Oklahoma City made a sensational pick in the latest lottery on Wednesday night. The Thunder were linked to a lot of prospects, but none of them ended up being the right ones. And that’s probably because management never thought Nikola Theme had a chance of falling so low on the table.
Topic, a tall, lanky guard, was considered a top-five player this season before partially tearing his ACL before the pre-draft process. The injury may have scared off a few teams, but Oklahoma City decided to take a chance. And the Thunder are in position to do so, too. Topic will get a redshirt year, much like Chet Holmgrenand could end up being one of the most profitable plays of the entire draft.
Topic began the 2023-24 season playing for Mega MIS in the Adriatic League before returning to Crvena Zvezda. He had an impressive season for both clubs, and had he not suffered that unfortunate knee injury, Oklahoma City likely would have missed out on his services. He averaged 15.9 points, 5.9 assists and 3.5 rebounds in 20 total games.
After the first round, ESPN pegged Oklahoma City as a big winner from night one.
“Less than a week after trading the starting point guard Josh Giddey At Chicago Bulls“, the Thunder replaced him with arguably the best point guard in the draft in Topic,” wrote Jonathan Givony.
“Having built an incredible pipeline of young talent, while also being loaded with future draft picks, the Thunder can afford to play the long game with Topic, who will miss all of next season with a torn ACL that will require surgery surgical in the coming weeks, under the careful supervision of Oklahoma City.
Topic was already ranked among the best pick-and-roll players in European basketball at the age of 18, which is frightening considering how point guards typically continue to improve in this area with age and experience. His ability to make instant reads while mapping the court and processing the play with surgical precision is a rare and coveted commodity in today’s NBA game.
While Topic and Giddey are certainly not the same player, the crafty playmaker profile is consistent. Topic, however, is lightning fast with good maneuverability and loves to finish through contact at the edge of the basket. He is one of the best finishers in the entire draft class and has been an elite pick-and-roll operator.
Oklahoma City doesn’t need him to make an immediate impact and will allow him to focus on his recovery. Once he’s back on the field, this pick could look like a good deal in the long run.
It’s easy to see why the Thunder could be considered a winner in this situation, even if the outcome won’t become apparent until later.
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