Patrick Baldwin Jr. Worth Late Risk for OKC

The Thunder will have multiple picks near the end of the first round, and an arsenal of draft capital to move up if need be.

One of those picks could be used to address a need for Oklahoma City in floor spacing and perimeter shooting. While his lone college season didn’t showcase it much, Patrick Baldwin Jr. is viewed as one of the top shooting prospects in the draft.

Footage from Patrick Baldwin Jr's Pro Day at the NBA Combine. Hard to find many 6'10+ guys with this type of shooting stroke, 7'2 wingspan and 9'2 1/2 standing reach at 19-years old. pic.twitter.com/bEQovCQgOM
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) May 21, 2022

Baldwin decided to play for his dad at Milwaukee, and only made it 11 games before his season was cut short. In those 11 games, he struggled to find any rhythm as the team’s primary scoring option, shooting just 34.4% from the floor and 26.6% from 3-point range.

The potential is what NBA teams are banking on as a first round pick, though, as the talented forward was a consensus 5-star recruit. The NBA is dominated by forwards, and at 6-foot-10, Baldwin is certainly an intriguing prospect. He was widely regarded as one of the top recruits in his class, averaging 17.9 points and 11.6 rebounds per game for Team USA in the U19 World Cup.

He also made a name for himself in AAU hoops, where he poured in 26.1 points per game on the EYBL circuit. Baldwin has a quick release and will let it fly every chance he gets from deep.

Recent sharp-shooting forwards, like Michael Porter Jr., have had success in the NBA over the past few seasons. Banking on Baldwin’s potential could prove to pay off for the Thunder, who could really use a perimeter scoring threat.

6-foot-10 Patrick Baldwin Jr. showing his ability to create and make a tough iso stepback 3 vs Colorado. pic.twitter.com/CQrAEmAvbT
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) December 11, 2021

His smooth shooting mechanics and effortless shot are reasons to bet on his growth at the next level. It’s hard to overlook the poor shooting splits, but the late-round value could be too hard to pass up, especially for a team with time to develop players like Oklahoma City.

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