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J the Drafter wrote:Is there any reason Okeke wouldn’t play alongside Isaac and Gordon? Is it just a given that none of those players should be guarding bigs? Or does everyone expect us not to have room in the lineup due to Fournier?
Solid Snake wrote:ezzzp wrote:A versatile forward that play either forward spot with either Isaac or Gordon.
yeah but hes going to be a bench guy cause both those guys are starters and he's not taking their spot....i guess it's good we need all the bench help we can get.
fklt wrote:since he kicks AG off from the young prospect pecking order, I guess we're updating BIG into BIO now.
okeke is lotto talent. Knowing the FO, he was BPA to them.sChOlaRlY_Magi wrote:Anyone have an idea on why we didn't draft ANYONE that was being discussed with either pick?
ezzzp wrote:
Bensational wrote:ezzzp wrote:
It's funny, because that was the first time I found myself listening intently to what Schmitz and Bilas had to say, because I didn't know the first thing about Okeke. Good things to hear, nonetheless.
Message Boar wrote:If we had a need for a good power forward and he didn't have the health concerns, I would have liked it, not loved it, but liked it.
That being said, welcome to Orlando, Chuma! (assuming you're not traded)
The Effect wrote:Again, based on what?
Like i said, 4hrs ago, this name was never once mentioned, now people are going to tell me hes more skilled than AG? If hes so skilled, why are people JUST NOW mentioned how skilled he is? We spent months discussing the draft, didnt see anyone talk about him, literally NOT ONCE, but all of a sudden, hes a future superstar and the steal of the draft?
ezzzp wrote:Bensational wrote:ezzzp wrote:
It's funny, because that was the first time I found myself listening intently to what Schmitz and Bilas had to say, because I didn't know the first thing about Okeke. Good things to hear, nonetheless.
Why don't value Schmitz opinions?
"he's a really versatile defender, just as versatile as you see him offensively, where he can shoot it, put it on the floor and do a few things, a good passer, he's really versatile defensively too. He's a strength for us."
"There's an old expression, you are who you guard. I think he'll be able to guard 3s, 4s, 5s, 2s... He's a very versatile player and a very highly intelligent team defensive player... I don't want to lock him into a position. We'll let him grow as a player and let our coaches get to know the player and I think he'll be able to help us in a lot of different areas."
"It's a little surprising he went this high, but that shows you where the NBA is headed. He can shoot it, he can guard, he can run and he can play all over the floor. You can move him anywhere."
We are living the age of the 3-pointer in college basketball. Teams are shooting more 3s than ever before, and the trend doesn’t look to be slowing down any time soon.
But what can defenses do to combat it? Switching on defense is one tactic that’s becoming more and more popular.
It’s difficult for two main reasons. First, it takes a certain kind of player to be able to guard multiple positions. Undersized point guards may be great on offense, but they probably can’t hold up in this defensive system. Or you may have a plodding post-up beast who’s immobile on the perimeter. That guy can’t play in this defensive system, either.
Second, it takes a high level of concentration. Players weren’t taught the art of switching growing up. While it can look easy, it’s usually a foreign concept, and the even slightest hesitation can cost your team.
This is why wings are such a hot commodity right now. Get a guy who stands between 6-6 and 6-9, is athletic and has sound defensive technique, and he’s the perfect switchable defender. That player should be able to hang with guards, like-sized players and even some centers.
Chuma Okeke has a chance to be the steal of the draft here. If he didn't go down with that ACL injury, I think we're talking about him as a surefire lottery pick," ESPN analyst Mike Schmitz said. "Seven-foot wingspan. Defends multiple positions. Can space the floor offensively. Has a strong feel for the game. He was really the glue that held that Auburn team together. He's unselfish, he moves the ball, he knows his role. In today's NBA, he's the guy you want. He's the prototype.
This is a huge win for the Orlando Magic, even if he has to sit out.
"He is an analytics darling in a lot of ways. ESPN.com's the genius of the numbers, Kevin Pelton had him ranked No. 2. So this is a guy that analytics models really liked and basketball people clearly liked in terms of versatility, in terms of his ability to shoot the ball, and his feel for the game."
Okeke has played more aggressively during the tourney than he did during Auburn’s up-and-down season. He’s an advanced stats darling, supercharged by a 5.6 percent block rate, 3.6 percent steal rate and 59.0 true shooting percentage.
As data becomes the new currency in professional and collegiate sports, teams are leaving no stone unturned to access the best available information in order to field the best team to win. This arms race took another distinct turn on Monday when the Orlando Magic announced an exclusive deal with STATS whereby they will have access to AutoSTATS, the company's offering of new artificial technology (AI).
The Magic will use the tracking data produced by AutoSTATS in a number of ways, with the ultimate goal being to help the front office make more informed player evaluation decisions for upcoming roster moves. They will use the software to analyze players from the collegiate level in determining which players would make the most sense for the team in future NBA Drafts.
AutoSTATS delivers comprehensive player-tracking data directly from game video and assists, through their own proprietary and patented AI and computer vision technology, in making player evaluation determinations. This new technology will give the Magic exclusive access to collegiate tracking data from the company that is largely unavailable at this level of use, due to the scarcity of in-venue tracking systems at the NCAA basketball level.
