OKC Thunder: 3 bigs to have high on NBA Draft big board
By Mark Nilon
OKC Thunder draft prospect No. 2) Franz Wagner
Speaking of positionless basketball, the University of Michigan standout, Franz Wagner, displayed such an impressive array of skills that he could easily wind up being one of the best picks coming out of this upcoming NBA Draft class.
Built like a power forward and a small ball center with measurements of 6-9, 220 pounds, the 19-year-old proved to have a skill set that far surpasses the majority of expectations for players at such a position.
A triple-threat scorer with truly impressive distribution skills for someone of his size, Wagner is the type of player that feels comfortable bringing the ball up the court, taking part in isolation sets, and being either the handler or roll guy in pick-and-roll scenarios.
A two-year starter at the collegiate level, the power forward went out and had himself quite a sophomore season, stuffing the stat sheet with per-game averages of 12.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, and three assists whilst boasting shooting splits of 56 percent from two, 34 percent from deep, and 84 percent from the charity stripe.
Not only was his offensive production noteworthy, but his performance on the less glamorous side of the ball saw him post 1.3 steals and a block per outing while his defensive plus-minus rating of 6.1 wound up ranking third in the entire nation by year’s end.
A young two-way talent with high-end potential, the idea of adding a guy like Franz Wager to this rebuilding OKC Thunder roster could wind up proving to be a solid scenario, both in the short term as well as long term.