyond the arc in his freshman season, he projects as a much better shooter in the league while also having some ability to create for himself off the dribble.
The Wisconsin native can rebound, and he could slide in at the two (with Paul George at the three) if Billy Donovan wants to run a smaller lineup.
Even more consequentially, Herro is automatic from the free-throw line, where he shot almost 94 percent last season. The Thunder shot just over 75 percent from the charity stripe in the playoffs and missed a number of critical free throws against the Trail Blazers.
Of course, no organization is going to draft a player based on free throw percentages. All the same, Herro's shooting from the line reflects his development as a pure shooter. His ball-handling and playmaking abilities should also develop as he gets more experience in the league.
3. Kevin Porter Jr.
This would be more of a flyer pick, since Porter Jr. faced a number of character questions that eventually led to a suspension and bench demotion in his only season at the University of Southern California.
Still, he shot above 40 percent beyond the arc, and many have compared his ability to create space to another left-handed gunner, Rockets star and former Thunder pick James Harden.
Porter would not fit in as well in terms of defensive identity, but he has legitimate scoring potential and can shoot the lights out. The Thunder could certainly use another perimeter option.
The smarter pick at No. 21 would be either Johnson or Herro, but if both are taken before the Thunder are on the clock, they may as well reach on Porter, who was projected as a top-10 pick before he began his freshman campaign.
Follow Us
Subscribe