Thunder Draft: Jabari Smith Jr. is the Perfect Fit

The 2022 NBA Draft is top-heavy, with three bigs headlining the class. Between Duke’s Paolo Banchero, Gonzaga’s Chet Holmgren and Auburn’s Jabari Smith Jr., there’s certainly at least one superstar in the making.

The Oklahoma City Thunder currently have the fourth-best lottery odds, but could still have a chance at landing one of these three. Whether that’s lottery luck or one of these prospects falling outside of the top three, the Thunder would be lucky to have the chance at one of them.

If they were to have their pick of the trio, Smith would be the best fit. To be clear, all three would be great picks at landing another franchise cornerstone, but the Auburn forward is the perfect fit.

Standing at 6-foot-10, Smith is a dynamic forward that can do it all.

For starters, he’s a menace on the defensive end. He leverages his 7-foot-1 wingspan to stay active in passing lanes and is a great rim protector. On the season, he’s altered countless shots and passes to go along with 35 steals and 30 blocks.

At the next level, Smith has the chance to be an elite, versatile defender that can guard nearly any position. However, he could be just as special on offense.

Despite being nearly a 7-footer, Smith is smooth away from the basket. He’s got the ball handling skills of a guard and can also score from the perimeter. On the season, he’s knocked down 43.6% of his 5.3 attempts from deep per contest. He’s produced 17.1 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game thus far.

In the modern NBA, every great team has a highly productive wing. As of now, that’s a position Oklahoma City lacks. While the Thunder have a ton of promising guards, they don’t have an elite wing or forward prospect.

Not only does Smith check that box, but he also can help space the floor and defend. The Thunder have the league’s worst 3-point shooting and overall offense this season, which Smith would immediately make an impact on.

With the ability to play either forward position as well as small ball center, Smith is the most versatile big in this draft class and would be a great fit in OKC.

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