Next in the OKC Thunder draft history we take a look at the 2012 draft.
What could have been. 2012, oh what could have been. If not for injuries would the Thunder have won a championship? How would this have changed the history of the franchise? It would almost certainly not have changed the draft, which is what we are here to look at today.
First Round
The OKC Thunder only had a single pick in the 2012 draft – they used the 28th pick to select Perry Jones III. Jones was a prospect with an almost infinite ceiling, or so it seemed. Unfortunately, the 6-foot-11 combination forward never really found a place for his skill set on the Thunder roster.
Jones played 143 games over three seasons with Oklahoma City. He played 62 of these games in the infamous 2013-14 season. Serge Ibaka was injured for a portion Russell Westbrook missed the start of the season and Kevin Durant missed 57 games. If there was a time for a player to step up and show they belonged in the league, it was then.
Even with amount of time available at both forward positions, Jones could only average 12.3 minutes per game. To only average 3.5 points and 1.8 rebounds per game is simply not good enough for a player with Jones physical attributes and potential.
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Jones had one game where everything came together though. He scored 32 points against the Clippers, but the rest of his games were less than impressive. He was given three seasons to prove himself before being traded to the Boston Celtics for basically nothing. The Celtics then waived Jones without him playing a game.
Other players available
There were a number of players still remaining on the board which could have made a serious impact for the OKC Thunder. Some of these are Jae Crowder, Draymond Green, Khris Middleton and even Will Barton. Unfortunately, drafting players is tough; ask any general manager. Even when a team has a number one pick, they can get it wrong.
But it’s always interesting to think about. If Jones had of lived up to his potential would we still be fans of Kevin Durant?