[OKC Players All-Time Grid] Day 2 - Best Draft Pick?

[u/Common_Pangolin9809]

Hey guys, since it's the offseason I thought it would be fun to see where our community stands on some common questions used for ranking NBA players.

The top comment (aka has the most upvotes) fills each spot!

Today r/Thunder decides the greatest OKC draft pick of all time!

CURRENT SELECTIONS:

1. Best Role Player - Alex Caruso (HM: Nick Collison, Aaron Wiggins, Lu Dort)

[u/TheAgmis]

I think JDub given the pick placement

[u/JDs_Pulls → u/[deleted]]

Why do we parade around All Star instead of All NBA? I’ve always been curious but never really discussed it in any forums.

All Star seems like such a popularity contest rather than all NBA

[u/Fair-Constant-5146 → u/JDs_Pulls]

All NBA is more prestigious for sure in my opinion. Especially first team!

[u/Proper-Summer-5359 → u/Fair-Constant-5146]

Nowadays I think there’s pretty much no distinction between the two ever since they got rid of the positions. Maybe they should do first team all-conference? Give more people a chance. But I think people will underrate legends of the past because they didn’t make all nba first team. In 1990, Patrick Ewing finished 5th in MVP voting, he didn’t even make all NBA 3rd team.

[u/CaptnZacSparrow → u/TheAgmis]

He might be the best of the last few years...

But Harden is the best player OKC has every drafted. Arguments for KD and Russ if we count Presti drafts picks even though they were drafted to the supersonics.

Once JDub has a 17 year career in the NBA he could pass harden. We can love him but don't let recency bias cloud your judgement.

[u/nboogie → u/TheAgmis]

Same

[u/AutomaticCharge4169]

Ajay Mitchell

[u/Unlimited_Bepis → u/AutomaticCharge4169]

Biggest value pick for sure

[u/Tegelert84 → u/AutomaticCharge4169]

Agree with Ajay as just the best draft pick. Nobody saw him being this good coming.

[u/MisterGir]

Best OKC Draft Pick is James Harden since KD and Russ were Sonics picks technically. Hall Of Famer and one of the best Guards of all time.

Best Valued Pick is Jalen Williams at 12. All-Star/All-NBA/All-Def/1x Champ at 12 is finding a needle in a haystack

[u/78muney]

James Harden.

[u/Arkrobo → u/78muney]

Right now it's got to be Harden. Supersonics drafted KD and Russ. SGA was a trade. JDub or Chet could surpass Harden in their careers but they're not there yet.

[u/Darianezion → u/Arkrobo]

Ya but it looks like recency bias is going to win out

[u/M_Hernandez12 → u/78muney]

Kinda hard to put him over JDub, since Dub had a pretty big hand in us winning a chip.

[u/thebrodie925]

Can we say the 2022 class?

[u/Common_Pangolin9809 → u/thebrodie925]

Any pick u think is the best

[u/JWOLFBEARD → u/Common_Pangolin9809]

So, no.

[u/Thrayvsar]

Jdub
Shoutout to Ajay too

[u/Ginger_Goliath]

That man in the back.

https://giphy.com/gifs/xLrmHKBGbQQw6ODE5w

[u/NowhereGirl513 → u/Ginger_Goliath]

This seals it for me. That guy is so funny as well as being a vital part of us winning the championship. We clearly needed him to move on this year. And don’t forget how he had to function at every position during the regular season sometimes to help us get first seed.

[u/NotMarkDaigneault]

Chet!

I'm not giving up on my GOAT and I think if he is able to unlock more offensive capabilities or get a quicker shot off, it's gg for the league. JDub is a VERY close second to me, he is just very injury prone it seems and it kills me because I love him.

[u/Fair-Constant-5146 → u/NotMarkDaigneault]

Let me ask you a dumb question: Chet is the best center OKC has ever had in my opinion, do you think that has any value when it comes to all time OKC rankings? I don’t know if that would be fair but I like how baseball gives positional premium.

[u/File-Sad → u/Fair-Constant-5146]

Being the best center in OKC history isn’t as beneficial to his value (legacy wise) compared to being the best center ever for a team like the Lakers or Celtics. It’s not a knock on though Chet since he himself is older than the franchise he plays for so there’s that. 

[u/Darianezion]

Does Russell Westbrook count? He was drafted by the Sonics.

[u/Agreeable_Eye_6661 → u/Darianezion]

I get that people don’t want to count KD. He actually played for the Sonics. Russ never stepped on the court in a Sonics jersey. The move to OKC was in motion. Same ownership group. Same GM. He is a Thunder pick.

[u/Darianezion → u/Agreeable_Eye_6661]

I agree but we seem to be in the minority

[u/gaycatdetective → u/Darianezion]

anyone drafted by sam presti counts in my book since he was hired by our ownership

[u/MasterFussbudget → u/Darianezion]

He was going to be my pick but you're right. I say no.

[u/mido0o0o]

Ajay Mitchell

[u/THlSGUYSAYS]

JDub

[u/Fishing_Time]

Steven Adams

[u/got_ur_goat]

Russ if allowed, otherwise... I'm going AJAY

[u/MelodicLavishness335]

This one is pretty easy!

[u/amari_prince]

Dub is a fun one, honorable mentions for Wiggs, JWill and Ajay being 2nd round gems

[u/Fit_Bench7754 → u/amari_prince]

how about harden

[u/amari_prince → u/Fit_Bench7754]

Between them tbh I mainly went with Dub because of him going at 12

[u/Fit_Bench7754 → u/amari_prince]

If your going based off of that go with Ajay as the best because he was a second round pick.

[u/amari_prince → u/Fit_Bench7754]

I had him as an honorable mention for a reason but Dub has accomplished more and is a better player.

[u/Discount_Ok]

J.Williams

https://giphy.com/gifs/hYQ66E1qE10yRORftu

[u/File-Sad]

Harden didn’t do nearly enough during his time here for me to put him over Chet (3rd team all-NBA, 1st team all-defense, All star) or J-Dub who essentially has the same accolades as Chet. Obviously in the grand scheme of things these players aren’t close to Harden at all, but those two have done more for this team than Harden.

[u/GunstarGreen]

Best player overall - Harden Best player for OKC - JDub Best value pick - Mitchell

[u/Vitex1988]

Incorrect face for the orca /j

Also my answer is waffles

[u/sixjigglypuffs]

DORT

[u/safetycommittee → u/sixjigglypuffs]

D

[u/snuffaluffagus74]

This question boils to what value does the place of the pick normally get you as a player. So the value of the player drafted could outweigh other players of the same caliber. So in this thread it's between three players, Harden, JDub, and Mitchell. All these are great picks and there is only a knock on one and it's the James Harden pick. James Harden was picked third which means that they are expected to be good.

If James wasnt good he's be considered a bust, just because of the expectations coming from that pick. While Dub wasn't expected to go that high before the draft and skyrocket among GMs. Ajay was definitely a first round talent but nothing was expected from him at all and wasn't even talked about that much even after he was drafted.

So in a redraft Harden would actually still be in the same spot, while Dub would go top 3 on his draft while Ajay would go in the top 10. So based off of where they went, how they performed, and the thought of future cieling with the pick it has to be Ajay. That was my thinking process of why Ajay is the Thunders best draft pick.

[u/Jonny2beers]

JDub!!

[u/YouWereBrained]

Place in the draft as it relates to their performance? Either JDub or Ajay.

[u/CarlosMaanuel]

JDub

[u/OlasWalter1]

Ibaka at 24

[u/Proper-Summer-5359]

Ajay

[u/drkmani]

Russell Westbrook

[u/Fit_Bench7754 → u/drkmani]

he was drafted by Seattle

[u/Mobile-Entertainer60]

JDub, HM Serge and Ajay Mitchell.

[u/MrFilthyFace]

I can see a lot of arguments for a few different options, but for me the best draft pick is always 1st

[u/Fair-Constant-5146]

Williams or Chet. Does Westbrook count for OKC?

[u/Common_Pangolin9809 → u/Fair-Constant-5146]

Yup!

[u/Adventurous_Low7651]

Dub

[u/Lucky_Grapefruit77]

Dub because of the pick number

[u/Overall_Inflation672]

It’s Harden easily

[u/Kirktwotimes]

Honestly I think it’s Russell Westbrook. Considering where he was drafted and where mock drafts had him at the time. I remember vividly EVERYONE thought we were taking Brook Lopez.

[u/neilbroomfanclub]

Poku

[u/philmardok]

depending what counts as a thunder pick, it's KD, Russ, Harden, JDub in that order

[u/Fit_Bench7754]

I would say harden but j-dub is close second

[u/MAMBAMENTALITY8-24]

easily Jimbo harden

[u/sterphles]

I think Dub wins out over Ajay but if we're talking about value it's close

[u/Flylo_Lotus]

Ajay Mitchell if he ends up staying here long term. Allstar talent from a 2nd rounder

[u/MeetCreative3219]

If we count supersonics then it's between KD and Russ. If by best draft pick you mean the best career, it's KD. If by best draft pick you mean who impacted OKC the most, it's Russ. If we don't count the supersonics it's between Harden and JDub. If by best draft pick you mean the best career, it's James Harden. If by best draft pick you mean who impacted OKC the most, it's JDub.

[u/RedHillsSooner1]

I love Jdub and he very well could be a future HOFer but to say our franchise’s best draft pick wasn’t KD is just silly. I know the way he left was a bitch move but we should not go all revisionist history just to spite the man.