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Thunder draft 2015: Can Devin Booker Shoot His Way to Pick 14 for Oklahoma City?

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The chorus of the song "Shots" by LMFAO and Lil Jon goes like this: "Shot!, Shot!, Shot!, Shot!, Shot!, Shot!" While the song isn't too great, these lyrics describe the biggest strength of Devin Booker, shot making. Does his ability to shoot mean he will end up in OKC at pick 14?

Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

Prospect: Devin Booker

School: Kentucky

DOB: 10/23/1996 (18 years old)

With all the skill on last year's Kentucky basketball team, you might have missed the play of Devin Booker. The wing player from Moss Point, Mississippi put up some really good numbers, albeit very sneakily as he took a back seat to guys like Karl-Anthony Towns and Willie Cauley-Stein.

Here are Booker's stats last season for the Wildcats

Points

Rebounds

Assists

FT%

3PT%

Turnovers

10.0

2.0

1.1

82.8

41.1

1.0

Here are his adjusted per 40 stats.

Points

Rebounds

Assists

FT%

3PT%

Turnovers

18.7

3.7

2.1

82.8

41.1

1.8

Strengths

Size

Checking in at 6-6/206lbs, Booker is the ideal size for a shooting guard in the NBA.

Shooting

I would not want to play Devin Booker in horse. His shot making skills are some of the strongest of any candidate in the draft. While I am no expert, I would always pick a player that could shoot over teaching a player how to shoot or require him to change his mechanics. With Booker, NBA teams will never have to question whether or not he has the ability to make a basket.

Deceptive Athlete

Many questioned whether Devin Booker possessed the athletic ability, but this video at the combine puts a lot of this to rest.

Potential

Booker will not turn 19 till the end of October. He already possesses a great shot and is a much better athlete than he gets credit for.

Weaknesses

Can He Score in the Paint?

DraftExpress.com has this to say about Booker's ability to score in the lane.

178 of the 200 shots Booker took in the half-court were jump-shots this season. In the rare cases that he does get inside the paint, he is not a great finisher, due to his average explosiveness and the lack of extension he gets around the rim due to his poor wingspan. He relies heavily on pull-up jumpers and floaters once he puts the ball on the floor, which are not the most high percentage looks in the NBA, and rarely gets to the free throw line—only 65 times in 38 games this season.

Can He Create His Own Shot and Create Shots for Other Players?

He rarely had the opportunity at Kentucky to create his own shot or rack up assists. He was mainly a spot up shooter. While part of this certainly resulted from playing alongside the talent he had at Kentucky, this still remains a question mark for Booker moving forward.

Will Booker's Age Take Him Out of Consideration for OKC?

The Thunder are built to win now. With Booker's age and lack of experience, he will almost assuredly take a couple of years to be ready to compete at the highest level that is required by the NBA. The Thunder might see a player who could make a much quicker impact a better fit with the current roster and their chase for the championship.

Final Thoughts

This tweet is more than intriguing as it compares Devin Booker to current Warrior star Klay Thompson.

Devin Booker has only been eligible to  vote for 7 months. He is the youngest player in the draft and possesses a skill that all basketball players strive to have, shot-making ability. While the Thunder might have to wait a while longer for Booker to develop, they aren't in a position to NEED a draft pick to make an impact next year. If they are willing to wait, they could have a star on their hands.