WRG Mock Draft #25: Oklahoma City Thunder

We addressed our inside needs already with Hasheem Thabeet.

We still have one other major need. Someone who can shoot and spread the ball from the shooting guard position. We want someone who can spread the ball and stroke it from downtown, while being unselfish enough to play within our system. This shooter can open up the floor for Kevin Durant, as well as Russell Westbrook's driving skills. Thabo Sefolosha is defensively minded, and Desmond Mason is a free agent, so this need is fairly obvious and simple.

With the 25th pick, the Oklahoma City Thunder select:

Hands off! Only I can stroke it!

Wayne Ellington, SG, UNC

This pick was very easy for us. He's arguably one of the best shooters in the draft (after Stephen Curry, maybe) and played on a championship team, where he didn't let his ego get the best of him and played within the team concept. We like this and know that Wayne can open up the floor for our other scorers, while not complaining about touches.

The Bulls are on the clock.

WRG Mock Draft: #3, Oklahoma City Thunder

With the Grizzlies taking Harden, the Thunder are very disappointed that they couldn't get the player they were targeting. Drafting a PG who struggles with his outside shot was SO last year with Russell Westbrook, so I wouldn't draft Ricky Rubio.

The Thunder could use a 2 guard, or some help on the front line, especially at the center position, especially after their trade for Tyson Chandler fell through. With no real shot blocking threats down low, a defensive shot blocking center is a huge need, especially next to an undersized Jeff Green.

If Harden is off the board, the Thunder select:


Hasheem Thabeet, C, UConn


Trotting out a lineup with the trio of Westbrook, Durant, and Green, scoring isn't an immediate need. Thabeet will man the center position and help be an eraser on the defensive end, which is something that the Thunder need. Nenad Krstic is the only other center on the roster, and he's more of a jumpshooting big man who doesn't like to get dirty inside, so Thabeet is the pick. He'll add a defensive presence down low and with the defenses constantly focusing on the perimeter scorers, it'll open up some easy dunks for him inside.

The Sacramento Kings are on the clock.

WRG Mock Draft: #2, Memphis Grizzlies

The Grizz got a little bit hosed by moving up in the lottery. They have to pay more for whoever they take, and there really isn't a great fit for them at the top of this draft.

As a matter of fact, what they really need is some steady veteran leadership to mix in with their extremely young and inconsistent core.

If I'm using the pick, however, I think the best things I could accomplish is to make the frontcourt tougher defensively or to take a complimentary guard to pair with our best player, OJ Mayo.

Since I would not spend a pick this high on Hasheem Thabeet (who I consider a mid-first round project), frontcourt toughness will have to be addressed another way.

That leaves me with a choice of guards to play with Mayo. Mayo can play off the ball, but he is a playmaker and we want him to be an offensive initiator. That eliminates all the guards who need the ball to be effective. Take those away, and you are effectively left with one choice this high in the draft.

The Grizzlies select James Harden.

He's not a perfect fit, and honestly he could be taken lower, but he has almost no bust potential and I feel very good about our guard rotation going forward. Now I can focus on the other huge holes in the team.

The Oklahoma City Thunder is on the clock.

The Center Spectrum

Hasheem Thabeet, University of Connecticut: 7 foot 3, 263 lbs. 13.6 ppg, 10.8 rpg, 4.2 bpg. 64% from the field, 62.7% from the line.

Luke Nevill, University of Utah: 7 foot 2, 265 lbs. 16.8 ppg, 9 rpg, 2.7 bpg. 60.7% from the field, 78.6% from the line.

Thabeet, co-Big East Player of the Year, is a work in progress on the offensive end, scoring single digit points in 30% of his teams games in 08-09, and is also a below average free throw shooter, but what he lacks in offense is more than made up for with his defense, evidenced by his National Defensive Player of the Year award. Thabeet had his share of big games, but also had a couple of games where his impact wasn't felt, due to foul trouble. Playing in a big conference on the East Coast on a Final Four team, everyone knows about the second team All-American.

Nevill, Mountain West Conference Player of the Year & honorable mention All-American, is a skilled offensive player. He has shown that you can run an offense through him, as the Runnnin' Utes' offense was run primarily inside-out, through the big Aussie. Showing a deft touch inside for a man of his size, and good passing skills, Nevill is not your typical lumbering big man, but rather a very skilled center. No slouch on the defensive end, Nevill was also named the Mountain West Conference Defensive Player of the Year. Nevill did not have much exposure this year, playing in the West, and in a non BCS conference, despite the MWC's ranking as the 7th best conference.

Hasheem Thabeet is currently projected to be a top 3 selection.

Luke Nevill is projected to be taken in the 2nd round to un-drafted.

Why?

Age is not a factor, as Thabeet is almost exactly one year younger. Aesthetic minutia isn't a factor, as Nevill looks like Gary Busey, and Thabeet looks as though he wears a diaper on the court. Thabeet is the superior defensive player, but Nevill is better on the offensive end.

You won't find anyone arguing that Nevill is a better prospect than Thabeet, but I find it hard to believe that the difference between these two gargantuans is in the 60 pick range.

Update: Accounts say that Mr. Nevill dominated BJ Mullens at the Minnesota workout.

Height, Length, Width

The annual list of pre-draft measurements were released this week, and of course there were numbers that came out that weren't expected. Some of the surprises were positive, and some were negative. Many prospects' stocks rose and dipped because of these measurements, which leads me to think, how much do these measurements really matter, and how much should they matter.

Power Forward DeJuan Blair measured just over 6-5 without shoes. This was a guy who we saw have a great year at Pittsburgh, but now that the news that he's only 6-5 come out, many people want to discount him. Others want to say, it's ok, because he has a wingspan of a player who is a few inches taller, or his standing reach is better than average.
This is the same 6 foot 5 inch DeJuan Blair who outmuscled and dominated the 7 foot 1 inch Hasheem Thabeet during a meeting between Pitt and UConn this year. Apparently his lack of height didn't hurt him in that game, but now that the news is out, I guess we should all expect DeJuan Blair to have no shot to compete in the NBA, since he's, you know, only 6 foot 5.

Blake Griffin is the conensus best player in the draft, and expected to go #1 overall, but he only has an average wingspan for his height. Surely that makes the Clippers feel less confident about selecting him with the #1 pick. Forget that he won 4 different national player of the year awards, he has average sized arms.

We also found out that Ty Lawson has alligator arms. While Lawson and Jonny Flynn are the same exact height, surely Flynn is the better prospect since he has a wingspan of over 3 inches more. Forget that Ty Lawson ran the best team in college basketball last year, and improved across the board from his sophomore to junior year. His tiny arms definitely are a hinderance to his pro career.

Speaking of wingspan, DeJuan Blair has a huge wingspan. So he's short, but has a wingspan of a player a half foot taller. Does his wingspan cancel out his lack of ideal height for the power forward spot? His wingspan is a positive, but his height is a negative, so I guess we're back to square one. Blair's wingspan is a half an inch bigger than Jordan Hill's wingspan, and Hill is 4 inches taller. What do you make of that? I don't know what to make of it, I'll tell you that much, but what I can make of all of this is that this list sends the masses of draftniks and fans into a frenzy about how players are rising and falling, based on black and white numbers, while their skill-sets and accomplishments throughout the season are momentarily forgotten.

Just ask Saer Sene. >>