2021 NBA Mock Draft 1.0: Timberwolves keep pick, Magic load up

7.     OKC Thunder – Sharife Cooper, Guard, Auburn

Looking at the Thunder in previous drafts, they seem to be sold on the basis of what a player *could* be, rather than what they actually currently are. We saw that with Pokusevski, and we could see it this year with Sharife Cooper.

First thing out of the way: Sharife Cooper is an enigma of a prospect. He played at a super-high volume at Auburn and wasn’t exactly the most efficient player in doing so. If a team wants to select Cooper, they have to sell themselves on multiple aspects of his game.

First, Cooper only played 12 games. That’s a very small sample size, especially for a player barely north of 6-feet-even. Cooper shot 23-percent on 3’s over the course of his 12 games, on roughly five attempts per game.

That can be seen is either a good or bad thing, however. Cooper being willing to take long-range shots shows he has the confidence to continue to shoot at the NBA level. His free throw percentage also indicates he will be a much better shooter as a pro.

If you view Cooper as an athletic, inside-scoring guard that can kick out for assists, you’ll probably really like the potential of what he can be. But if you see someone that is undersized and can’t hit an open three (or play defense in general), you will come away with differing expectations.

One thing we do know, however, is that Cooper has potential, and Sam Presti seemingly is attached to high-upside.