Oklahoma City made a splash selection in the late lottery on Wednesday night. The Thunder were linked to many prospects, but none of them ended up being the one. And that’s likely because management never thoughtTopic, a tall, lengthy guard was projected as a Top 5 player all season long before partially tearing his ACL before the pre-draft process. The injury might’ve scared a few teams off, but Oklahoma City decided to take a chance. And the Thunder are in a position to take that chance, too.
Topic ranked as one of the best pick-and-roll players in European basketball already as an 18-year-old, which is scary considering how much point guards typically continue to improve in this area with age and experience. His ability to make instantaneous reads while mapping out the court and processing the game with surgical precision is a rare and coveted commodity in today's NBA game.”
While Topic and Giddey certainly aren’t the same player, the crafty passing point guard profile lines up. Topic is lightning fast with a strong handle, however, and loves to finish through contact at the rim. He’s one of the best finishers in the entire draft class and has been an elite pick-and-roll operator.
Oklahoma City doesn’t need him to make an immediate impact and will allow him to focus on his recovery. Once he’s back on the court, this pick could look like a serious steal down the line. It’s easy to see how the Thunder would be considered a winner in this situation, even if the payoff won’t show until later on down the line.Ross is a 2023 Oklahoma University graduate who has formerly written for the OU Daily and Prep Hoops. He now works for the New Orleans Super Bowl Host Committee and covers OU sports for AllSooners.com. He has been covering the Thunder since the 2019-20 season.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Source: SInow - 🏆 273. / 63 Read more »
FSU Football Labeled ACC’s ‘Biggest Winner’ With Transfer Portal ClassFlorida State, once again, did the most work in the transfer portal among the teams in the ACC.
Source: SInow - 🏆 273. / 63 Read more »
Source: SInow - 🏆 273. / 63 Read more »
Source: SInow - 🏆 273. / 63 Read more »
Mock Draft: OKC Thunder Land Brother of Rising Star, Top Prospect in 2024 NBA DraftThe Oklahoma City Thunder control the No. 12 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft and land one of the top prospects in the class in the latest Mock Draft.
Source: SInow - 🏆 273. / 63 Read more »
Source: SInow - 🏆 273. / 63 Read more »