2018 NBA Draft: Rodions Kurucs seeks to prove his assets are more than projections
Awards and honors:
- 2018 Spanish Cup winner
- Member to 2014 Team Latvia, Silver medalist – FIBA Europe Under-16 Championship
Pro comparison:
The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor offers up three tantalizing comparisons in Nicolas Batum, Jonas Jerebko and Chandler Parsons.
If Kevin O’Connor of the Ringer is right and Kurucs registers anywhere near the ceiling of Nicolas Batum he’ll be a quality player. Still, most view Kurucs as a reserve role player simply because there isn’t enough evidence on hand to know precisely what the prospect can be.
Current ranking:
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ESPN/DraftExpress: 42nd
The Ringer: 38th
Draft Net: 47th
CBS Sports: 45th
Sports Illustrated: 47th
Basketball Insider: 36th
Sporting News: 55th
Fit with OKC Thunder:
The Thunder are anxious for the return of Andre Roberson who projects to be healthy and back in time for training camp. Moreover, youngsters Terrance Ferguson and Alex Abrines are expected to take another step this season resulting in additional minutes. Factor in Corey Brewer could also return depending on what decision he makes in free agency. So, adding yet another small forward who’ll need to develop seems unwise given the other areas of the roster OKC lacks depth.
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It’s not to say Kurucs won’t become a quality role player. Rather, the Thunder need players who can immediately step on the court and provide serviceable contributions. And, while the Thunder need to add economical contracts to offset their burgeoning salary they need to do it with a view to filling roster gaps in depth.