Oklahoma City Thunder: What They Need in 2013 NBA Draft
By Pete Schauer
After a disappointing finish to the 2012-13 season, the Oklahoma City Thunder already have the pieces in place to compete for an NBA title, but OKC needs a strong 2013 NBA draft to make a deep run in the postseason.
Russell Westbrook‘s season-ending injury in the playoffs ultimately doomed the Thunder from likely rivaling the San Antonio Spurs for a spot in the NBA Finals, but the point guard position isn’t an issue for Oklahoma City.
The issue comes from the 2 spot.
Thabo Sefolosha is coming off of a career year, as he averaged 7.6 points and 3.9 rebounds per game while shooting 42 percent from 3-point territory, but that’s the issue. Sefolosha’s best season consists of a contribution of seven points per game—that’s not going to work.
Kevin Martin is one of the better scorers in the NBA—he averaged 14 points per game this season and averages nearly 18 points per game for his career—but Martin is an unrestricted free agent this summer and should be seeking a starting position on another team.
That said, it’s more than obvious that the Thunder need to draft a shooting guard with either the 12th or 29th pick in the first round of the 2013 NBA draft.
If I’m the Thunder, I’m using the 12th overall pick to draft a shooting guard like Shabazz Muhammad out of UCLA. Yes, Muhammad played the small forward position for the Bruins, but according to Yannis Koutroupis of USA Today, the 6’6″ Muhammad believes he can play the 2 at the NBA level.
As a freshman at UCLA, Muhammad averaged 17.9 points and 5.2 rebounds per game while shooting 44 percent from the field and 38 percent from downtown. While he’s not a straight shooter by any means, Muhammad excels at slashing to the basket and penetrating the defense.
Muhammad has one of the best motors in all of college basketball, which would fit perfectly alongside fellow hustlers like Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook.
The Thunder can go another route, drafting Kentavious Caldwell-Pope at No. 12 if he’s still on the board.
The 6’5″ sophomore shooting guard averaged 18.5 points and 7.1 rebounds this past season at Georgia, where he shot 37 percent from three-point range. KCP is known for his longrange shooting abilities and excellent defense, which would help OKC’s offense stretch the floor and tighten up their defense.
With the No, 29 pick, Oklahoma City should look to add a center who brings more offense to the table than Kendrick Perkins, but I think the main concern should be the SG position.