Former Oregon State guard Stephen Thompson Jr. may not be listed highly on draft boards headed into the 2019 NBA Draft, but that doesn't mean that his skillset isn't valuable at the NBA level.
Could his road to the NBA start in Rip City?
The Portland Trail Blazers, owners of the 25th pick in the draft, saw potential in Thompson Jr. as they invited him, along with five other guards for their second round of pre-draft workouts at their practice facility in Tualatin on Monday afternoon.
"It's a great experience, and it's such a great opportunity to be able to come out here (and work out for the Blazers)," Thompson Jr. said. "I showed what I can do in a workout setting and hopefully I can get a few more before the draft."
The 6-foot-4, 190 pound guard averaged 16 points, four rebounds, and three assists his senior season while knocking down 42 percent of his shots, including 30 percent from three.
While Thompson Jr.'s three-point percentage might be quick to scoff at, it's still important to remember that Stevie's game is based around that he's a volume shooter that's going to take open shots when they're there.
Thompson Jr. leaves Oregon State as the schools' all time record holder in three-pointers made with 228, and increased his made number of threes each season. He knows he's got work ahead of him to make an NBA roster, but he feels his outside shooting and ability to drive off the dribble are his biggest assets.
"Spacing the floor and shooting the ball," Thompson Jr. said of his strengths heading into the NBA. "I feel that I can space the floor, attack the close out, and hit open shots."
The first pre-draft workout for Thompson Jr. also yielded some constructive criticism as he learned of the areas in his game that would need improvement.
"The main thing is getting stronger and playing with more physicality," Thompson Jr. said. "Especially on the defensive end, guarding the ball one-on-one, and moving my feet on defense. Things like that.
Despite Portland being Stevie's first pre-draft workout, he's not discouraged at the lack of interest early on as he's confident in his ability to find the right fit and grow into an NBA player.
"It's not really discouraging," Thompson Jr. said. "I look at it as more time to work on my body, lift weights, and train."
With the Trail Blazers being one the NBA teams projected to be over the luxury tax for the upcoming season, it's more likely that the Blazers deal the 25th pick rather than keep it, but that doesn't mean that Thompson's impression with the teams' brass might not land him an opportunity down the road.
Given the Blazers' personnel and money situation, signing a player like Thompson Jr. to a two-way contact would be both beneficial to him, and the Trail Blazers, or any other team, that's willing to make a small investment on him with the hopes of a big return.
Under the new CBA rules, every NBA team is allowed to carry the contracts of two, two-way players that split their time between the G-League, and their NBA team.
Two-way contracts don't count against a teams' salary cap and could be the perfect situation for a player like Thompson Jr. who needs to prove himself and develop.
