Chuma Okeke drafted #16 by the Orlando Magic

[pepe1991]

i slept through whole draft, went at big board, saw dude projected second round pick , with 16# pick, lauged my a** off, saw he has torn ACL 62 days ago, stopped laughing and become depressed.

This is typical Hammond/ Weltman drafting. Just another desperate attemp to draft new "hidden gem" and zag where everybody zigs.
To this point, drafting is easly worst part of their job with Magic, not a single player they took looks like potential star.

[swarlesbarkley]

Then you take someone else. Its about value when you are drafting, and not falling in love with any one player. There were many that could help this team, immediately.

Cool! I expect you to not root for Okeke when he's playing well for us because he wasn't a "value" pick at #16 in your mind.

c'mon, you can do better than that, pretty cheap argument.

You're right I could have, I just didn't think you'd hear it since you missed my point in my previous post. I guess I'll try though.

We have no idea where other teams had Okeke on their big boards so the idea that we could've traded back or tried to get him the 2nd round is a moot point. You think he wasn't a value pick at #16 because you valued other guys more, our FO didn't. In fact, we probably added value to AG because if Okeke balls out AG becomes an intriguing trade piece.

You also mentioned guys who could help immediately. My point is we don't need help in June 2019. We need help in October 2019. I agree that it seems like we need backcourt help right now but let's see what our FO does in FA and how our injured guys look before assuming we know what our team needs.

[swarlesbarkley]

i slept through whole draft, went at big board, saw dude projected second round pick , with 16# pick, lauged my a** off, saw he has torn ACL 62 days ago, stopped laughing and become depressed.

This is typical Hammond/ Weltman drafting. Just another desperate attemp to draft new "hidden gem" and zag where everybody zigs.
To this point, drafting is easly worst part of their job with Magic, not a single player they took looks like potential star.

I figured you would have liked Okeke since the advanced stats on him are outstanding.

[basketballRob]

Bruce Pearl crying over Chuma.

Watch on YouTube

[swarlesbarkley]

Pearl has also been quoted as saying the only person holding Okeke back was Pearl himself. He also said that Okeke can do anything on the floor. Sounds like a guy we need with a few of our other young guys being limited in what they can do.

[Last Guardian]

Never heard of this guy. No emotional reaction as I didn't really care who we picked, I mean its #16. Just going by what I see and read, he looks like he could be a good role player, one that can actually provide offense. Highlights are hard to judge, I like that he seems laser focused and doesn't hesitate to do anything. We won't see him for a while, not really going to think too much about it.

[pepe1991]

i slept through whole draft, went at big board, saw dude projected second round pick , with 16# pick, lauged my a** off, saw he has torn ACL 62 days ago, stopped laughing and become depressed.

This is typical Hammond/ Weltman drafting. Just another desperate attemp to draft new "hidden gem" and zag where everybody zigs.
To this point, drafting is easly worst part of their job with Magic, not a single player they took looks like potential star.

I figured you would have liked Okeke since the advanced stats on him are outstanding.

Well on surface his advanced stats are nice,

but if you go deeper, that's second year player as third option at college team.

We stil talk about picky spot up shooter who scores only 12 ppg .

Above all , despite medicine improved to the point where ACL isn't career killer, we still talk about 1 year recovery that will take place.

Jeff Weltman saying Magic are "lucky to get him" is insult of inteligence of a fanbase. But given that's' same guy who after 7 months still gets away from Fultz questions using 2 words " improvment, progress" i'm not really that shocked. That guy would get himself fired with any bigger market within 2 weeks as media would grill him like a sosage on summer BBQ

[MartinsIzAfraud]

i slept through whole draft, went at big board, saw dude projected second round pick , with 16# pick, lauged my a** off, saw he has torn ACL 62 days ago, stopped laughing and become depressed.

This is typical Hammond/ Weltman drafting. Just another desperate attemp to draft new "hidden gem" and zag where everybody zigs.
To this point, drafting is easly worst part of their job with Magic, not a single player they took looks like potential star.

I figured you would have liked Okeke since the advanced stats on him are outstanding.

Well on surface his advanced stats are nice,

but if you go deeper, that's second year player as third option at college team.

We stil talk about picky spot up shooter who scores only 12 ppg .

Above all , despite medicine improved to the point where ACL isn't career killer, we still talk about 1 year recovery that will take place.

Jeff Weltman saying Magic are "lucky to get him" is insult of inteligence of a fanbase. But given that's' same guy who after 7 months still gets away from Fultz questions using 2 words " improvment, progress" i'm not really that shocked. That guy would get himself fired with any bigger market within 2 weeks as media would grill him like a sosage on summer BBQ

If this was Henny making this pick the mindset of 90% of the board would be WTF. However since our FO landed Giannis a unicorn once in a lifetime player it’s applauded.

[3ddman23]

Idk how to feel about this pick. Sort of reminds me a bit of Michael Beasley with his catch the ball face up attack the defender approach that I have seen in some of his highlights. I'm just not big on the fit and the fact that he is already coming in with a torn acl. I guess we just have to take the wait and see approach.

[pepe1991]

I figured you would have liked Okeke since the advanced stats on him are outstanding.

Well on surface his advanced stats are nice,

but if you go deeper, that's second year player as third option at college team.

We stil talk about picky spot up shooter who scores only 12 ppg .

Above all , despite medicine improved to the point where ACL isn't career killer, we still talk about 1 year recovery that will take place.

Jeff Weltman saying Magic are "lucky to get him" is insult of inteligence of a fanbase. But given that's' same guy who after 7 months still gets away from Fultz questions using 2 words " improvment, progress" i'm not really that shocked. That guy would get himself fired with any bigger market within 2 weeks as media would grill him like a sosage on summer BBQ

If this was Henny making this pick the mindset of 90% of the board would be WTF. However since our FO landed Giannis a unicorn once in a lifetime player it’s applauded.

I agree, there is complete lack of objective critism toward Hammond and Weltman on this board and at OPP since they took over.

Just few months back Magic CUT Jackson guy, drafted last year BECAUSE HE WAS OUT FOR A YEAR, just to draft ANOTHER SF-PF who is also DONE UNTIL NEXT YEAR.
They also cut Briscoe because he got hurt ( to keep MCW for epic 26% FG playoff stint).

This pick makes no sense whatsoever.

Frazier, Iwundu are both botched picks.

Bamba is also hurt.
Isaac is meh, if you have to value him as player from 1-10 ,he is harldy 5 .

Where will they get star? Trades ? How does collecting players that are years away from being ready to contribute gonna maximise your asset menagment?

I'm kind a baffled. Why not simply draft guard and call a day?

This team is Vuc- Ross departure away from 15 wins. Now more than ever.
If they don't get Fultz right ( and i highly doubt they will ) it will be pretty much continution of Hennigan politicy, 3 years rebuild that needs reset button.

[spinedoc]

Cool! I expect you to not root for Okeke when he's playing well for us because he wasn't a "value" pick at #16 in your mind.

c'mon, you can do better than that, pretty cheap argument.

You're right I could have, I just didn't think you'd hear it since you missed my point in my previous post. I guess I'll try though.

We have no idea where other teams had Okeke on their big boards so the idea that we could've traded back or tried to get him the 2nd round is a moot point. You think he wasn't a value pick at #16 because you valued other guys more, our FO didn't. In fact, we probably added value to AG because if Okeke balls out AG becomes an intriguing trade piece.

You also mentioned guys who could help immediately. My point is we don't need help in June 2019. We need help in October 2019. I agree that it seems like we need backcourt help right now but let's see what our FO does in FA and how our injured guys look before assuming we know what our team needs.

Much better, thank you, but I still disagree with you. Drafting is an art, as I prepare for my fantasy football draft, lol. I have a good friend that falls in love with guys and takes them in the second round when he could have had them five rounds later. Spoiler alert, he never makes the playoffs.

[The Effect]

Weltman thought Okeke wouldnt made it much longer, propably spurs at 19 would took him.

Well weltman is the same guy who sells most 2nd rounders because he's too lazy to scout and who only drafts guys based on one criteria, so really don't value that stance

So far he's he's missed in most his picks, with only Isaac looking decent so far, but considering he was picked 6th, still not much of a "hit"

Isaac - decent
Iwundu - career backup who'll likely be out if the league in a couple years
Bamba - injured all year, didn't show much and couldn't earn trust if coaching staff cause of laziness and bad play
Frazier - who? But, you know, wingspan
Jackson -who? Is he even still in the team? Egh he has a long wingspan
Okeke - injured projected backup.. but, 7ft wingspan

[pepe1991]

Weltman thought Okeke wouldnt made it much longer, propably spurs at 19 would took him.

Well weltman is the same guy who sells most 2nd rounders because he's too lazy to scout and who only drafts guys based on one criteria, so really don't value that stance

So far he's he's missed in most his picks, with only Isaac looking decent so far, but considering he was picked 6th, still not much of a "hit"

Isaac - decent
Iwundu - career backup who'll likely be out if the league in a couple years
Bamba - injured all year, didn't show much and couldn't earn trust if coaching staff cause of laziness and bad play
Frazier - who? But, you know, wingspan
Jackson -who? Is he even still in the team? Egh he has a long wingspan
Okeke - injured projected backup.. but, 7ft wingspan

But Fultz will be next Harden , if he does not ask for medical retirement after he is done collecting his $12,25M option that team will took on blind

[MagicMadness]

I think I'd prefer we kept him out the entire season; I don't want to deal with another Grant Hill type of situation.

Plus, it'd give him an extra year to grow into his NBA body.

[Rainwater]

^First of all, love the footage from the draft party. Those moments are a lot more fun and less scripted than the big names at the draft. It feels a bit more spontaneous, more personal. Andrew Nicholson's draft moment is another one that has stuck with me.

Second, nice catch about that analytics angle, I forgot about the STATS partnership.That could very well have played a role.

Third, in addition to your comprehensive write-up, what excites me most after sleeping on the pick is his reported excellent basketball IQ. It's a trait that a lot of the best players have and a lot of busts lack. If a player is smart and has the necessary tools to stay on the floor, it's likely that that player at least has a decent career in the league. Chuma definitely has both.

I don't know that I'd describe him as a high IQ player. Rather, I would say that he understands his role at both ends.

On the offensive end, he plays within the scheme and generally takes the shots you want him to. He will make boneheaded passes though, which is why he had a relatively high turnover rate. He'll attack closeouts, but he doesn't have great explosion when he gets to the rim, so he got blocked frequently by help defenders. He is going to need to improve at passing out when the help defenders meet him. He sets good screens and pops out for shots, but I don't see potential as a roll man due to his physical limitations.

On defense, he really understands what the offense is trying to do. He is hyper anticipatory, which gets him into trouble sometimes when he expects the offense to do something that it doesn't. What I like is that he is always surveying the floor for potential threats and looking to close gaps. This is what makes him a great team defender. He isn't as good as an individual defender. Bigs could use their size to go over him at the rim with little resistance. He has really active hands (this is his exceptional skill), which he used to break up plays a lot, but he was disadvantaged against physically superior players when this failed. If he gives up deep position, the battle is lost. He switched a lot on the perimeter, but he let guards get the angle on him and get into the paint too easily. He doesn't look to be quick enough to recover when this happens. You can probably clean this up by taking some of the aggression away from his perimeter defense, but it is going to come at the expense of his steal rate.

He looks like a really well-coached kid, which speaks to his coachability. I expect that almost everyone will really like him when he gets onto the floor. There will be some exceptions. If you don't value what Isaac brings at the defensive end, then you won't value what Okeke does. Isaac has much more potential though due to his height and length.

My gripe with the pick is that it really neglects our lack of playmaking. You aren't drafting for immediate impact. You have to project skill sets and development. I don't see a lot of upside with Okeke's skill set. He'll be a nice player. If we never draft players that project to facilitate though, we are never going to produce facilitators. You can't necessarily expect to get such players at 16 and you shouldn't reach for them, but NAW was there and begging to be drafted, yet we still went with another frontcourt glue guy. I don't know how much longer Okeke would've lasted, but I do know that some of the picks behind ours were available.

Great post

[SHAQ32]

This guy has some serious game!

Welcome to Orlando!

[Rainwater]

[instagram][/instagram]

Just heard Bruce Pearl on nbatv say Chuma was a reach for the Magic, oh my.

Really?

[WillyJakkz]

Now that I have time to relay my draft take, here goes.

Of the injured players left on the board between Chuma Okeke and Bol Bol you take the 7'2 slender guy with the foot issue who put up 21pts 9rebs 2blks that can shoot 3's over the undersized 6'7 muscular guy with the knee issue who was much more ground and pound than 3pt shooter.

Okeke is a 6'7 Al Horford essentially, nice but not transitional and will be used as a small ball PF as his handles aren't good enough to be a 3. I would easily gamble on Bol and his higher ceiling than Okeke.

Then we pass on an Orlando guy in Nassar Little who also was on the board and easily a safer and better pick. Bruno Fernando as well if we were set on taking ANOTHER PF.

Outside of the Bamba pick, our FO is making the Otis Smith years look like the Glory Days of the team...cue the Bruce Springsteen video.

[Bakomagic]

good athleticism, good length, good shooting, good scoring in the post, good at attacking closeouts, willing passer, good defender, high basketball IQ,

coming off injury, but there is not a lot of players in the draft that are who are able to do as many things well on the court while still having the potential to do more (by his own college coach's admission).

Whats not to like ?

[swarlesbarkley]

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Let's play him at the 3 so he can take advantage of all the smaller wings amirite?