OKC Thunder NBA Draft prospect series: Ivan Rabb

Ivan Rabb is one of many big men that will be on the table for the OKC Thunder. Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports /

Ivan Rabb is an intriguing late first round pick because of his high upside. With the current financial situation Sam Presti and the OKC Thunder may be looking to take a risk.

Ivan Rabb – the former California high school player of the year, McDonald’s All-American and five-star recruit – never quite lived up to his potential in his time with the California Golden Bears. His length and mobility may convince a team to reach in hopes they can mold him into a solid professional.

Specifics

Height: 6’10

Weight: 215 Ibs

Wingspan: 7’2

Position: Power Forward

Age: 20

College: California

Statline: 14 points, 10.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1 block, .7 steals

Current rankings:

Please note, the rankings below come from the most up to date versions as the time of writing. That said not all the mock drafts provide second round ranks or updates, often only extend to the end of the first round.

Therefore, if you check a ranking and note the number has changed it’s likely due to updates and a shift in the rankings.

DraftExpress: 25th overall prospect

The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor: 33rd overall prospect

CBS Sports: 27th overall prospect

Skills

Rabb is one of the best rebounding prospects in the draft. Even at 6’10, the 20-year old does a great job of using his length to clean the boards. Rabb’s strength over everyone else is his wingspan, which allows him to corral balls a normal big couldn’t reach. He finished with the most rebounds as a freshman in Cal’s history and led the PAC-12 in rebounding his sophomore year.

On offense Rabb does a great job of finishing in the air. He doesn’t have a huge vertical, but again, his long arms provide him with an advantage against most defenders. Rabb was a post player in college, but he won’t be able to score on NBA bigs unless he adds more muscle.

RELATED STORY: Thunder NBA prospect breakdown: Tyler Lydon

Defensively is where Rabb can make his money in the league. He wasn’t great at Cal, especially not in the interior, but his mobility allows him to switch onto guards in some scenarios. If Rabb is matched up against another small ball five he won’t have nearly as much trouble as he would against a traditional big.

Weaknesses

In this day and age bigs have to have some sort of basketball skill. Although Rabb can post up he hasn’t shown a penchant for a mid-range game or any dribble-drive moves. He has the quickness to blow by NBA bigs, but without a go-to move quickness won’t be enough.

As we just talked about, if Rabb doesn’t put on weight he will be feasted upon. The forward had problems with foul trouble, mostly because he gets pushed around on the block and tries to recover with his arms instead of his body. The potential is there for a defensive gem, but a lot of work had to be done to get there.

Honors and awards

All PAC-12 First Team (2017)

NCAA Player of the Week (Jan. 16, 2017)

Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Top 10 Finalist (2017)

More from Thunderous Intentions

All PAC-12 Second Team (2016)

The fit

Rabb would be a good fit for this Thunder team…if they didn’t already have a few big man prospects. Rabb is an athletic big that can get out in transition, the perfect type of weapon for Russell Westbrook. His ability to finish off the pick & roll would make Russ ecstatic.

Ivan’s potential is going to come down to what team drafts him. It’s a very real possibility that the former five-star recruit becomes a 15-point a night scorer/defensive anchor. It’s also a very real possibility that he’s out of the league in a few years because he didn’t get the right coaching.

Ultimately I think Rabb becomes a solid backup center. He can guard four positions and grab rebounds, but he hasn’t shown the pure instincts on the offensive end to deem him a starter in the league.

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