Oklahoma City Thunder: 5 options for pick No. 21 in the 2017 NBA Draft
By Frank Urbina
5. Isaiah Hartenstein, PF/C, Germany
Stats as a first-year pro overseas: 28 GP, 4.9 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 0.7 APG, 0.9 STL, 0.6 BLK, 0.3 3s, 1.2 TOs, 56.9 FG%, 28.6 3PT%, 70.5 FT%, 12.5 MPG
Presti and the Thunder could choose to go one of two ways come June 22. They could draft to fill a need (like at the 4), or opt to take the highest-upside prospect available instead.
However, there is a way they could do both of those things at once, and that’s by drafting a low-floor, high-ceiling alternative that also plays power forward. A guy like Isaiah Hartenstein, for example.
Oklahoma City Thunder
The German big man spent the past season playing at Zalgiris of the Lithuanian league. Though he struggled overall (pretty much killing his chances of being a lottery pick in the process), he did show some enticing flashes of skill not common for a player of his stature.
At the recent Nike Hoops Summit, Hartenstein measured in as a legit seven-footer with a 7’2.25″ wingspan. He does need to add bulk, as he weighed just 225 pounds at the event, but his frame suggests it’ll be able to support extra weight.
Hartenstein is a 4/5 with a ton of skill; he can put the ball on the floor and attack the basket, as well as shoot the three from his frontcourt spot. Not to mention, he’s barely 19 years old, so he’s not close to plateauing yet.
The sky’s the limit for the left-handed big, and he’d make some sense at No. 21. Thing is, he’s probably a year or two away from contributing at the NBA level. Knowing that, will Presti practice patience and take him anyway? Or would he prefer a more pro-ready option, like the next guy on our list?