2019 NBA Draft: Full Mock Draft 1.0, Atlanta Hawks Take Two Stars

#21. Oklahoma City Thunder – Ty Jerome

Over the years, OKC Thunder General Manager Sam Presti has fetishized rangy, athletic, wingspan-laden hybrid guards and forwards. One need only look at the selections of Terrance Ferguson and Hamidou Diallo in back-to-back drafts to see that Presti likes a little explosiveness out of his draft picks.

So why is Ty Jerome, one of the least explosive players in this entire draft class, slated to be a member of the Thunder, when we know Presti’s track record does not include players such as Ty Ball Game?

For one thing, because former Atlanta Hawks point guard Dennis Schröder had a fairly uninspiring season as Russell Westbrook’s backup and spot starter at the two. Though he seemed to pick up his defense a bit with the Thunder, (compared to his final year with the Atlanta Hawks) and he can certainly score in bunches when the ball is in his hands a lot, the fit was never quite the best for DS17 – despite Schröder checking the boxes of “athletic” and “long” that Presti loves.

Instead, in this draft, Presti and the Thunder should opt for a player with a high floor that has a savant-level feel and basketball IQ in Jerome. Just ponder the simple but high-pressure read in the NCAA title game Jerome made to assist De’Andre Hunter on the game-tying bucket that sent the game to overtime, where UVA eventually won:

Though he might seem like a slowpoke as a point guard, Jerome is an excellent late first round prospect, and the Thunder should scoop him up if he’s available.