Thunder Draft Report: Colorado's Tristan Da Silva

The Oklahoma City Thunder could benefit from Tristan Da Silva's floor spacing and defensive prowess.

Colorado Buffaloes forward Tristan da Silva (23) reacts after scoring during NCAA Men’s Basketball / Alex Martin/Journal and Courier / USA

Despite battling for a top spot in the Western Conference, the OKC Thunder still have an absorbent amount of picks, including a projected lottery pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.

Let’s take a look at Colorado's Tristan Da Silva and how he would fit in the Thunder system. 

Draft Profile 

• Height: 6'9
• Weight: 220
• Wingspan: N/A
• Age: 23
• School: Colorado

Quick Scouting Report

Da Silva is one of the best fits in the 2024 NBA Draft for the Thunder's rotate-heavy defensive style with a 3-point stroke to open the floor for drivers and slashers around him in Oklahoma City. The Colorado Buffalo forward averaged 16 points, five rebounds, two assists and 1.7 stocks per game with 49/39/83 shooting splits.

Strengths and Weakness

Strengths

There are few prospects in this draft that pop off the page defensively the way Da Silva does specifically through the viewpoint of Mark Daigneault's scheme. Da Silva can stick to his man on the ball like glue while being aware enough to fly to the open man and take away defensive lapses from his teammates. His understanding of how to rotate and put his teammates in position with his communication skills makes him an overall appealing prospect on that end of the floor.

Da Silva has a clean shooting stroke which has produced at a 37 percent clip or better from beyond the arc each of the last three seasons including 78 percent from the charity stripe for his career (83 percent as a sophomore). The Colorado Buffalo will be able to work as a 3-and-D weapon in the NBA.

Da Silva can cash in with a variety of scoring hot spots. On spot-up attempts, the Buffalo is shooting 40 percent while he nails 62 percent of his shots when coming off handoffs, 42 percent when curling off screens, 41 percent on catch-and-shoot chances and 39 percent off the dribble.

Along with his outside scoring, Da Silva converts at a 63 percent clip at the rim. His high-catch point and body positioning work to his advantage in traffic and he has the body control to finish through contact with 14 and-ones on the year.

While his rebounding numbers do not just scream for him to be a projected glass cleaner, Da Silva projects to see an uptick in that category at the next level. The Buffalo product understands body positioning and with some polishing, his style of clashing the glass can be used to both spark transition and benefit his teammates around him. With his length Da Silva being able to bat balls out of restricted area would likely get rewarded more at the NBA level.

A high-level connective playmaker that can exploit an overzealous team in help defense.

Weaknesses

Da Silva can not be a catalyst for any offense and will struggle to be more than just a play-finisher at the next level. Between his slashes and shooting when set up, that is about the limit of the Buffalo's offensive production. He lacks the foot speed and handle needed to create separation in the association.

Questions surrounding how effective his screens will be at the next level. His style will never be that of a wipe-out weapon, but can he take the proper angles to free up space for his guard? Da Silva was not good as a roll man in college and his predictability as a pop man could leave his guard susceptible to intense blitzing that forces the ball in harms way.

Availability

• Draft Digest: 25
• Ringer Guide: 15
• ESPN Mock: 18
• The Athletic: 33
• Bleacher Report: 19
• CBS: N/A
• Draft Net: 24
• Tankathon: 34

Thunder Fit

Future Role 

The Oklahoma City Thunder would be taking a near-finished product in this situation. Sure, with better defenders around him and being in an NBA scheme that end of the floor could look improved, there just is not much the 23-year-old will discover at the next level.

However, that could be a good thing for the Thunder who are already among the NBA contenders. Da Silva would never project to be a mainstay starter but with great production off the bench defensively and with his shooting ability, his winning impact could be just what the doctor ordered to round out OKC's rotation.

Rotation Fit 

Da Silva would quickly become a favorite of Mark Daigneault with his high-level positional playmaking, versatility and defensive chops. Blend in the fact he can finish at the rim and behind the tape and the Colorado product would factor heavily into the Thunder rotation. He would likely slot into a 16-ish minute-per-game role.

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