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What Will the Thunder do with their top pick?

June 26th, 2012 8:33 PM
  • What-Will-the-Thunder-do-with-their-top-pick

  • Starting with Kevin Durant in 2007, the Oklahoma City Thunder have had incredible success in the NBA draft. The core of this year’s second place team included Durant, Russell Westbrook, Serge Ibaka, and James Harden, all top picks in recent drafts. Now for the second straight season, Oklahoma City will not have a selection in the top 20. With the 28th overall pick, can the Thunder still manage to grab a top player? Here are some possible targets:

    Andrew Nicholson

    The 6-9 power forward from St. Bonaventure is an efficient scorer who has never shot below 56.4 percent from the field. He uses his 7-foot-4 wingspan defensively, averaging 2 blocks per game. The best part about him: he started playing basketball late in high school, suggesting that he has plenty of room to develop. His only weaknesses are strength and passing. In four college seasons, Nicholson registered just 89 assists but nearly 300 turnovers.

    Draymond Green

    Another power forward, the 6-7 Michigan State prospect is an all-around player. In his most recent season, Green averaged 16.2 points, 10.6 rebounds, 4 assists, 1.5 steals and 1 block per game. He plays with a lot of energy and has a high basketball IQ. He is very unselfish and could work extremely well with the young Thunder team. One thing Green needs to work on is his body. His 11.3 percent body fat was among the highest in the draft.

    Tony Wroten

    6-6 point guard, Tony Wroten is also a very versatile player. He averaged 16 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals per game. At 19, he has incredible court vision and is a good rebounder for his position. To excel in the NBA, Wroten must improve his shooting and make better decisions.

    Doron Lamb

    The 6-5 shooting guard from Kentucky is a pure shooter. Last season he shot 46.6 percent from 3-point range and in both years at Kentucky shot 47 percent from the field. Despite his shooting ability, he doesn’t create much offense for himself. He also lacks good ball handling and strength, both of which will definitely be exploited in the NBA.

    Jeff Taylor

    6-7 small forward, Jeff Taylor, is a player with a lot of potential. He boasts a 40-inch vertical and has a nice ability to attack the rim. Taylor’s 16 points per game in 2012 were aided by his 42.3 percent perimeter shooting, another huge plus. The biggest problem with Taylor is his inconsistency. Many question his effort level, and the fact that he’s already 23 suggests he has little room for improvement.

    Oklahoma City could also potentially get a steal in Jared Sullinger. Due to back issues, the All-American power forward has been flagged by many teams and is no longer projected to go top 15. If he makes it down to the 28, Sullinger could be huge for the Thunder. Without a top draft pick, it will be interesting to see if Oklahoma City can still manage to get a top player.

    Tim Moczula

    For the second straight season, the Thunder will not have a selection in the top 20 picks of the NBA Draft, forget about the first 14. Oklahoma City is slated to select 28th overall in Thursday night’s draft. Read more on NewsOK.com

    Read the original post from newsok.com

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