Oklahoma City Thunder: 5 options for pick No. 21 in the 2017 NBA Draft
By Frank Urbina
3. D.J. Wilson, SF/PF, Michigan
2017 stats (Jr. year): 38 GP, 11.0 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 1.3 APG, 0.5 STL, 1.5 BLK, 1.1 3s, 1.1 TOs, 53.8 FG%, 37.3 3PT%, 83.3 FT%, 30.4 MPG
Considering need and upside, another interesting option for Oklahoma City is D.J. Wilson out of Michigan. His raw stats don’t really jump off the screen, but what he did in postseason play in 2016-17 helped his draft stock soar.
During Michigan’s improbable Big 10 Tournament championship run, through their eventual defeat in the Sweet 16 — a seven-game stretch — Wilson was brilliant. In that span, he averaged 15.6 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 2.0 blocks per game while shooting 53.8 percent and 35.7 percent from three.
His agility at 6’10” is special, while his 7’3″ wingspan make him one of the better rim-protecting wings in the entire class. The one issue with the former Michigan man is he’s a player stuck between positions — not skilled enough to be a pure 3 and not sturdy enough on the glass to play power forward full time.
Nonetheless, Wilson’s ability to hit the three, coupled with his length and finishing around the basket (an absurd 83.1 percent shooter in the restricted area, per Hoop Math) make him a solid candidate for the No. 21 pick.
That, plus his burgeoning skill set, as exemplified here…
…could make him the savvy selection for a Thunder side that may need to replace Taj Gibson after this summer’s free agency, and who aren’t quite sure if Domantas Sabonis is their stretch-4 of the future yet.