OKC Thunder: How 6 top draft prospects compliment Gilgeous-Alexander
By Levi Convirs
Scottie Barnes:
A high-riser since the NBA Draft Lottery, Scottie Barnes would give the Thunder potentially the most versatile defender in the draft that can guard 1-5 on the court. It’s impossible to underestimate the impact a lineup of SGA-Barnes-Lu Dort would have with its length and athleticism all over the court.
An easy comparison for Barnes is Draymond Green, which seems to be attainable. But I also envision a little Scottie Pippen in his game. I suppose any player that has point-forward ability will always be linked to Pippen in my eyes, regardless of the expectations it brings.
Shai is a willing and capable defender, but with Barnes and Dort on the floor, he’d be free to roam, use his length to disrupt passing lanes, and cause chaos on the defensive end. Barnes’ weakness is well-documented. Specifically, will he be able to shoot effectively enough to force defenders to guard him?
Even though he shot the ball well in his pro day, there’s no guarantee that will translate to the NBA. But I’m confident the OKC Thunder development program can get the most out of Barnes.
Remember, Dort was seen as a defense-only player that didn’t need to be guarded. That was until he made the jump in a mere year. Dort improved his 29.7 percent shooting on 2.8 attempts from 3-point distance as a rookie in 2019-20 to launching 6.3 attempts from beyond the arc knocking down a respectable 34.3 percent in his sophomore pro season.
If Barnes can be just a league-average shooter from deep, he’d be a rock-solid cornerstone figure around the Canadian point guard.
Barnes was seen as the Athletic’s John Hollinger’s third-best prospect even prior to the lottery and is still in that spot in his latest rankings.
Likelihood OKC Thunder draft prospect:
It depends on how much the Thunder fall in love with Barnes. Despite the chatter, I firmly believe Toronto takes Jalen Suggs at four, which would push Barnes to Orlando in the fifth spot.
The Thunder could theoretically swap spots with Orlando if they wanted him bad enough. I’m just not sure OKC values Barnes enough over the next prospect to give up what’s necessary to be in a position to draft him.