Thunderous Intentions
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Oklahoma City Thunder draft history – 2011

By Matthew Hallett

Apr 8, 2014; Sacramento, CA, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Reggie Jackson (15) dribbles the ball next to Sacramento Kings guard Ben McLemore (16) in the third quarter at Sleep Train Arena. The Thunder defeated the Kings 107-92. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 8, 2014; Sacramento, CA, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Reggie Jackson (15) dribbles the ball next to Sacramento Kings guard Ben McLemore (16) in the third quarter at Sleep Train Arena. The Thunder defeated the Kings 107-92. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports /
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Nov 4, 2014; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Raptors guard DeMar DeRozan (10) drives to the net against former OKC Thunder guard Reggie Jackson (15) during the first half at the Air Canada Centre. Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 4, 2014; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Raptors guard DeMar DeRozan (10) drives to the net against former OKC Thunder guard Reggie Jackson (15) during the first half at the Air Canada Centre. Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports /

Next in the series of the OKC Thunder draft history I look at the 2011 draft.

Things looked good for the OKC Thunder after the 2011 season. They had made the Conference Finals before being beaten by the eventual champions the Dallas Mavericks. The young core of Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, Serge Ibaka and James Harden looked likely to keep the Thunder at the top of the NBA for a long time.

The main area of need for Oklahoma City was a low post scorer to balance the offense out.; Kendrick Perkins was a tough defensive player but just not an offensive threat.

First Round

The only pick the OKC Thunder had in the 2011 draft was number 24. At this point of the draft, there is usually not huge amounts of quality left. The Thunder picked Reggie Jackson, the 6-foot-3 point guard out of Boston College. The rookie played 45 games as backup to Westbrook, only playing 11.1 minutes per contest.

He was not very impressive in his rookie year, only averaging 3.1 points, 1.6 assists and 1.2 rebounds per contest. His shooting percentages were not good either – 32 percent from the field and 21 percent from three. Jackson certainly was not the immediate-impact player the Thunder needed at the time.

Who was left

More from Thunderous Intentions

The question will always remain with me, what would have been if the OKC Thunder had drafted a better player? People may not remember who was left on the board when the Thunder chose, but the names included Jimmy Butler (pick 30), Bojan Bogdanovic (pick 31), Chandler Parsons (pick 38) and Isaiah Thomas (pick 60).

Yes, most players on this list have their flaws. With the exception of Parsons, none of their flaws are as bad as Jackson’s. The main flaw I see in Jackson is his attitude. A player with a small amount of talent and a good attitude can go a long way in the NBA. Look at Nate McMillan, my personal hero growing up. McMillan was never the most talented player but he did everything his team needed and worked hard.

Jackson on the other hand got a taste for starting with Westbrook out injured in 2013-14, making it impossible for the OKC Thunder to keep him after Westbrook returned. Since moving to the Detroit Pistons, Jackson has shown himself to be competent but not great, like he thinks he is. After he returned from injury at the start of this season, Ish Smith showed he was running their team better. This has to be a concern for any team moving forward.

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