Bobi Klintman's 2023 NBA draft prediction: Where will the Wake Forest big man land?
There's a viral video of Bobi Klintman throwing down a monumental dunk against the Virginia Cavaliers. There's also a video of the big man doing the fundamentals right. No doubt about it, he showed enough to get drafted in the NBA on June 22 by a lucky team.
With the season coming to a close, Klintman came into his own in an astonishing way. He almost doubled the statistics that matter as if in anticipation of the draft.
Although he averaged 5.3 points and 4.5 rebounds for the entire season, he ramped up his end product to 9.6 ppg and 9.8 rebounds during the last five games. In those, he showed the knack for stepping up that most professionals only develop later on in their professional careers as they mature.
Bobi Klintman's biggest strengths
Bobi Klintman's already been nicknamed "The Swede Freak," a nod to his immense potential with some comparing him to Giannis Antetokounmpo. For a big man, standing at 6-foot-9 without shoes, he moves extremely well across the floor, leading to what insiders view as his biggest strengths: his versatility and athleticism to guard multiple positions.
Klintman's shooting is fluid, and he's is the type of player who will have shrewd NBA front offices sitting in dark rooms deep in contemplation. The potential he shows in transition as well will not be lost on the decision-makers either. He showed unexpected flashes of playmaking ability in the final weeks of Wake Forest's season. Blink, and you'll miss them.
Draft projection
The OKC Thunder could definitely use the services of a player with the unhurried, effortless shooting of Bobi Klintman and a big man with the athletic ability to get up and down the floor as a role player. OKC's savvy general manager, Sam Presti, has the knack for selecting potential that turns into immense talent. Just think back to Steven Adams.
The Thunder have the 12th, 37th and 50th picks in the draft, and although Klintman isn't likely to be picked 12th, there's no betting against him being one of the other two picks. Early in May, Klintman withdrew from the draft combine but remained in the NBA draft perhaps signaling that he had been approached by a team interested in his services.
The league already has "The Greek Freak," with Klintman on his way, will there be "The Swede Freak" as well?