2017-18 Oklahoma City Thunder player grades: Terrance Ferguson

Full Name: Terrance Eugene Ferguson, Jr.

Nickname: 2K, TFerg

Years in NBA: Rookie

Contract Status: Entering 2nd year of 4 year contract with team option on last 2 seasons.

Notable Factoid: Terrance Ferguson opted to play in Australia’s NBL league en lieu of a year in the NCAA and considered one of, if not the most athletic players in a talented rookie class that has completely lived up to expectations, league-wide.

Player History: Born in Tulsa, Ferguson is a three-time gold medal winner with Team USA and the MVP of the 2016 Nike Hoops Summit. 2K spent a season playing for the Adelaide 36er’s after graduating from Advanced Prep in Dallas and was the 21st selection of the 2017 NBA Rookie Draft by the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Pre-season Expectations: Considered a super athletic project with limited skills and projected to spend much of his rookie season playing for the Thunder’s G-league affiliate, the Oklahoma City Blue. However, the maturity Ferguson gained in Australia proved valuable and he only played 3 games for the Blue and the rest of the season with the Thunder.

Regular Season Grade: C+, Ferguson improved steadily throughout the season, especially from beyond the 3-point line.

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Post Season Grade: B, The Rookie only saw 6 minutes of playing time spread out across 3 games, but converted on his only field goal attempt, a 3-pointer.

Most Memorable Game/Moment: January 3, 2018. In his first official start for the Thunder, Ferguson scored 24 points, all in the 2nd half, against the Los Angeles Lakers. After attempting only one shot in the first two quarters, TFerg set the nets on fire with a 9 for 11 effort including 6 three-point conversions on just 8 attempts in the last two frames.

Future Expectations: Ferguson has a fearless and aggressive nature well suited for a top defensive player, but it’s obvious the 184 lb. nineteen year old needs to get stronger and continue developing his defensive skill set. In his end-of-season interview, Ferguson told reporters he wants to become more than a transition dunker and spot-up shooter. Over the summer he hopes to develop the ability to create his own shot and become a more dangerous slashing threat.

To carry out those goals, it would benefit Ferguson to spend time with a good shooting coach to work on quieting the mechanics of his jump shot while hitting the weight room and packing down the pasta.

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Player Grades Explained:

C+: Met expectations

When you are picking in the bottom third of the first round, the likelihood of drafting a player that can make an immediate contribution on a contending team is pretty slim so teams generally select a player with the most potential. And Ferguson is brimming with potential.

If Terrance can continue to develop that potential with the same level of effort and discipline he demonstrated throughout his rookie season over the coming years, he could become one of the best two-way SG’s in the league.