NBA Draft Bio: Onyeka Okongwu
Onyeka Okongwu, the Freshman Power Forward out of USC, has been creeping up mock drafts for the past few months. Like his former high school teammate LaMelo Ball, Okongwu is a consensus lottery pick - with some mock drafts projecting him into the top 5. Let's take a look below at how he made his way to the draft, his strengths and weaknesses as well as his overall outlook as a professional.
"The high ceiling name is Bam Adebayo, which is, I don’t know if he has that playmaking that Bam has, but he does have a very good basketball IQ. 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝗕𝗮𝗺."
— NBA Central (@TheNBACentral) September 17, 2020
- NBA Executive on Onyeka Okongwu
(Via https://t.co/s7eEJ8Dtk5) pic.twitter.com/0Hgz3KxfHf
Road to the Draft
Okongwu, from Chino Hills, California, was recruited by many high-ranking NCAA schools – Kansas, UCLA, and Arizona State – however he chose to stay close to home and attend USC. He had a stellar year, averaging 16.2 ppg, 8.6 rpg & 2.7 blocks, while shooting 61.6% from the field. He was the major factor in the Trojans success, as the team went 22-9 and more than likely heading to an NCAA tournament berth. Growing up, his older brother Nnamdi taught him how to play the game, even bragging about how good his younger brother would be one day. Unfortunately, Okongwu tragically lost his brother in a freak skateboarding accident – something he carries with him to this day.
— Onyeka Okongwu (@BigO21_) March 6, 2020
Strengths
At 6'9",
220 lbs, with a 7'1" wingspan, Okongwu comes into the draft as an explosive, strong player with
excellent mobility at the PF/C position. He has great leaping ability off two
feet and can finish plays at the rim with a nice pair of hands. He has sharp
footwork around the basket, which allows him to get jump hooks off with both
hands, as well as a variety of other post moves. When doubled in the post, he
has shown the ability to be a above-average passer out of the post. Defensively,
however is where Okongwu will shine. Check out some of his defensive highlights here. His 2.7 blocks per game as a Trojan placed him 2nd in the Pac-12, and he is rated as
one of the best defenders in the draft. He has good defensive fundamentals,
as he stays down on pump fakes and can step out and guard on the perimeter. Last,
but certainly not least, Okongwu plays hard – a talent that cannot be
overlooked when rating prospects coming into the NBA.
Weaknesses
At this
point in his maturity, he is strictly a 5 on offense, as he only took three 3’s
in his Freshman year, with little mid-range game to speak of. His 72% free throw percentage does warrant optimism that he can extend his range out
to the 3-point line at some point in his NBA career. His overall size is a concern
– will he be able to defend at his position? He did foul out 3 times as a
Freshman, which exemplifies his over-eagerness to block shots – something he
will have to learn to control in the NBA. He will need to add muscle on to his
frame so that he can compete day in and day out against NBA bigs.
Overall Outlook
Photo Credit: Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire
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