Stiles Points: OKC Thunder Should Look For Experience in 2024 NBA Draft

The Oklahoma City Thunder should look for experienced prospects with the No. 12 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.

May 14, 2024; Chicago, IL, USA; Adam Bona (90) and Urich Chomche (62) go for a jump ball during the 2024 NBA Draft Combine at Wintrust Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports / David Banks-USA TODAY Sports

While Major League Baseball has embraced a home run or bust philosophy, the Oklahoma City Thunder should be comfortable shooting a double into the gap in the 2024 NBA Draft. Gaining the No. 12 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft thanks to the Russell Westbrook-Chris Paul swap, the Thunder will look to bolster their 57-win ball club.

Despite a pair of rookies - Cason Wallace and Chet Holmgren - making some of the biggest contributions to the Thunder this season, that is still an anomaly, a run Oklahoma City has enjoyed in back-to-back seasons as first-year Jalen Williams made his impact felt during the Thunder's first win-total jump in the 2022-23 season.

No matter who is on the draft card come June 26, that rookie should not be expected to get the Thunder over the hump after falling in the second round of the NBA Playoffs to the Dallas Mavericks. So in a low-stakes environment, you can make the argument to swing for a high-ceiling low-floor player.

However, Oklahoma City should dip back into the well of a more experienced player which worked so well with Williams in the same spot of the 2022 NBA Draft. The Thunder have hit their home runs with Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams, you can even give them a trot around the bases for getting in on star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander early in the trade market as he transforms into an MVP-caliber player. Now, it is time to start a preverbal rotation-player rally.

It is important to note, that looking to "play it safe," doesn't completely shut down your chances at a high-end outcome (see: the Santa Clara product), but Oklahoma City is also at a point in its rebuild where it is becoming less and less important to take a prospect two years away from being two years away in the hopes of them becoming stars.

Oklahoma City has walked this tight-rope perfectly to this point of their second rebuild, playing the balancing act in the 2022 NBA Draft to land a slam dunk in Holmgren, a high-upside project in Ousmane Dieng, a flourishing multi-year college riser from Santa Clara and a safe rotational big in Jaylin Williams.

In the 2024 NBA Draft, the consensus is that of a weak class, one devoid of star power and chock-full of potential role players. Getting a sure-fire contributor is not the worst thing in the world for a franchise that is running out of developmental reps at the varsity level.

Take Wallace for example, if the Thunder were anything short of the No. 1 seed in the West, knowing Mark Daigneault's philosophy, Oklahoma City would have experimented with his on-ball potential a lot more. However, the Thunder had to utilize him in a role that he could for sure thrive in and help the team compile win, not looking to potentially deter that for development - rightfully so.

So now, the Kentucky product will have to spend an offseason refining that as he was too valuable as a contributor to spend time with the Blue a season ago. While it is unlikely the No. 12 pick in this class wouldn't stand a few lessons with Kameron Woods down in the G League, it just goes to show the state of the Thunder right now.

The No. 12 pick in this class will not plug all the holes for Oklahoma City, and it is a bad year to be in the top five searching for a franchise pillar, but things set up perfectly for the Thunder to nab a boost to their rotation in this slot.

While Cody Williams and Tidjane Salaun will present some of the most intrigue - and rightfully so, the Thunder have the luxury of aggression in this draft - the attention might quickly shift to a player such as Devin Carter, Tristan Da Silva, Jared McCain, or even Dalton Knecht.

Knecht is not a "Thunder-y" prospect but would provide a scoring punch off the bench that Oklahoma City desperately needs. The Tennessee Volunteer is ready to come in and perform right away, though it seems unlikely he would slide to No. 12 even if the Thunder are willing to break their traditional mold.

McCain is just a freshman, but at 20 years old his game is wise beyond his years. The Duke product would give OKC a scoring punch off the dribble and take some pressure off of Williams and Gilgeous-Alexander. His versatility offensively makes him a perfect fit with the Thunder, while his defense is at a passable level when surrounded by the talent on Oklahoma City's roster.

Carter is an overall D-A-W-G, who is consistently out-working, out-classing and out-producing the players he shares the floor with. With the motor of the energizer bunny, even when shots aren't falling he finds a way to impact the game.

Da Silva has been playing basketball since the Polk administration and it is a now-or-never aspect for the 23-year-old. The NBA game can naturally boost his numbers but there are few underdeveloped points of the Colorado product's game. He will be ready to hit the ground running as a rookie providing play-finishing and defense to complement a quality core.

Oklahoma City has a sound argument in going either direction - swinging for the fences, or searching to get on base - but a more experienced prospect could suit them best in this draft as many present the best of both worlds for Presti and company.

Stiles Points

• As many get swept up in the Dallas Mavericks postseason run, it is important to keep their Draft night trade in perspective. It was certainly a win-win for both sides even as the Mavericks enjoy Dereck Lively's fingerprints all over their Western Conference Finals run two victories away from the Finals.
• As an NBA Society, everyone has to stop penalizing a player for the take of a few desperate creators. No one logically thought Anthony Edwards - for as great as he has played - was the next Michael Jordan. After a dud in Game 2, to rain that insult down on the Wolves star is more than a bit unfair.
• What's the deal with the Pacers huh? More meltdowns than Frosty the Snowman's Summer trip to Medicine Park.

Song of the Day: The Safety Dance by Men Without Hats.

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