Jaime Jaquez Jr. Provides a Viable Second Round Option for Thunder

The Oklahoma City Thunder finished the draft lottery with picks no. 12, 37 and 50. This matters for the lottery because the San Antonio Spurs finishing ahead of the Houston Rockets in the draft lottery conveyed pick no. 50 instead of pick no. 35 to the Thunder.

As we’ve seen in years past, the Thunder have been able to find some sleeper talents in the second round. Jaylin Williams, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl and Aaron Wiggins are the few recent talents taken by the Thunder in the second round.

Now, they’ve got a chance to do it all again as they’ve got two second round picks. Jaime Jaquez Jr. fits the mold of what the Thunder could use in the second round, and gives them the opportunity to plug in his play early in his career with use.

One of the biggest red flags with Jaquez as a prospect could easily be his age. The 22-year-old is an incredibly unique player, though.

His offensive game can easily be compared to an old person, as he uses his own crafty moves to get to his spots, often in the midrange. That’s not all he has to his offensive game, though. He’s got a solid stroke that leads me to believe he can become a solid outside shooter in the NBA.

With the no. 37 pick, if Jaquez is available, he would be a great value pick to come in and make an instant impact to an up-and-coming team. Considering the position of the team, with the Thunder moving more and more towards competing, a 22-year-old draft pick may be better than a super young project, as the Thunder already have a couple developing pieces.
When Mikal Bridges was drafted to Phoenix, albeit a higher pick (assuming Jaquez lands in the late first to second round), he was an instant impact player that helped the Suns turn the corner as a franchise.

With the Thunder, Jaquez could essentially be a swiss army knife player, which would be a great role for a second round pick that plays with grit and determination, doing whatever it takes to make winning plays.

At 6-foot-7, 225 pounds, the forward is a solid body to come in off the bench and play a swiss army knife role, playing within the Thunder’s unique system. Also, Jaquez has great feel for the game and is a capable passer, which further complements the Thunder’s positionless, anybody can handle the ball style.

In the instance that the Thunder would pick Jaquez, it would likely benefit Jaquez more, as the Thunder’s system would highlight his talents and allow him to succeed and make an impact early in his career, even if for limited minutes. He’s worth taking a shot at in the second round, and he could always take time with the Oklahoma City Blue, as he would help develop the other Thunder prospects.

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