Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports
With the arrival of new head coach Billy Donovan finally in the books for the Oklahoma City Thunder, attention must now shift to the upcoming 2015 NBA Draft. The draft lottery hasn’t even happened yet, but knowing who’s the most NBA-ready guard is extremely important to OKC.
One of the few positives that came from the team’s disappointing 2014-15 season is that GM Sam Presti, and now by default coach Donovan, will very likely be selecting in the middle of the draft in June. Chances are any pick 14-19 will become an OKC selection, and Presti has to love that. Last time they had a middle selection in the draft was all the way back in 2010, and they chose Eric Bledsoe from the Kentucky Wildcats with the eighteenth overall pick. They ended up parting ways very early, but the talent was definitely there.
The most glaring need for the club is a wing player by far, and when it comes to OKC’s best bet, it has to be to add another player by drafting. Some free agents may look promising, but unless they unload a sizable contract, OKC’s hands will be tied. Best sign a rookie.
There are two major types of rookies during the draft process. The first one is a project. He has all the tools, but he is still very raw. Usually, it takes several years to fully develop this player.The second type however, which is what this team needs to focus on, is NBA-ready. He has all the tools too, and is ready to make an impact now. OKC needs to find the latter, but more specifically needs to find a player who plays on the wing (shooting guard). Defensive attributes, including length and athleticism, would be ideal.
Samuel Martell is Oklahoma’s City beat writer at www.RantSports.com. To stay connected, ‘follow’ him on Twitter, ‘add’ him on Facebook, or ‘add’ him to your network on Google.
