NBA Draft: Michigan’s Jett Howard Provides Seamless Fit for Thunder
Numerous prospects will be available to the Oklahoma City Thunder on the night of the 2023 NBA Draft. General Manager Sam Presti could elect to cash in some of the 15 first round picks he has accrued for over the next five years or decide to stay put and take whomever might be left available on the board.
As it stands, the Thunder are projected to pick 11th, according to Tankathon. While that number could change if they secure the eighth seed in the Western Conference via the Play-In Tournament, it’s safe to say that Oklahoma City’s lottery odds are slim as they have just an 8.4% chance to sneak into the top 4 and a 1.8% chance to land the rights to select first overall.
That begs a question. Assuming the Thunder’s odds don’t improve and they will, indeed, be picking 11th, or later, who might be on the board? And is there a prospect that would make sense for Presti to swing on?
Enter Jett Howard.
Currently ranked as the 16th best prospect for the draft by ESPN after his lone season at Michigan, Howard brings a tantalizing blend of size, shooting, and playmaking to the table. But Jonathan Givony, a popular NBA Draft analyst, has shared his concerns about the wing, characterizing him as “somewhat passive inserting himself into games,” and citing his “exceptionally poor playmaking numbers defensively.”
While the 6-foot-8 Howard might be a mixed bag at 19 years old, that’s often the kind of prospects that are available as you get towards the back end of the lottery. And that’s not always a bad thing. If anything, it’s an opportunity to find a diamond in the rough or an under appreciated talent.
Just ask Cameron Johnson, Tyrese Haliburton or Jalen Williams — all selected with the 11th or 12th pick and all making big impacts for their respective teams.
Despite Givony’s concerns, Howard cranked out some impressive shooting numbers that are hard to ignore in his freshman season at Michigan.
Across 29 games, the 6-foot-8 forward pumped out 212 3-point attempts, knocking down 36.8% of them — numbers that only four other players have achieved on a college floor since 2008. Additionally, Howard is also one of just 26 freshmen, since 2008, listed at his height or taller to take at least 75 free throw attempts and convert 80% of them. That list includes several NBA stars such as Jayson Tatum, Lauri Markkanen, Karl Anthony-Towns, and Gordon Hayward. It also includes recent number one overall pick, Cade Cunningham.
Getting into Howard’s surface-level playmaking numbers — two assists per game — might not leave you feeling all warm and fuzzy about him, though. But posting a nearly 13% assist rate combined with a 1.6 assist-to-turnover ratio while taking 13.7 3-point attempts per 100 possessions? At his size?
That’s almost unheard of.
Howard isn’t going to be Victor Wembanyama, Scoot Henderson, or Cam Whitmore, or something. He’s not an alien, he’s not the next Derrick Rose and he’s not the greatest athlete. But how often do you realistically find a 6-foot-8 wing who projects to shoot the cover off the ball while offering real decision-making and passing ability?
If the Thunder’s front office can somehow get a hold of Howard on draft night, the Michigan product represents an intriguing wing that can compliment the ball-movement renaissance taking place in Oklahoma City this season. In theory, he can space the floor for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Josh Giddey, or whoever might be initiating the offense at any given moment, while providing enough tertiary playmaking ability to fit right into what the Thunder are doing.
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.
