OKC Blue: Paul Watson Jr.'s Rough Start and the Homegrown Talent Behind Him

A shaky start to Paul Watson Jr.'s season has put the 26-year-old on notice.

Paul Watson Jr. has entered the hot seat.

When the Oklahoma City Thunder elected to drop two-way signee Josh Hall in favor of Watson Jr. over the summer – a vast majority of Thunder fans were left in a state of shock. 

With a 20-year-old Hall fresh off of a $1.49 million qualifying offer, the expectation was the former five-star would play a middleman role between the Thunder and Blue. However, with the signing of Watson Jr. – the job description shifted. Watson Jr., a 26-year-old veteran, joined Oklahoma City’s two-way role with both veteran leadership and optimal NBA-level production in mind.

Now, Watson Jr.’s timer is ticking, and homegrown talent is putting the forward under a magnifying glass.

Watson Jr. entered the Thunder’s mix as a proven sharpshooter. With a career 40.9-percent three-point clip, highlighted by last season’s 46.9-percent (2.4 3PA) outside display for the Raptors – the Fresno State alum carried a track record.

Upon original inspection, Watson Jr.’s addition to OKC slapped a bandage on one of the Thunder’s biggest wounds in their perimeter play – as with a 33.9-percent conversion rate from distance last season, Oklahoma City sat second-to-last league-wide.

Thus far, Watson Jr. has yet to be a game-changer from deep-range.

Two-way sharpshooter Paul Watson Jr :: Alonzo Adams / USA TODAY Sports

In Watson Jr.’s eight-game tenure (all starts) with the Oklahoma City Blue, the 26-year-old has carved a primary role within Grant Gibbs’ offense, attempting the second-most shot attempts on the roster. 

The kicker, in the 26-year-old’s 28.9-minute palate, he has logged 12.9 points across 12.0 attempts per night, posting a tame 38.5-percent shooting clip in the process. Watson Jr. 's production tanks even further once behind the line, lowering the bar to a 29.8-percent hit rate across 7.1 tries per game.

As for Watson Jr.’s time in the big leagues, his quintet of appearances have held the guard to 1.4 points and 2.4 rebounds while recording a 2-of-13 (15.4%) perimeter-piecing across a 23.7-minute stint.

With a paltry five-of-fifty potential appearances this season, it’s hard to envision Watson Jr. is on the hot seat. However, with homegrown talent on the rise and the Hall-Watson Jr. swap still in recent memory, things could get toasty.

At the G-League level, Oklahoma City Blue guard Melvin Frazier Jr. has slipped into the role originally knitted for Watson Jr., and he’s outperformed the 26-year-old in the process. Frazier Jr. placed a quiet first-year with the Blue last season, but through 10 games, he’s broken out.

The 25-year-old’s comeback season has seen the Tulane alum log 10.2 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 1.0 assists in a 19.4-minute sample off the bench. Atop Frazier Jr.’s accolades, the wing has placed a 20-point and 17-point performance, churned out 1.2 steals per contest, and leads the league in three-point percentage, nailing 56.5-percent of tries on 2.3 shots a game.

Frazier Jr. holds a similar archetype to Watson Jr., as with a 6-foot-6 frame and a 7-foot-2 wingspan, the 25-year-old slips into the wing positions typically held by his counterpart. 

Frazier Jr.’s catch-and-shoot-ability in addition to his aforementioned height also make him an interesting case within OKC's mix. Following the blueprint of a modern 3-and-D wing – he checks all of the boxes Thunder GM Sam Presti carries when selecting guard prospects.

If the Oklahoma City Thunder were to fill a gashing hole in the frontcourt, training-camp attendee D.J. Wilson may also tickle their fancy.

Former Michigan standout D.J. Wilson Jr :: Alonzo Adams / USA TODAY Sports

Wilson would join a Thunder frontcourt depleted of talent, and with center Derrick Favors assumed to be a short-term option, the signing of Wilson would make the 30-year-old expendable.

Following a pair of preseason games for the Thunder, Wilson opted to play G-League ball with the Oklahoma City Blue, finding his rhythm across 10 games to average 18.8 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 3.5 assists across 25.4 minutes. Wilson has erupted in stints for the Blue, logging a 20-point, 6-rebound half earlier in the season – though his shaky three will be his biggest swing factor.

Wilson has established himself as a solid addition as an interior presence for the Blue, but a barren output from distance has made the 25-year-old an enigma.

Throughout his career, Wilson’s calling card has rested at the three, shooting a career 32.9-percent from the field. Now, he’s currently shooting at a 22.7-percent clip. If Wilson turns the corner from distance, he immediately bulks up the Thunder’s pick-and-pop play, and with a 6-foot-10 frame and a 7-foot-3 wingspan, he fills in perfectly at the five.

With 57 regular-season games still on tap, the Oklahoma City Thunder are in the infancy stages of the year. But, with a savvy GM and a slew of potential assets at hand – anyone can become subject to the hot seat. As of now, that man is Paul Watson Jr. 

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