Ranking The Thunder's Top 25 Draft Prospects: 16-14

The countdown of the top 25 Thunder draft prospects continues with 16-14.

Thursday, June 19th 2014, 8:27 pm

By: News 9


It's day No. 4 of the Thunder's NBA Draft countdown. To read about how the countdown works and about prospects 25-23, click the link below.

RELATED STORY: Ranking The Thunder's Top 25 Draft Prospects: 25-23

To read about prospects 22-17, click the following links. 

Ranking The Thunder's Top 25 Draft Prospects: 22-20

Ranking The Thunder's Top 25 Draft Prospects: 19-17

16. Clint Capela – C – Switzerland

Grade if picked 21st: D

Grade if picked 29th: B-

Strengths

At 6-foot-11 with a 7-foot-5 wingspan, Capela has the size of a true center. And not only is he long, he's one of the best athletes in the draft. At just 20 years old, Capela has a lot of things to improve on, but he has a very high ceiling.

Weaknesses

Capela can't shoot. Jumpers, free throws, you name it, he'll miss it. In addition, he spends plenty of time looking like he's 20 years old. Bad decisions, forced plays, lack of discipline; he's got a long way to go. Despite his upside, Capela isn't NBA ready.

NBA player comparison

Larry Sanders, John Henson, Serge Ibaka

How he fits the Thunder

He won't immediately, but a few years from now he might be considered one of the steals of the draft. An Ibaka-Capela frontcourt in, say, 2017, could end up being a terrifying force to deal with.

15. Jarnell Stokes – PF – Tennessee

At 21: D

At 29: C+

Strengths

Stokes is one of the most NBA-ready bigs in this draft. He's 6-8 with a 6-11 wingspan, but unlike many of his peers, has some meat on his bones. Stokes weighs in at 263 lbs with just 8 percent body fat. In other words, he's a beast. Even better, he knows how to use that physicality on the glass, hauling in nearly 11 boards per game his junior season in Knoxville.

Weaknesses

Stokes lacks refinement. He doesn't have many post moves to pull out of the bag and often relies on bullying people out of the way. He also lacks a jumper – a requirement for an NBA power forward.

NBA player comparison

Tyler Hansbrough, DeJuan Blair

How he fits the Thunder

OKC could use a guy who can play right away and Stokes definitely can. He doesn't have the high ceiling like some of the other bigs in this draft, but he can come in right away and contribute to the rotation.

14. Shabazz Napier – PG – UConn

At 21: D

At 29: C+

Strengths

Napier has a lot of the qualities teams look for in a point guard. He's a winner, a leader and has a history of coming through in clutch moments. He's labeled as a pure scorer, but his game goes way beyond that. Napier averaged 16 points, 7 rebounds and six assists while shooting 48 percent from deep and 85 percent from the line last season at UConn. His assist-to-turnover ratio was also better than 2-1.

Weaknesses

Napier is another guy who could use directions to the weight room. His lack of physical abilities hurts his on-ball defense; an area which he'll need to improve. Napier is limited athletically and sometimes gets caught settling for jumpers instead of getting to the rim.

NBA player comparison

Devin Harris, Patty Mills

How he fits the Thunder

Napier is an experienced winner and champion who could make the Thunder rotation right away. His presence would provide OKC with point-guard depth and allow Reggie Jackson to play more minutes alongside Russell Westbrook.  Napier's ability to knock down shots will also help the Thunder space the floor and play more 5 on 5 than they did in 2014. 

RELATED STORY: Five Draft Scenarios For The Thunder

Stay tuned on Friday for 13-11.

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