Oklahoma City Thunder Select Josh Huestis at No. 29

With the 29^th pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, the Oklahoma City Thunder selected Josh Huestis, the four-year Stanford University product.

With Huestis, the Thunder have someone who can play a specific role and that role is defense. It looks like this pick was made with probability that defensive specialist Thabo Sefolosha will not be re-signed for the coming season. Huestis is a small forward who can also guard the small forward position.

Huestis, standing 6’7 with a 7’1 wingspan, is a hard-nosed, long-armed defender with toughness as his calling card. You might remember him from the NCAA tournament when he played a major part in neutralizing Kansas’ Andrew Wiggins. It appears the Thunder’s talent evaluators certainly did.

It’s unclear how much playing time Huestis will get next season behind like-players such as Kevin Durant, Perry Jones and even Andre Roberson, the assumed defensive-guru heir apparent, but he looks to be a solid pick for Oklahoma City. Huesits will likely see time in the D-League gaining experience on the floor playing with the Tulsa 66ers.

He has promise, though, with his ability to rebound and defend with solid athleticism on the offensive side of the court. He averaged 11.2 points, 8.2 rebounds and 1.9 blocks in his senior year. It would be nice if he had outside shooting in his arsenal or shot the ball consistently; maybe he can develop in time.