How Amen Thompson Fits with the OKC Thunder

Next up in the Thunder Fits series, which will detail each draft pick's fit with the Thunder, is Overtime Elite standout Amen Thompson.

With the Oklahoma City Thunder officially entering the postseason, it’s time to switch gears to prospect evaluation mode.

And this year’s impending draft has plenty of players that can help bolster the OKC core.

No matter how unlikely it is Oklahoma City lands certain prospects, the Thunder Fit series will take a look at how they would fit with the current team’s configuration. And with a war chest of assets, you never know how far the front office could move up to acquire a player.

The fourth prospect in the series is guard Amen Thompson, who is a tough evaluation as he’ll set the precedent for prospects from the Overtime Elite. He’ll likely hear his name called within the first five, meaning OKC will need some serious lotto luck or will have to offload big time assets.

Here’s how Thompson could fit alongside the rest of the Thunder core:

Offense

Firstly, Thompson is likely the single most athletic player in the entire class, and for that matter, potentially basketball in general. And for a Thunder team that lacks athleticism, he’d immediately be the standout athlete.

At 6-foot-7, Thompson primarily played point guard with the Overtime Elite, averaging 16.4 points and 5.9 assists per game. It’s hard to envision him usurping on-ball duties from soon-to-be first team All-NBA guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander or sophomore standout Josh Giddey, so he’d likely be relegated to a wing presence for the time being.

With his above-the-rim prowess, Thompson would function well as a cutter, in transition and as a lob-threat who could provide secondary passing and playmaking. He’s also a great positional rebounder.

Thompson has a good variety of dribble moves and will likely be able to generate paint touches at will. He could run the point for the second unit, but will likely need real reps at point guard to truly tap into his upside.

The biggest downside to his game is his outside shot, which Oklahoma City has already struggled with across the board.

Needless to say, Thompson’s offensive fit with the Thunder is a tricky one.

Defense

Thompson’s defensive fit with the Thunder works much better on paper.

He’s got real length that could aid an already long OKC lineup, and can guard multiple positions. His innate athleticism allows him to be a solid defensive playmaker and grants him real upside on the defensive side of the ball.

He’s not going to be a lockdown defender out the gate, but alongside Lu Dort and Chet Holmgren, Thompson could grow and eventually thrive.

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