OKC Thunder NBA draft profile: Sharife Cooper -talented playmaker

Pro Comparison:

The comparisons for Cooper are Rajon Rondo, Ish Smith, Sebastian Telfair, Trey Burke, and Yogi Ferrell.

Essentially small point guards who had prowess as scorers and/or playmakers. I’d argue each of the above players all began their pro careers with better defensive fundamentals than Cooper.

OKC Thunder fit:

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Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer suggests Sharife Cooper is a logical pick for the OKC Thunder citing his playmaking and an able backup to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. O’Connor says…

"After selecting a forward and a center, the Thunder select a guard here in Cooper, who could serve as a backup behind Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to begin his career. Cooper is an excellent passer who could set up SGA and alleviate the pressure on him to generate offense."

Let’s just say I’m not as optimistic about Sam Presti picking Cooper with the 18th pick. While his scoring and playmaking success in high school and college would be a welcome addition to the Thunder he doesn’t fit the direction of the club.

Mark Daigneault is seeking players who can function in a postionless scheme. Cooper’s size makes that a difficult proposition. Factor in his defensive limitations and unlikely ability to ever excel on that side of the court and I’m simply not buying him donning an OKC Thunder jersey.