G League Ignite Forward Leonard Miller Could Fill Hole for OKC Thunder

G League Ignite star Leonard Miller provides elite finishing ability in draft lottery.

With the Thunder’s season coming to an end on Friday night after a loss to the Timberwolves, the draft picture becomes more clear with their likely landing spot near the tail end of the lottery.

The draft picture also has become more clear as collegiate underclassmen make their official declaration to enter the draft instead of returning to the college ranks for another season.

However, one of the top prospects projected to be available near the Oklahoma City selection didn’t play typical college basketball. Leonard Miller is the second-ranked prospect on the G League Ignite, behind second overall prospect Scoot Henderson.

Outside of being from Canada like Thunder stars Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Lu Dort, Miller fits into OKC’s rotation with his style of play. He’s young at just 19-years-old and does a lot of his damage in the paint, and is solid defensively as well.

He averaged 16.9 points and 10.1 rebounds during the Ignite season. The 6-11 forward fills a much-needed hole in the OKC lineup as a player who can play the three in a lineup. The hole is currently a deficit in the current rotation.

His scoring ability is a key plus to his game as he shot an impressive 53.6% from the field as he does most of his work from the inside. He can also bounce outside and knock down the occasional 3-point shot. He shot 30.4% from beyond the arc this season on a minimal 2.4 attempts per game.

He makes most of his offensive on cutting drives and is an elite finisher at the rim. Miller is currently projected around the tail end of the lottery. The USA Today mocks him at No. 14 three picks after they projected the Thunder to select.

If Miller is available at the time the Thunder select he would be near the top of most team’s boards and would be a fantastic fit in OKC alongside SGA, Dort, Giddey and the rest of the young OKC core. 

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