Prospect Thread: Onyeka Okongwu

Post #1 » by **BigSlam** » Fri Aug 21, 2020 1:15 am

Go for it

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

SWedd523 · Post #2 » by **SWedd523** » Fri Aug 21, 2020 2:02 am

BigSlam wrote:Go for it

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

No

Post #3 » by **BigSlam** » Fri Aug 21, 2020 4:28 pm

Watch on YouTube

Soul Rebel · Post #4 » by **Soul Rebel** » Fri Aug 21, 2020 4:35 pm

I loved him at 8, not so much at 3.

BlackOutBuzz · Post #5 » by **BlackOutBuzz** » Fri Aug 21, 2020 5:15 pm

This Hollinger blurb is interesting (for a couple reasons).

Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk

Liver_Pooty · Post #6 » by **Liver_Pooty** » Fri Aug 21, 2020 5:47 pm

Has a chance to be the next Bam Adebayo

Braggins · Post #7 » by **Braggins** » Sat Aug 22, 2020 10:26 am

Dean On Draft has him #1 in this class.

Okongwu at worst should be a useful defensive player who is an efficient garbageman offensively. At best he develops his shooting and perimeter skill and becomes a two way star with elite defensive impact and versatility. It’s a favorable range of outcomes, and there is no clear reason why he should not succeed.

Considering the myriad warts, questionable upside, and limited proof of statistical goodness of the other prospects at the top of the draft, it’s hard to see how any of them belong above Okongwu. He has the physical tools, he has by far the best numbers, he fits a modern mold, and he doesn’t have any major warts that impede his path to greatness.

He is currently slated to go just 6th overall on ESPN, but if he slides that far there are decent odds that looks silly in retrospect. Everybody slated to go ahead of him has serious downside and probably less upside as well. Not even trying to drop a hot take here, Okongwu seems like the best prospect in the draft and unless I’m missing some major concern it seems somewhat obvious.

He has Wiseman 2nd, Edwards 3rd, and Ball 4th.

wilson115 · Post #8 » by **wilson115** » Sat Aug 22, 2020 11:05 am

Pearlman was much higher on him than on Wiseman. But ... #3? Makes me wish they let Steve draft Adebayo at #11 instead of trading for Howard.

https://www.thestepien.com/2020/02/03/onyeka-okongwu-scouting-report/
https://www.thestepien.com/2020/01/24/james-wiseman-scouting-report/

wilson115 · Post #9 » by **wilson115** » Sat Aug 22, 2020 11:18 am

Liver_Pooty wrote:Has a chance to be the next Bam Adebayo

On defense, maybe. Offense, unless he secretly wanted to become a Ball brother when he was playing with them, he hasn't really shown he could develop into a playmaker like Adebayo.

CALIPARI WAS STRAIGHT with Adebayo: He would not shoot jumpers or bring the ball up -- skills that had blossomed over Adebayo's high school career. He would set screens, roll hard, play defense.

"John didn't let him do anything," Riley chuckles....

Adebayo's final pre-draft workout came with the Charlotte Hornets, who held the No. 11 pick. He felt he performed well. He loved the idea of playing close to home -- close to Mom. "I wanted Charlotte," he says.

He was laying in bed at the Grand Hyatt in midtown Manhattan two nights before the draft, relaxing with his mother and Jabari Ashe, a Northside teammate and perhaps his closest friend, when Saratsis burst in with news: Charlotte had traded for Dwight Howard. The Hornets would not select Adebayo.

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/28678382/bam-adebayo-fiercest-best-nba-player-know

DY_nasty · Post #10 » by **DY_nasty** » Sat Aug 22, 2020 6:56 pm

Honestly liking this guy more and more.

Vanderbilt_Grad · Post #11 » by **Vanderbilt_Grad** » Sat Aug 22, 2020 8:10 pm

wilson115 wrote:On defense, maybe. Offense, unless he secretly wanted to become a Ball brother when he was playing with them, he hasn't really shown he could develop into a playmaker like Adebayo.

So let me quote Dean on Draft. The guy has been wrong before on evaluations, but has a better track record than some.

He was also excellent offensively in spite of being surrounded by inefficient players with limited creation ability. USC posted a dreadful 0.86 points per possession with Okongwu off the floor. The team was sorely lacking in offensive talent and would have had a dismal season without Onyeka.

With him on the floor, they posted a respectable 0.98 points/possession, as he led the team in usage and was by far the most efficient player on the roster. He is an excellent finisher, scoring 62.1% inside the arc while rebounding well offensively cleaning up 12.4% of his team’s misses.

He only shot 1/4 from beyond the arc, but his 72% FT offers hope of being able to develop a jumper long term as he is still only 19.

wilson115 · Post #12 » by **wilson115** » Sat Aug 22, 2020 11:50 pm

Vanderbilt_Grad wrote:So let me quote Dean on Draft. The guy has been wrong before on evaluations, but has a better track record than some.

Oh, I'm not saying Okongwu can't be a force inside like Adebayo or John Collins. But Adebayo also brings Jokic-like ballhandling and passing to the table. I respect Dean on Draft, one of the first sites to hype Donkic before most people had ever heard of him.

MasterIchiro · Post #13 » by **MasterIchiro** » Sun Aug 23, 2020 12:01 am

I'd dowse myself in seal blubber and light myself on fire.

JMAC3 · Post #14 » by **JMAC3** » Sun Aug 23, 2020 5:59 am

I don’t love taking a big at three, just not sure how much affect they have on winning- especially in the playoffs. Who was last the championship team who won on the back of a big? Shaq?

Jokic Being out-dueled by Donovan so far.

Towns elite talent hasn’t won.

Embiid can’t will the sixers past the second round and probably getting swept this year.

Davis wasn’t able to win before a great wing in lebron.

Dwight was best center for 10 years and made one finals appearance.

I will pretty much be doing a head to head evaluation with him and wiseman, but I doubt either crack my top 3 which will leave them out of consideration for our pick.

Both seem like starters in the league, but I also feel like we could grab a bargain center at top of the second who can start for us this year potentially.

Sent from my iPhone using RealGM Forums

Vanderbilt_Grad · Post #15 » by **Vanderbilt_Grad** » Sun Aug 23, 2020 12:46 pm

JMAC3 wrote:I don’t love taking a big at three, just not sure how much affect they have on winning- especially in the playoffs. Who was last the championship team who won on the back of a big? Shaq?

I agree that the current state of the NBA has really diminished the return on drafting a big. In particular I thought that Ayton over Doncic and Trae Young was pretty nuts, for example.

I want to go for a bit of nuance though. The modern NBA has put a premium on shooting and 3 point play. What teams need are guys who can help with that, either on offence by being able to shoot 3s or pass to guys who do ... or on defense by being able to guard perimeter players. Many of the big guys like Dwight simply couldn't do any of that.

So when we evaluate the big man prospects that's the kind of thing I'll be looking for. Do they have any perimeter skills on either end of the floor? Are these guys who could play on a team like the GSW, Houston, or Miami?

I don't think that it's the kiss of death to pick a big man in the draft, it's just that it's a bad idea to go for the traditional big guys who can't do the stuff they will need to in the NBA.

DY_nasty · Post #16 » by **DY_nasty** » Sun Aug 23, 2020 1:53 pm

JMAC3 wrote:I don’t love taking a big at three, just not sure how much affect they have on winning- especially in the playoffs. Who was last the championship team who won on the back of a big? Shaq?

Jokic Being out-dueled by Donovan so far.

Towns elite talent hasn’t won.

Embiid can’t will the sixers past the second round and probably getting swept this year.

Davis wasn’t able to win before a great wing in lebron.

Dwight was best center for 10 years and made one finals appearance.

I will pretty much be doing a head to head evaluation with him and wiseman, but I doubt either crack my top 3 which will leave them out of consideration for our pick.

Both seem like starters in the league, but I also feel like we could grab a bargain center at top of the second who can start for us this year potentially.

Sent from my iPhone using RealGM Forums

to be fair, every situation you've listed is built poorly :lol:

anthony davis is not a big you run an offense through - nola was a trainwreck and LA is still trying to figure out how to play together
jokic is up against arguably the best defender in the league right now. its not some duel with donovan... thats really disingenuous
embiid is missing his next best player - and they don't even complement each other anyways. there isn't a starting level ball handler on that team outside of simmons. and people double off of simmons WITH the ball so its even more indicative of a bad situation
dwight lost his all star pg, and still managed to get to the finals with nothing but role players and misfits
towns is one of the worst defenders in the league on one of the worst franchises in the league

all those things require context, and being overly reductive isn't really painting a proper picture.

Post #17 » by **BigSlam** » Sun Aug 23, 2020 4:03 pm

Vanderbilt_Grad wrote:So when we evaluate the big man prospects that's the kind of thing I'll be looking for. Do they have any perimeter skills on either end of the floor? Are these guys who could play on a team like the GSW, Houston, or Miami?

I don't think that it's the kiss of death to pick a big man in the draft, it's just that it's a bad idea to go for the traditional big guys who can't do the stuff they will need to in the NBA.

This is HUGE for me.

I don’t need a big who can drain two+ 3’s per game at a high clip (although it’s a nice luxury).

But I do need a big who can quickly recognise a double team and get the ball to an open team mate who can/does hit the 3 at a high clip.

I don’t want a Howard type black hole at the 5. I want a ball mover. Doesn’t have to be Jokic, but someone who plays team offence.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

wilson115 · Post #18 » by **wilson115** » Sun Aug 23, 2020 9:43 pm

Pearlman thinks he's got good handles at least. (Emphasis his.) He calls Wiseman's "mechanical."

Handle: Nice handle for a big and comfortable using it, even in tight spaces. Can sometimes look a bit loose, but overall it’s very nice for a freshman big. Likes jab step then attack, rip through drive, has flashed crossovers and spins into finishes, and does not look out of place handling for a big – looks fluid. I really like his first step – nice and quick – and he does a nice job facing up and attacking, rather than waiting for the defense to come. When attacking downhill, he does a nice job going from handle to finish – no need to take extra half step / step in order to set himself. Prone to driving into traffic and turning it over (or forcing up a bad shot). Good ballhandler for a big and comfortable using it – has a variety of moves he can pull (loves spins, rip through and attack, etc) and has a quick first step.

https://www.thestepien.com/2020/02/03/onyeka-okongwu-scouting-report/

This kid's getting more interesting.

Watch on YouTube

wilson115 · Post #19 » by **wilson115** » Sun Aug 23, 2020 10:30 pm

Vanderbilt_Grad wrote:... or on defense by being able to guard perimeter players. Many of the big guys like Dwight simply couldn't do any of that.

No problems there.

Watch on YouTube

Post #20 » by **BigSlam** » Sun Aug 23, 2020 11:46 pm

Really interested to see how this kid measures out.

Even though the combine will be virtual, I assume there will still be official measurements?

The difference between him clocking in with an impressive overall height and wingspan Vs coming in under what his measurements are projected to be could really impact his draft position.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk