NBA Mock Draft: OKC Thunder Select Former 5-star Recruit in Top 10
On Tuesday, Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman released a newly updated NBA Mock Draft.
The Oklahoma City Thunder are set to have three first-round picks in the 2024 draft, owning the Utah Jazz and Houston Rockets' selections.
In Wasserman's mock draft, the Rockets ended up at No. 9 overall, where the draft analyst slotted Duke big man Kyle Filipowski to OKC.
A versatile post player who has shown the ability to stretch the floor and make smart decisions as a passer, many Thunder observers believe that Filipowski's play style would fit well with Mark Daigneault's system in the Modern Frontier.
As a true sophomore, Filipowski is averaging 17.4 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.8 blocks and 1,1 steals per game while shooting 49.8% from the field and 34.5% from 3-point range.
Listed at 7-feet-tall and 248 pounds, Filipowski was a 5-star recruit coming out of high school, rated the No. 4 overall player in the 2022 recruiting class, according to 247Sports.
As a freshman at Duke, Filipowski was named ACC Rookie of the Year, First-Team All-ACC and ACC Tournament MVP.
With his size and versatility, the Blue Devils' standout would theoretically be the perfect fit next to Chet Holmgren or in OKC's second unit.
With the No. 12 overall pick, Wasserman slotted Baylor center Yves Missi to Oklahoma City.
Just 19-years-old, Missi is another physical center who could be a tone-setter for the Thunder. Listed at 7-feet-tall and 235 pounds, Missi is a true freshman who was born in Belgium but grew up in Cameroon.
Coming out of Prolific Prep (CA), Missi was rated a 4-star recruit and the No. 37 overall player in the country, according to 247Sports.
In his first collegiate season, the Bears' center is averaging 11 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game.
While Missi's size, rebounding and defensive skills seem like they could be enticing to Sam Presti and company, the athletic big man has not taken a 3-pointer in his Baylor career and doesn't seem to be much of a threat from the perimeter.
With Oklahoma City's own pick at No. 26, Wasserman slotted Miami wing Kyshawn George to the Thunder.
An intriguing freshman for the Hurricanes, George was just a 3-star recruit coming out of high school but has quickly put himself on the radar of NBA scouts with his size and feel for the game.
At 6-foot-8 and 205 pounds, George can play wing or lead guard.
Growing up, the Monthey, Switzerland, native played point guard before hitting a growth spurt. This is similar to other players Presti has taken a swing on in recent years like Ousmane Dieng, who played point guard at 6-foot-3 before growing into a 6-foot-10 frame.
In addition to his playmaking ability and positional size, George is also a solid perimeter shooter. in 23 games this season, the freshman is averaging 7.6 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game while shooting 41.5% from beyond the arc.
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