With the 12th Pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, the OKC Thunder select…

With the 12th Pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, the OKC Thunder select…

as a thunder fan I’ve made my own OKC Thunder Big Board videos prior to the NBA draft the past couple years and if you happen to be following the channel for quite a while now you know that I actually had KAS Wallace on top of my thunder draft board last year and it just felt really nice that I actually landed with OKC on draft night well this year’s draft might be a little different though with the consensus that this 2024 NBA draft class has relatively weaker prospects compared to the past couple years but just as Sam pry said in his recent press conference this draft class is actually good for contending teams which I definitely agree on because although it might lack consensus players with Superstar type ceilings I think this draft class is actually filled with NBA ready prospects who project to be high level role players who could contribute to winning teams like the thunder right off the bat well sure with all the assets they have the Thunder could trade up on draft night just like they did last year to potentially Target a theoretically higher upside player but in this video with the assumption that OKC tast SP and draft KN I’ll talk about three prospects who I think could be available within OKC’s draft range at number 12 who I think could fit well within the Thunder’s existing core and who I think could help push the team closer to becoming a championship level team as soon as next season so let’s get to [Music] it the first prospect on my thunder draft board is 6’9 Colorado forward Tristan the Silva while the German Prospect might be considered a reach at number 12 especially considering his an older Prospect effect at 23 years old who also played four years in college but what I really like about the Silva is that despite him increasing his usage and shot volume each year his efficiency has never really suffered and he just really played solid two-way basketball in this past season as a senior the Silva averaged a well-rounded 16 points five rebounds two and a half assists and 1.8 Steals and blocks combined per game all while shooting a highly efficient 56% from two-point range 40% from deep and 84% from the free throw line stand in 6’9 with a 6’10 wingspan I think the Silva will be a seamless fit in OKC as a Do-it all type of big Wing coming off the bench first of all one of the biggest selling points of the silvas game is his defensive impact well for sure OKC already has a ton of lengthy and switchable Wing Defenders like Lou Dort Cas Wallace Jay dub Aaron Wiggins Usman Jang and now even Alex Caruso but outside of Jang all of those guys are within the 6’4 to 6’6 range so I think adding a legitimate 6’9 forward in the Silva to their rotation to potentially guard bigger forwards could really be helpful in terms of giving the team more flexibility on the defensive end without actually giving up size as the Silva enters the NBA already a fundamentally sound Defender who can act as a reliable weak side helper on the paint but also has the mobility to switch on the perimeter while being capable of guarding positions one to four the Silva doesn’t necessarily generate a ton of blocks and steals but what I love about his defense is that he seems to have really great footwork that enables him to stay attached to ball handlers plus it also seems like is always making the right kinds of rotations on the floor in this possession you can see the Silva starting off by roaming the paint and acting as a potential weak side Helper but as the kick out pass is made to the top of the key you can see how the Silva anticipates the next pass and how he quickly makes the close out to the corners then you can just see how he’s able to stay balanced and how he’s able to absorb contact from his man on the way to the post before using his length and verticality to force the Miss without even fouling then in this play you can see the silver defending a guard from the point of attack the ball handler rejects the screen to get one step ahead on the drive but just watch the Silva match him stride for stride before catching him with the semi- chased down block right at the rim with how solid he already is in that end of the floor I can see the Silva easily being a tailor made fit with OKC switch everything type of Defense although the good thing is his impact also extends on the offensive end right off the bat in OKC the Silva should be able to slot in as a play finisher whether it be as a cutter around the basket or as a spot-up shooter from deep but it’s definitely his outside shooting abilities that really stands out as this past college basketball season the Silva ranked in the 94th percentile in terms of scoring off the catch all while shooting 40% from three on a solid volume of five attempts per game plus with him being an outside shooting threat when Defenders are forced to close out in him the Silva is also capable of taking advantage with his ability to put the ball on the floor to create his own shot whether it be at The Rim or from the mid-range in fact he ranked in the 78th per in terms of points produced per possession at the rim and in the 61st percentile in terms of points produced per possession out of mid-range jumpers last season well sure the Silva handle still isn’t crafty enough for him to be called a reliable on ball Creator from day one in the NBA but I think he’s still a solid unball decision maker especially when you factor in his passing ability at 6’9 in this clip the Silva acts as the pick and roll ball handler he uses the screen and as soon as he gets the switch watch him use that Narrow Lane to make the precise one hand bounce past to his big man then here you can see the Silva coming out of a side ball screen action and from here he proceeds to operate off the pick and roll but instead of making a pass to his role man on the crowded block the Silva actually sees his teammate on the weak side and again he uses the tight passing Lane and successfully makes the bounce pass to the cutter well he wouldn’t be asked to make frequent plays on the ball in OKC but overall with his passing vision and quick decision making I could definitely see the Silva getting some secondary on ball reps with the team especially with OKC system which requires generating playmaking from every position while it sounds cliche but Tristan D Silva definitely plays solid basketball in both ends and I think his Stellar defense off Ball scoring versatility passing ability and high field for the game should make him a solid addition to OKC’s second unit and speaking of the second unit the next prospect on my list who I think could also be an immediate impact piece coming off the bench for OKC is 6′ 10 dayon big man donon Holmes who this past college season average 20 points and 8 and 1 half rebounds per game as his team’s go-to scoring option Holmes is also an older Prospect who played three years in college whose size rebounding athleticism and two-way versatility should immediately be valuable for the Thunder well for a guy who stands 6′ 10 Holmes is a little bit thin with his listed weight of 220 lbs but I think that lower weight definitely plays in his standout athleticism which you can see with just how well coordinated he is when he moves on the floor and what’s even crazier is that he also pair his athleticism with a soft touch around the basket on the offensive end you can dump the ball to him in the post and Holmes can easily generate shots with his deep bag of moves in the paint which includes drop steps and soft hooks overall homes average a total of six post touches per game last season and he ranked in the 83rd percentile of college basketball in terms of points produced per postup possession having that kind of postup big should give OKC a different Dynamic to their offense but also his athleticism and skill becomes even more apparent when he has the ball in the perimeter because from there Holmes has enough juice to beat his man off the dribble and to get to the rim where is also capable of finishing through contact in this Play Holes starts by setting a ball screen and as he pops out to the three-point line watch him take advantage of the close out by driving into the paint he gets caught off but his morle takes his bigger Defender into the post where he uses a quick Baseline spin to finish right at The Rim this time Holmes receives the ball in the corner where he actually uses a simple jab step and shot fake combo to create separation from his Defender is met by a weak side helper in the paint but Holmes contorts his body and uses his nice touch to finish even against contact although in OKC Holmes would definitely have to function more as a ball screener for the thundershot creators and the good thing is in college Holmes has been very functional as a screener after setting a screen he can either roll to the rim or slip out of his Defender but most importantly he’s very comfortable popping out to the three-point line well to be fair Holmes only took 83 attempts from Deep this past season but one of his best shots was his pick and pop three-pointer he has a consistent quick release and fluid mechanics from Deep which has produced a highly efficient 38.6% mark from three is someone who will immediately complement OKC’s 5 out system similar to what Jay will does in the offensive end as a screener and as a catch and shoot guy although I think Holmes Edge can actually be seen on the defensive end as he’s a bit more bouncy and more athletic than Jay will first off Holmes is a strong rebounder who has a quick second jump and who just has a great competitive nose for the ball again he averaged 8 and a half rebounds this past season has also grabbed at least one and a half offensive rebounds per game in each of his three years in college and this past year he actually registered a 23.7 defensive rebounding percentage which is even a little bit higher than that of projected Lottery Big Man Donovan kingan plus another area holes Exel at is with his shot blocking while I don’t see him as a defensive anchor in the mold of Chad hongren but Holmes has always been a tremendous shot blocker and his block percentages in each of his three years in college were always above average for a center and his 7ot wingspan and excellent timing combined with his ability to move his feet well both from the paint and the perimeter should serve him well at the NBA level so I think OKC could rely on him to act as a paint presence who can defend both traditional drop coverages and soft switches especially when Chad hren is on the bench overall the two-way skills that donon Holmes has I think should make him a solid pick here for the Thunder if is available at number 12 but moving on the last guy on my list is more of a sleeper pick I would say but I actually think he might be one of the most underrated prospects from this draft class who I believe is Lottery type talent and I’m talking about 6’8 Australian Wing Johnny Fury from Kansas well as a freshman who played less than 14 minutes per game during the first half of the season it’s not surprising that Fury’s numbers aren’t so ey popping at just nine points five rebounds and one assist per game for the entire season but as he became a solder during his team’s last 19 games Fury’s two-way versatility and high feel for the games especially for a wing player like him really started to become apparent well first of all the main appeal of Fury’s game can be seen with his off ball shooting especially when you combine that with a 6’8 frame well I don’t think he’s a traditional movement shooter in the mold of Isaiah Joe but I think Fury has some of the best spatial and floor awareness from this draft class he constantly relocating to open spots to get looks from deep and from there he uses his fluid stroke and high release to drain shots at a really high level overall this past college basketball season for ranked in the 97th percentile in terms of points produced out of jumpers and in the 94th percentile in terms of points produced out of spot up three pointers well sure he only shot 35% from Deep which might not seem over the top but I think this is still actually a solid percentage for a freshman especially considering he attempted three-pointers at a high volume of 125 attempts which is basically triple that of Cody Williams attempts and basically four times the amount taken by matus bazis both of whom are big wings who are considered Lottery prospects in this year’s draft in addition Fury’s floor awareness also comes in display with how he’s able to find open lanes when he’s C to the basket and with how is able to run and become an outlet in transition but what I really like about Fury is that he also combines his awareness with superb timing which allowed him to grab 1.3 offensive rebounds per game and when he pairs his effort on that end with his floor spacing ability he was able to generate some beautiful possessions for Kansas just like in this play you can initially see Fury standing on weak side but as his teammate launches a three-pointer watch Fury run into the paint as he out hustles two opponents to get the offensive board he sends the ball out for a possession reset before quickly positioning himself on the corner as he calls for the ball and hits the wide openen three-pointer then here you can see Fury standing on the corners and as Dickinson shoots the three again Fury outworks his man to crash the boards before wisely giving the ball up to dwan Harris and with the corner Defender paying attention to Harris Fury makes a subtle relocation to the side and he now has more than enough enough daylight to beat the late close out as he makes the open three-pointer well I definitely Envision Fury’s Lor spacing ability and effort being a great fit in OKC’s movement heavy offense but obviously in the NBA Fury will have to be more than just an off ball player the thing is in college with Kansas having a ton of on ball initiators Fury wasn’t really asked to generate offense for himself well to be fair Fury isn’t very Shifty with a ball and is not necessarily an explosive off the bounce athlete but I think the good thing is despite the limited S size of just 12 shot attempts he took in isolation Fury has still displayed solid straight line driving ability while being capable of finishing at The Rim using either hand and has also shown flashes of clean dribble to shot transfer mechanics when pulling up from the mid-range early on he wouldn’t be asked to do a lot on ball in OKC anyway and with a ton of initiators on the team Fury can simply take his time developing as a shot Creator while still thriving as a spot-up shooter as a cutter or as an outlet in transition although on the defense end I think Fury’s impact can actually be apparent early on in college he produced a 1.8 steel rate a. n block rate and a 1.8 defensive Bock plus minus rating which according to college basketball stats database are very similar to Trey Murphy’s numbers during his pre-draft season well we’re not sure if he’s going to be as good as Trey Murphy defensively in the NBA because he’s not as much of an Above the Rim Defender but Fury actually has solid fundamentals on defense and just like on the offensive end he’s also constantly moving as a a Defender he’s got great disruptive instincts and together with his 6’8 and half wingspan he’s able to jump off passing Lanes to get Steals and is also very Adept at defending on the ball even against smaller and quicker players in space at the very least he should be a capable Team Defender in OKC with the potential to be a constantly switchable forward who could defend both small guards in bigger Wings once he fills out his frame so overall drafting a 6’8 guy like Johnny Fury who at 19 years old can already step into the NBA as a high level floor spacer but who also brings size defense rebounding and a ton of effort I think wouldn’t be a bad move for OKC at all so thank you guys if you’ve actually made it this far into the video but who do you actually want the OKC Thunder to select on draft night feel free to drop your thoughts in the comment section below and again if you’re new to the Channel please consider subscribing as well again this has been R balls and I’ll see you on the next one peace

#NBA #OklahomaCityThunder #NBADraft

The OKC Thunder just acquired Alex Caruso from the Chicago Bulls in exchange for Josh Giddey. Thunder GM Sam Presti has just kickstarted the NBA offseason with a trade but the NBA draft is near and OKC will have another chance to add another lottery talent to their young roster. The Thunder are now considered to be contenders and are near the top of the odds to win the NBA title next season especially after the Alex Caruso and Josh Giddey trade. OKC were already the top seed in the Western Conference last season but who could they still add this offseason to strengthen their chances to win a championship?

For the Thunder, the 2024 NBA draft will be another catalyst for roster building. The Thunder own the 12th pick in the draft and they have the chance to add to their young core of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren, Jalen Williams, Lu Dort, and Cason Wallace. With all the future draft assets they still have, who knows what OKC will do on draft night? They can trade some of their picks to move up in the draft or they can use those to acquire superstar talent in the trade market. The Thunder can go after players like Lauri Markkanen, Mikal Bridges, or Isaiah Hartenstein.

The 2024 NBA Draft is considered a weak draft but within the Thunder’s draft range, they have a chance to land high-level role players like Tristan Da Silva, Daron Holmes, or Johnny Furphy. They can also trade up and swing for high-ceiling guys like Cody Williams, Tidjane Salaun, Matas Buzelis, Ron Holland, or maybe they can trade into the top 5 to maybe select someone like Donovan Clingan, Zaccharie Risacher, Alex Sarr, Stephon Castle, Reed Sheppard, or Nikola Topic. But who will the OKC Thunder draft?

For similar content, please search for:
NBA news, OKC Thunder, Josh Giddey Alex Caruso trade, NBA draft, NBA mock draft, Sam Presti, Alex Caruso traded to Okc Thunder, Josh Giddey Chicago Bulls, Victor Wembanyama highlights, Donovan Clingan, Alex Sarr, Zaccharie Risacher, Rob Dillingham, Stephon Castle, Ron Holland, Tidjane Salaun, Reed Sheppard, Dalton Knecht, Coy Williams, Matas Buzelis, NBA trades

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