In SI’s latest mock draft, the Oklahoma City Thunder took a center who could feasibly take Steven Adams’ role down the road.
In Jeremy Woo’s latest mock draft for Sports Illustrated, the Oklahoma City Thunder took a center that they would hope could take Steven Adams’ role down the road.
The Thunder selected University of Washington big Isaiah Stewart with the No. 25 pick.
This is the same pick they used in Woo’s first post-draft lottery mock, which was published in August.
In this October edition, Woo leads not with Stewart’s on-court game, but his intangibles and presence.
He writes:
“Teams are widely enamored with Stewart’s intangibles, and many view him as a positive culture piece, particularly for a younger team. He makes sense with the Thunder as an eventual replacement for Steven Adams’ minutes and as someone who can be relied upon to grow into a long-term leadership role.”
Stewart, listed at 6-foot-9 and 250 pounds, averaged 17.0 points and 8.8 rebounds while shooting 58% from the field as a freshman last season.
While he’s not as tall as many centers, his 7-foot-4 wingspan gives him an advantage down low.
“He’s more of a throwback big who would have excelled in the NBA a decade or so ago, but his length, toughness and commitment to his role help separate him from the other bigs in this range.”
With that said, Woo writes that Stewart has a chance to be a better shooter than he was at Washington, where he wasn’t given much time to play around the arc.
“He also has potential to shoot it, which would solidify his chance of maintaining long-term situational value.”
That potential is a callback to his high school days. As a senior, he led his team to a near-undefeated season and shot 42% from behind the 3-point line.
If Stewart can spread the court as well as use his wingspan down low and lead with the intangibles teams have come to expect, he can be a productive rotation piece.
With Nerlens Noel’s contract expiring and Steven Adams only having one year remaining on his deal, drafting a center does make sense.
Oklahoma City doubled down in Woo’s mock draft, also taking Ohio State big Kaleb Wesson with the No. 53 selection.
Wesson is listed at 6-foot-9 and 270 pounds.
He averaged 14 points, 9.3 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game. He also extended his range, shooting 42.5% on 3.4 3-point attempts per game.
In Woo’s Big Board, the reporter wrote:
“He anchored Ohio State’s offense admirably with his post play, perimeter shooting and above-average passing skills. While he’s still somewhat inconsistent and isn’t much of a rim protector given his size and limited verticality, his skill level and consistent jumper are still notable.”
