2017 NBA Mock Draft: The best choice each team can make

The Oklahoma City Thunder are in need of major upgrades in order to transition their franchise to the next level. In particular, the Thunder need to find more two-way players on the wing, which requires taking some shots at prospects who otherwise wouldn’t come off the board until later, especially in a draft laden with big men. One of those risk’s is Adelaide’s Terrance Ferguson, a former 5-star prospect who played in Australia last season.

Ferguson opted to play professional hoops over college basketball for a variety of reasons, but his season overseas was a struggle. He averaged just 4.6 points per game while shooting a paltry 31.3 percent from behind the 3-point line. Ferguson has long been billed as the prototype for a 3-and-D prospect, but if his jumper isn’t falling, he’s going to struggle to make an impact. The good news is that single season sample sizes are notoriously noisy and Ferguson was a better shooter in high school, so there’s hope that he’ll pan out as a bigger offensive threat.

Defensively, Ferguson can use his elite athleticism to improve as a prospect. He doesn’t have tremendous length, but his height should give him enough room to be a versatile defender. There’s still much progress to be made here, especially given the lack of box score stats Ferguson compiled, but that’s what makes this a risky selection. Unfortunately, it’s a necessary one for Oklahoma City.

Learn more about Terrance Ferguson at The Step Back.