Prospect Spotlight -- Isaac Okoro

[King Ken]

Not so much a comparison from a physical stance but from an impact stance down the road. Also Okoro is a superior player out of college than Deng was. Please don't compare the finish product of Deng to the prospect which is Okoro.

How was Okoro a better college player than Deng?


Deng: 15ppg, 7rpg, 48%FG, 36%3FG, 55%TS, 52efg%, 5.6 win shares

Okoro: 12.8ppg, 4.4rpg, 51FG%, 29%3FG, 59TS%, 55efg%, 3.4 win shares


Deng was the better player coming out of college. Don't see that as debatable.

Win shares? You literally left out most of the stats to benefit Deng's case. Post everything and let the people decide.

[shakes0]

Not so much a comparison from a physical stance but from an impact stance down the road. Also Okoro is a superior player out of college than Deng was. Please don't compare the finish product of Deng to the prospect which is Okoro.

How was Okoro a better college player than Deng?


Deng: 15ppg, 7rpg, 48%FG, 36%3FG, 55%TS, 52efg%, 5.6 win shares

Okoro: 12.8ppg, 4.4rpg, 51FG%, 29%3FG, 59TS%, 55efg%, 3.4 win shares


Deng was the better player coming out of college. Don't see that as debatable.

Win shares? You literally left out most of the stats to benefit Deng's case. Post everything and let the people decide.

honestly, I don't really understand advanced stats, but everyone talks about win shares so I put them in. They sure sound important. Also included TS% and EFG% since I hear that those are more important than just raw FG%.

What stats did I leave out that are important?

[Jamaaliver]

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[Jamaaliver]

2020 NBA Draft Big Board

12. Isaac Okoro, F, 6’6, Auburn, 19 years old

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Arguably the best athlete in this entire draft, Okoro is a ready-made impact defender and play finisher. A proven winner, Okoro came into Auburn a relatively unheralded top-40 recruit and left an All-SEC defender and consensus lottery pick. To people who had seen him in high school, these results were hardly surprising, but questions still remain about his overall skill level. He’s a great ball mover and overall intelligent player, but his complete refusal to shoot has really harmed his team at times and he is very unlikely to ever be a high-leverage scoring threat, despite his athleticism and powerful frame. Still, it’s hard to pass up a player who jumps like he does, and it’s not as though there isn’t a way for Okoro to still become a highly valuable player in the NBA. It may just take time.

Dime

NBA Draft 2020: Big Board 2.0

7. ISAAC OKORO, Wing, Auburn



Few college players had a defensive presence comparable to Isaac Okoro last season. He’s a menace on that side of the ball, whether it’s playing free safety and siphoning off passes, or hounding the opposition’s lead scorer. He’s a versatile, explosive athlete at 6-foot-7, and he uses every ounce of his athleticism on defense.

Okoro does a lot of good things on offense as well. He hustles and plays smart. He moves the ball early and often, and he cuts hard to the basket when opportunities arise. A complete overhaul of his jump shot is necessary — and that’s certainly his biggest flaw — but on the whole, Okoro has a high floor and a desirable set of skills in a shallow lottery.

On his defense alone, Okoro should bring value to an NBA floor. He covers large swathes of ground and his nose for the ball is impeccable. He can fit into any scheme, and guard just about anyone outside the frontcourt. He will need to add a reliable three-point stroke to unlock star potential, but there’s immense value in a top-notch defender who plays unselfishly.

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[Jamaaliver]

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[Jamaaliver]

2020 NBA mock draft 7.0: First-round draft pick predictions, analysis

Atlanta Hawks: Isaac Okoro, SF, Auburn



Measurables: 6-foot-6, 225 pounds
Age: 19

Team Needs
The Hawks can score and their brand of basketball is at least somewhat entertaining. They have a number one option in Trae Young and John Collins is a nice secondary scorer. Adding Clint Capella and Dewayne Dedmon at the deadline added depth to the front line and they have some promising young scorers in Kevin Huerter, Cam Reddish and De’Andre Hunter. They could use depth at wing and power forward, plus someone who plays defense.

Why Okoro?
At some point, someone is going to have to play defense if the Hawks hope to start winning games. Okoro is a winner and a defensive juggernaut. He would slide right into the Hawks starting lineup and bring an attitude and toughness they need. If he can develop into a 3-point shooter, Okoro could be the league’s next top flight 3-and-D wing.

NBC Sports

[Spud2nique]

2020 NBA mock draft 7.0: First-round draft pick predictions, analysis

Atlanta Hawks: Isaac Okoro, SF, Auburn



Measurables: 6-foot-6, 225 pounds
Age: 19

Team Needs
The Hawks can score and their brand of basketball is at least somewhat entertaining. They have a number one option in Trae Young and John Collins is a nice secondary scorer. Adding Clint Capella and Dewayne Dedmon at the deadline added depth to the front line and they have some promising young scorers in Kevin Huerter, Cam Reddish and De’Andre Hunter. They could use depth at wing and power forward, plus someone who plays defense.

Why Okoro?
At some point, someone is going to have to play defense if the Hawks hope to start winning games. Okoro is a winner and a defensive juggernaut. He would slide right into the Hawks starting lineup and bring an attitude and toughness they need. If he can develop into a 3-point shooter, Okoro could be the league’s next top flight 3-and-D wing.

NBC Sports

Slide right into the starting lineup? Over who? Can he carry his own on offense?

[Jamaaliver]

You Can’t Fly in the NBA Unless You Have Wings

While ball-dominant guards and big men have long ruled the league, there’s now a greater appreciation—and market—for two-way wings. What does the 2020 draft class have to offer?



Auburn freshman Isaac Okoro, another projected lottery pick, has the opposite issue. He’s a chiseled 6-foot-6, 225-pound talent who has everything you want in a defensive player—versatility, effort, intangibles, strength, and quickness. But college opponents began to ignore him on offense whenever he was behind the 3-point line. Okoro shot 68 percent at the rim but 25 percent everywhere else on the court, including just 29 percent from 3, per Hoop-Math. He has stiff mechanics—it looks like he’s heaving a boulder at the rim. What’s worse is he’d often hesitate on open looks or pass them up completely.

Prospects like Okoro often come around; we saw two of them in 2015 with Justise Winslow and Stanley Johnson. Both had shaky jump shots. Winslow was sort of able to figure it out as a 34 percent 3-point shooter over his career. But Johnson hasn’t—he’s shooting just 29 percent, and now he’s barely hanging onto an NBA roster spot. It remains to be seen which side Okoro will fall on.

Players like Okoro make the draft so challenging. There can be so much to like, but it takes only one glaring hole to hold you back. Given the recent emphasis on wings, it’ll be interesting to see when and which teams will be willing to roll the dice in the draft.

The Ringer

[Jamaaliver]

Isaac Okoro, Wing, Auburn — 6’6”, 225 lbs, 19.4 years old (Previously No. 14)

Per 36 Numbers: 14.7 PTS, 5.1 REB, 2.3 AST, 1.1 STL, 1.0 BLK, 2.2 TO

Percentages: 58.5 TS%, 28.6 3PT%, 67.4 FT%, 51.2 FG%

Okoro’s comparisons are pretty scary. He’s known as a lockdown defender plagued with a bad jump shot, making the references to Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Justise Winslow hard to ignore. However, there’s also a lot of Jimmy Butler in his game, as the two share similar physical builds, are masters at bowling over defenders on off-ball cuts and having some pretty reliable passing tendencies. The scoring and overall offense is bad enough to keep Okoro from being a sure thing, but the plug-and-play defense is hard to ignore as well.

76ers Fansided

[Jamaaliver]

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[jayu70]

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[King Ken]

His ceiling is very high and his likelihood of getting there is just as high. Even with a low floor, he's a fairly safe prospect. I think he's a great and sound pick for the Hawks if taken. I have no issues with Okoro whatsoever. He has the athleticism, the tools, the intelligence, the feel for the game, and the work ethic. He just needs reps, experience, and time to develop. He's a good investment for the Hawks who can take a risk like this.

[Jamaaliver]

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6. Atlanta Hawks: Isaac Okoro (Auburn, SF/PF, Freshman)



The Atlanta Hawks figure to be drawn to Isaac Okoro's defensive-stopper potential. At 6'6", 225 pounds with powerful legs, quick feet and discipline, teams see a player they can bank on to guard and make the game tougher for opponents' top scoring guards and wings.

And despite some promising stretches of defense from De'Andre Hunter, he wasn't as convincing as he appeared to be at Virginia.

The Hawks ranked No. 28 in defensive efficiency, but they should also value Okoro's efficient offense game (60.7 percent 2PT) that wasn't always fully showcased. He'll give Atlanta's lineup a physical driver, sharp post player, timely cutter and smart passer with untapped playmaking potential. At19 years old, he's shown enough shot-making ability to indicate likely improvement as a shooter.

[Jamaaliver]

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[atlantabbq99]

I keep watching film on the guy, I'm trying to like him, but he doesn't look like an NBA player and looks like a bust.

Some are hoping he will be the next Jimmy Butler or Kawhi but when I watch him, all i see is Michael Kidd-Gilchrist.

[Radioblacktive1]

Edwards is gone, so I think this guys is my number 1 personally. Lu Dort has been giving Harden so much trouble and it’s so fun to watch. Okoro seems like a guy we can just send out there to shut people down almost completely. The three-headed lockdown monster of Reddish, Okoro, and Hunter is very intriguing to me. We really are close to having a “Shut em down” lineup to throw out there in emergency situations.

[CP War Hawks]

The kid is a specimen, and the best defender in this draft. You take him and develop the nuances of his game season to season. His potential is high enough for me to take the chance at 6 or perhaps a trade down.

[jayu70]

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[Ball4life32]

Yeah just don’t see it with him offensively....I think he will struggle to score in the half court & he’s going to hurt spacing with his lack of shooting (plus his funky form + bad FT% doesn’t make me think he can get much better) Rather go Vassell if we stay at 6.

Also I laugh at all these writers that think the Hawks only struggled bc of defense & wont improve until then.

[CP War Hawks]

Yeah just don’t see it with him offensively....I think he will struggle to score in the half court & he’s going to hurt spacing with his lack of shooting (plus his funky form + bad FT% doesn’t make me think he can get much better) Rather go Vassell if we stay at 6.

Also I laugh at all these writers that think the Hawks only struggled bc of defense & wont improve until then.

The thing is we are not building around Okoro to be a focal point of the offense. Trae is the franchise and Okoro is the best fit to support him. The guy has great defensive instincts with the matched athletic ability to guard 1-4 effectively.

His slashing and finishing would be a great compliment to the rest of the team. If they hold the combine he will blow it away.