2013 NBA Draft Results: Oklahoma City Thunder Live Draft Grade
By Ben Beecken
The rumors were flying earlier in the day that the Oklahoma City Thunder were going to be selecting Pittsburgh center Steven Adams with the twelfth pick in the 2013 draft. Adams is probably the best center on the board, unless you’re a big Kelly Olynyk fan (which I kind of am…or at lest I like him more than Adams).
Obviously, Adams’ size is intriguing, and he’s a physical preference. Thunder general manager Sam Presti loves grabbing 7-footers and throwing them against the wall until they stick. He knows what the team needs, and it’s hard to fault Presti for taking a big man. He knows that Kendrick Perkins isn’t very good, and it will interesting to see if he amnesties Perkins in the very near future.
Personally, I thought that Olynyk was a nice fit for OKC, with his passing ability and tenacity on the offensive glass. While the Thunder certainly need size, I would have picked the Canadian big man out of Gonzaga.
The Mavericks are up next, and despite not hearing anything to the contrary, I think they’ll be moving the pick to clear cap space. They need the room to sign max players (Dwight Howard, anyone?), so someone with a need will slide up and grab a player here.