Thunder in the news: Draft Day is finally here
By Tony Heim
Thunder in the news provides OKC Thunder fans with a daily post dedicated to featuring the best Thunder content around the web.
The day is finally here. NBA offseason has slowly gained momentum to this point – a four hour span for teams to drastically alter the future of their franchises. Let’s get to it.
The Oklahoman’s thought on the Draft
Each and every person even remotely interested in the Thunder have their opinion on what OKC should do. The Oklahoman staff got their say; a wide variety of answers resulted.
"Darnell Mayberry, senior assistant sports editor: Trade it for a veteran. This team needs more experience, not more youth. And the 21st selection isn’t going to help next year. I wonder if the Thunder’s pick and trade exception could net Ben McLemore from Sacramento or Mario Hezonja from Orlando. I’d call and find out. They’re not the most experienced, but both beat bringing in another rookie."
It’s Fred Katz’s turn!
Instead of giving a concrete answer, Fred Katz from the Norman Transcript gave a few options for the Thunder to consider with the 21st pick. There is one special name that caught my eye so kudos to you Fred.
"It’s impossible to predict the first 20 selections of the NBA Draft. So, Oklahoma City is eying different types of players as it awaits the No. 21 pick in Thursday night’s festivities. Here are some of the prospects the Thunder could choose (in no particular order) if they hold onto their first-round pick: SF Justin Jackson (North Carolina), 22 years old, 6-foot-8, 193 poundsJackson should be gone by the time the No. 21 pick comes around, but there’s always a chance a player can slide. The big wing doesn’t have the same ceiling as some other, more athletic players, like Anunoby, but he’s a smart defender who upped his 3-point shooting to respectable levels, understands how to cut and has one of the highest floors of any wing in the draft."
Profiling Semi Ojeleye
I’m gonna leave it to my guy Rich Condon to convince you why Semi Ojeleye is the pick for the Thunder at #21.
"Big. Strong. Athletic. Aggressive. All words to describe SMU’s hybrid forward Semi Ojeleye who broke out in a major way after transferring from Duke. Standing at 6’7″, weighing 235 lbs of solid muscle, and armed with a 40.5 inch max vertical, Ojeyele already has an NBA body. He already has a robust set of offensive skills to go along with it. Ojeyele was competent from 3, shooting 42.4 percent on 4.2 attempts per game at SMU. He averaged 3 offensive boards per 40 minutes, showing a knack for getting the ball off the offensive glass."
Whatever Sam Presti ends up deciding – if it’s trading the pick for a veteran or trading it for a future pick – I will stand by it. Well, maybe. Either way we have to believe the Thunder will be in better standing after tomorrow.