Thunder Draft: Azuolas Tubelis Size and Skillset Would Mesh With Oklahoma City's Style
Oklahoma City, despite trading away one of its second-round picks to the Denver Nuggets this week, will still have no shortage of opportunities to provide added depth to the roster. With the No. 50 pick, the Thunder will have an array of options of players who were dynamic in college, but may be older or flew under the radar during their careers. One position OKC could be looking to add depth is the forward spot, notably the four.
Azuolas Tubelis could be one of the many options for the Thunder in the late second round, who excelled in his three seasons at Arizona. The 6-foot-11 forward from Lithuania played in nearly 100 career games and has the skillset to be a valuable bench piece to a team at the next level. His length added to his 245-pound frame makes him a beast at the rim, especially offensively. While he does a lot of his scoring in the paint, his skillset is more like a wing than an interior player.
He has the ability to handle the ball on the dribble, pass and make plays at all levels. This season, Tubelis had his best year yet averaging 19.8 points, 9.1 rebounds and two assists per game. The forward also posted an eye-opening 57% mark from the field this year. He would fit the Thunder’s offensive style with his ability to run in transition and even start fast breaks off the glass. Given OKC prefers a faster style of play and getting plenty of scoring opportunities, Tubelis could provide a quick big man to help give the Thunder those extra possessions when on the floor.
Tubelis was impressive on the offensive end for the Wildcats, showing a variety of ways to score inside. He provides a mismatch for smaller forwards while also being able to guard the bigger forwards, and uses his quickness to beat both.
The Thunder have continued to search for forwards to add length off the bench as the biggest hole in the team has been the length and size off of the bench. As the draft draws closer, the prospects continue to try and impress teams hoping for a shot at the next level.
Want to join the discussion? Like Inside the Thunder on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest Thunder news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.
