NBA Draft: Bleacher Report’s Latest Mock Has Thunder Landing Explosive Forward
March Madness is here as well as the final stretch of the NBA season and mock draft season is upon us. Well, on Wednesday, Jonathan Wasserman, of Bleacher Report, shared his latest predictions on how he thinks the upcoming NBA Draft could unfold.
The top of Wasserman’s mock should come as no surprise as the consensus projected number one pick, Victor Wembanyama, was taken with the first pick. And of course Scoot Henderson would be scooped up with the second pick. But with the eighth pick, Wasserman thinks Villanova’s Cam Whitmore is long for the Oklahoma City Thunder, taking him over other notable prospects such as Ausar Thompson, Anthony Black, and Cason Wallace, just to name a few.
Whitmore, a big-bodied forward listed at 6-foot-7 and 232 pounds, missed approximately seven weeks of play due to a broken thumb that required surgery on his shooting hand but upon return was able to showcase what makes him such an intriguing and polarizing prospect: a unique combination of elite vertical — and horizontal — pop, great strength, and shooting upside coupled with incredible defensive potential and a blooming handle.
But Wasserman notes the potential downside in the athletic forward’s game, saying, “inconsistent shooting has affected Whitmore’s ability to score,” before warning that, “the only potential red flag to keep an eye on is [his] 0.7 assists per game, which is an awfully low number for a wing.” Indeed, Whitmore’s assist percentage of 4.9 across 24 games backs that up.
Even taking his poor passing metrics into account, it’s hard not to fall in love with Whitmore’s advantageous athleticism and on-court production as a whole.
Per 40 minutes, he is averaging 18.8 points and 7.8 rebounds while shooting 56.9% on two-pointers and 36.0% on more than six 3-point attempts. Defensively, he’s also posting a 3.1 steal percentage and a 1.7 block percentage – great numbers for a wing.
And those familiar with his game will remark about his jaw-dropping dunks, too. Go watch any of his highlights from any of his games and there is a 90% chance you will see Whitmore propelling his huge frame off the ground and into the air to throw down explosive, electrifying dunks.
Overall, Whitmore would be a fine selection with the eighth overall pick. At just 18 years old, he and the Thunder’s coaching staff would have plenty of time to figure out how to maximize his strengths to add to amplify an already tantalizing crop of talent in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Josh Giddey, Jalen Williams, and Chet Holmgren.
Want to join the discussion? Like SI 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.
