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What should you expect the OKC Thunder to do with the second overall pick?

By Rylan Stiles

Chet Holmgren #34 of the Gonzaga Bulldogs is introduced before a game against the Central Michigan Chippewas during the Good Sam Empire Classic basketball tournament at T-Mobile Arena on November 22, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Bulldogs defeated the Chippewas 107-54. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Chet Holmgren #34 of the Gonzaga Bulldogs is introduced before a game against the Central Michigan Chippewas during the Good Sam Empire Classic basketball tournament at T-Mobile Arena on November 22, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Bulldogs defeated the Chippewas 107-54. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /
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OKC Thunder
Paolo Banchero #5 of the Duke Blue Devils reacts in the first half of the game against the North Carolina Tar Heels in the first half of the game during the 2022 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament Final Four semifinal at Caesars Superdome on April 02, 2022, in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) /

The OKC Thunder pull off another zag and take Paolo Banchero who has by far had the least amount of pre-draft buzz around Bricktown

Hold on, before you Paolo Banchero fans freak out, I have the Duke product number two on my big board I would really like this pick for the Oklahoma City Thunder. The reason he finds himself as the third most likely option for OKC is simply that we have heard more smoke around even Jaden Ivey and the Thunder than Banchero.

Despite that Ivey smoke, I still think Paolo Banchero is a more likely outcome on draft night than the explosive Purdue guard. Banchero has the best body of any of the consensus top three, he just looks the part at 6’10, 250 pounds. Chris Vernon of the Mismatch podcast said he attended a workout with Banchero’s agent Mike Miller and Vernon reported Banchero is 6’11.5 now!

The Duke forward averaged 17-points, seven rebounds, three assists, a steal, and a block per game. Banchero shot just 33 percent from distance this season but hit 47 percent of his overall field goals.

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Banchero is an excellent interior scorer, ball handler, and playmaker for his size and some have tabbed him as the most likely to become a superstar in this draft class. While his defense is a huge concern, just watch the Blue Devils’ tournament run when the games mattered and he tried. If he was in an organization like Oklahoma City that holds players accountable on that end of the floor, his frame and athletic ability suggest he will progress nicely.

Besides his defense, his three-point shot needs to improve, but Paolo Banchero makes sense with the OKC Thunder core and has star potential.

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