Under normal circumstances, by this point in the NBA season, we’d be watching the races for seeding play out and begin pondering what the conference finals and Finals would look like.
Instead, we’re wondering whether we’ll even have a conclusion to the 2019-20 season.
One thing that we can look forward to, however, is the NBA Draft. Although the traditional predraft activities including the NBA Combine won’t take place, we have every reason to believe that there will be a draft. The Oklahoma City Thunder, based on today’s standings, would be on the clock with the 25th pick and our friends over at the Rookie Wire just published a fresh mock draft that has Sam Presti and his staff nabbing 22-year-old wingman Tyler Bey from Colorado.
Bey, a junior forward standing at 6-foot-7, could provide some wing depth for Billy Donovan’s rotation. Here’s the goods from our Bryan Kalbrosky.
Colorado junior Tyler Bey averaged 13.8 points, 1.5 steals and 1.2 blocks per game this season. After winning Pac-12 Most Improved Player of the Year in 2019, he won Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year in 2020. He was pulling down 9.0 rebounds per game, too, far more than expected for a player his size. In fact, his defensive rebound percentage (27.7%) ranked fourth-best among all players 6-7 or shorter. Bey would be a solid option on the wing for Oklahoma City, potentially replacing Terrance Ferguson in the starting lineup at some point.
Although Oklahoma City was one of the biggest surprises this season, the team is widely expected to continue down the path of rebuilding. With a bevy of draft picks incoming over the next few years, Presti and his staff will likely stockpile players with upside and see where who rises from the roster to become a building block.
Bey could make sense on a number of levels.