Oklahoma City Thunder: 5 options for pick No. 21 in 2019 NBA Draft
5. Rui Hachimura
The outsider in the modern college basketball pantheon plays its home games in Spokane, Washington, and it does not belong to any power conference. The Gonzaga Bulldogs have thrust themselves into perpetual contention and have two players looking like first round locks in the 2019 NBA Draft.
If Gonzaga is the unique contender, then forward Rui Hachimura is the unique draft prospect. Born in Japan to a Japanese mother and Beninese father, he grew into a basketball phenom in his home country after he began playing for the first time at age 14. Desiring to play college in the United States, he quickly worked to learn English in high school, allowing him to skip a year of prep school and play as a true freshman.
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Since his freshman season, Hachimura has continued to improve, becoming the Bulldogs’ top offensive option. This past year, his junior season, saw the 6’8” forward average 19.7 points per game and pair with Brandon Clarke to make the nation’s best front line. Physically he is clearly an NBA player, but his skills need more development to make him playable at the next level.
What makes him worth the pick for a team like the Thunder is that he looks fully capable of making those developments. He’s grown by leaps and bounds every season at Gonzaga and that growth should continue in the NBA. Offensively, he has the ability to be a multi-dimensional scorer, a boon for second units needing some punch.
He also has the tools to be a strong defender, and brings the requisite motor as well. He needs plenty of work at this end and may never be an impact defender, but on a team like Oklahoma City with a track record of great defensive coaching, his chances of reaching that level are greater.
The Thunder have struggled to juice bench units and have a hole at the 4, and Hachimura could develop into a player who could solve both problems. His upside is high, but his timetable to NBA readiness is longer than many of his fellow prospects, keeping Hachimura from the top of this list.