Inside The Thunder

Thunder Draft Targets Who Could Crack the Starting Five in Year One

With the No. 12 pick in the draft, there is a solid chance that OKC can snag a key contributor in the first round.

Randall Sweet

In this story:

Oklahoma City had a remarkable year for such a young team, shattering expectations and surging from one of the worst records in the league to a postseason berth in just one offseason. Despite this, the Thunder are still looking to fill spots in their starting lineup. 

By the end of the 2022-23 season, Josh Giddey, Lu Dort, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Jaylin Williams made up OKC's starting five. With Chet Holmgren fully healthy for the upcoming season, it seems likely that last year's No. 2 overall selection will take over as the team's center. 

This will relegate Jaylin Williams to a bench role, which isn't a bad thing for the former Arkansas big man who was impressive as a rookie. Aside from the Little Rock native, head coach Mark Daigneault will be faced with another decision: sit one of Dort, Williams or Giddey in favor of a young big man to pair with Chet or continue to play with a lineup of four perimeter players and a modern post player. 

There are multiple players in the 2023 NBA Draft who could potentially play next to Holmgren from day one, adding more size to Oklahoma City's starting five. 

The top player in this category is UCF freshman forward Taylor Hendricks. Listed at 6-foot-9, 210 pounds, the former four-star recruit has the size to help prevent the Thunder from getting pummeled by teams with multiple big men and will likely get bigger, as he is only 19.

In his lone season at Central Florida, the Fort Lauderdale native averaged 15.1 points, seven rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game, shooting 47.8% from the floor and 39.4% from beyond the arc. With his combination of perimeter shooting and defensive acumen, Hendricks could be the perfect player to put next to Holmgren on a young roster in OKC.   

Another player who could fit this role is Leonard Miller of the G League Ignite. Miller is a versatile big listed at 6-foot-10, 210 pounds with great mobility. In 24 games this season, the 19-year-old averaged 18 points, 11 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game, knocking down over 55% of his field goal attempts in the G League.

In recent weeks, there has been much more conversation about Miller ending up in Oklahoma City. Miller also has a connection to Dort and Gilgeous-Alexander, as all three players hail from Canada.

Former five-star prospect Dereck Lively II also could find his way into OKC's starting lineup if the Thunder select the Duke big man with their first pick. While many believe Lively will fall past the lottery, rumors are circulating that the No. 2 prospect in the 2022 high school class could be a target for Oklahoma City.

According to the Blue Devil's website, Lively is 7-foot-1, 230 pounds. The Philadelphia native is a well-known shot blocker, swatting 2.4 attempts per game as a freshman. 

Next to Holmgren, this could create a defensive nightmare for opposing teams, who would struggle to get off shots in the paint over two solid rim protectors. While Lively only averaged 5.2 points and 5.4 rebounds per game at Duke, scouts say that the big man has the potential to develop a decent 3-point shot. 

If Lively is the Thunder's selection at No. 12, there is a clear path to seeing him crack the team's starting five as a rookie.

Want to join the discussion? Like SI Thunder on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest Thunder news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.

Published
Randall Sweet
RANDALL SWEET

Randall Sweet is a 2022 Oklahoma University graduate who has formerly written for the Norman Transcript and OU Daily. Randall also serves as the Communications Coordinator at Visit OKC.

Home/Draft Coverage