Grading OKC Thunder’s Positional Strength Heading Into NBA Draft: Frontcourt Edition
With the 2023 NBA Draft approaching next Thursday, the Oklahoma City Thunder’s roster and its trajectory is going to look a little bit different next week as they are expected to add a new prospect with their No. 12 and No. 50 pick.
But who might they take? What kind of player might they target?
Well, something to consider when trying to answer that question is how good or stable the Thunder are, or think they are, at each position. As we’ve seen in the past, positional strength can certainly influence which prospect a team might be interested in.
Here’s a snapshot of the Thunder’s frontcourt heading into the draft:
With Chet Holmgren — last year’s number two overall pick in the draft — set to return next season from a Lisfranc injury, head coach Mark Daigneault will surely rejoice as the seven-footer promises to infuse the Thunder’s frontcourt with both rim protection and offensive capabilities. It’s unclear whether or not he will primarily be used in the four or five position, but regardless, Holmgren represents a clear upgrade to a team that struggled to protect the paint, rebound, and contend with more physically imposing centers.
Beyond Holmgren lies a couple of players who are more questionable going forward but could hold real upside long-term in Jaylin Williams and Aleksej Pokusevski.
Williams impressed with his quick-hitting passes and stretch capabilities but brought forth real defensive concerns due to his stature and mediocre athletic ability. And Pokusevski, who is extension eligible, recently fractured his arm did an admirable job filling in as a funky stretch-slash-connector center due to his intersection of defense, passing, and shooting last season but might be better off playing next to a center long-term instead of being one.
And then there is Jeremiah Robinson-Earl who, after impressing in his first couple of seasons, seems easily expendable due to Kenrich Williams’ contract extension and the additions of Jalen Williams and Ousmane Dieng, both bigger wings who project to be able to defend the four long-term. It also doesn't help that a bad ankle injury forced the third-year forward out of Villanova to miss 28 games last season and couldn’t re-establish himself on the court.
Grade: C+
Overall, the Thunder’s center position is ripe with question marks right now. Holmgren is certainly promising and there’s a lot of optimism surrounding his recovery and what he can do in his rookie season but there are also concerns about throwing him into the five spot so soon after overcoming such an injury, leaving the strength of the center position in doubt.
As for what the Thunder’s four-spot might look like next season, there’s a lot of blooming talent that could fill the shoes long-term, but no definitive answer as of yet. It could be Holmgren, or it could be Dieng, but whatever the case, there certainly seems to be less to worry about at this position.
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