How Keyonte George Fits with the OKC Thunder

Next up in the Thunder Fits series, which will detail each draft prospect’s fit with the Thunder, is Baylor combo guard Keyonte George.

With the Oklahoma City Thunder pivoting to NBA Draft mode, it’s officially time to 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 next prospect up in the series is freshman Baylor guard Keyonte George, who saw highest of highs and lowest of lows with the Bears in his lone collegiate season.

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

Offense

George is a likely lottery pick due to his high-octane offense, which waned throughout his entire season with Baylor. He averaged 15.3 points on 38 percent shooting overall and 34 percent 3-point shooting on just under seven attempts per game.

Despite his inefficiency, George projects to be a solid, three-level scorer and the next level and will likely be drafted as such. He doesn’t have elite athleticism, verticality or a killer first step, so on-ball he uses a combination of great ball-handling, change-of-pace and maneuvering to score. Creating his own shot could be an issue at the NBA-level, but Oklahoma City has an abundance of creators.

OKC has a logjam at the guard spot currently, but George’s ability to fluctuate between point and shooting guard makes him an interesting fit next to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Josh Giddey and Jalen Williams.

For all intents and purposes, George could function in a similar role that Tre Mann was drafted for, with a little more immediate and longterm upside.

Defense

Defensively, George is a bit limited with a 6-foot-3 frame, but he gives tremendously more effort than your typical go-to scoring option.

He was a fine defensive playmaker, averaging 1.1 steals per game, and his stocky build allows him to play more physically than your average guard.

On-ball, he’s attentive and aggressive. He’ll need to make up some ground off-ball, but should be covered some by Gilgeous-Alexander, Luguentz Dort and Chet Holmgren’s anchoring.

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