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Sam Vecenie of The Athletic with everything you want to know about Isaac Okoro, who he ranked #5 in this draft (Okongwu was #4).
5. Isaac Okoro | W | Auburn | Birthdate: Jan. 26, 2001 (Age: 19) | 6-6 | 225 LBS | Hometown: Atlanta, Ga.
BACKGROUND: Parents are Godwin and Gloria. Both parents are originally from Nigeria and came to the United States. Born and raised in Atlanta. Started young as a basketball player, meeting future AAU and high school teammate (and incoming collegiate five-star freshman) Sharife Cooper before he turned 10 years old. They trained together for the next decade, including playing for Cooper’s father Omar’s AAU team, AOT. Two have had an inseparable journey to this stage. Both chose to attend McEachern High. Okoro started as a freshman and was immediately impactful. Eventually, Okoro and Cooper led McEachern to a 32-0 season in high school, the first time that a team in the highest classification in Georgia has gone unbeaten in 25 years. He shared the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s state MVP award with Cooper. McEachern was ranked as the No. 1 high school team in the country by multiple outlets and Okoro led them to the state championship in 2019. Led to opportunities with Team USA on youth levels. He was on the roster for the 2018 U17 World Cup team that won a gold medal. However, was drastically underrated by recruiting services. Snubbed from McDonald’s All-American game, although was chosen for Nike Hoop Summit. Despite all of his accolades, Okoro was only a consensus four-star recruit that ranked outside of the top-35 prospects. However, NBA scouts who had seen him at Team USA and Hoop Summit (including myself) felt he was likely to be a one-and-done and outperform that ranking. He proved to do just that. Okoro was named to the All-SEC, All-Freshman SEC and All-Defense SEC teams on his way to a dominant two-way season that helped lead Auburn to a 25-6 record and second-place finish in the SEC. Declared for the draft early after his freshman season. Okoro has proven himself throughout every level as a consistent winner and the kind of guy who helps his team play better when he’s on the court. Also has a high-level reputation as a worker.
STRENGTHS: The place to start is he just makes teams better through his sheer presence on the court. The consummate team player who does everything. It’s not an accident that Auburn lost to SEC basement dwellers Georgia and Missouri in two of the three games Okoro missed because of a sprained ankle. Overall Auburn was 15 points better than its opposition per 100 possessions when Okoro was on the floor and was just about even with its opponents when he left the floor.
He just does a lot of things well and does so while being an elite athlete. He’s 6-foot-6 with a 6-foot-10-ish wingspan and has great quickness, speed and leaping ability. He also is a fluid athlete despite a well-built 225-pound frame that allows him to play physically. More than anything though, it starts with his basketball IQ. His feel for the game is off the charts. The place where that is most noticeable is on defense. Okoro is terrific in all capacities. He is so smart and solid as an off-ball, team defender. He’s always in the right position rotationally. His closeouts are low with his arms up and it’s tough to drive him and get past him. As a weak-side defender, you’ll occasionally see him rotate over for a weak-side block. He’s great in scramble situations at causing havoc. He’s disruptive in exchanges and fights through screens. Not really a gambler, hence the low steal total, but don’t mistake that for defensive inaction. On the ball, he’s well-schooled in defensive slides and can drop his hips well. He is a menace in recovery, too, if he has to back into actions. And most importantly, he’s switchable 1 through 4 in the NBA and can take on tough wing assignments because of his strength. Okoro profiles as a potential borderline All-Defense team member on the wing if he keeps improving. But at the very least, he should be a part of good defenses in his career. NBA coaches should feel confident putting him out there from Day One and know that he’ll do his job.
On offense, he’s somewhere between “flashes” and “a real skill” as an on-ball creator. He’s not quite consistent because he doesn’t have the threat of the shot to play off of, but he’s better than he gets credit for as a slasher. Does a great job of getting downhill and being tough to get in front of. An elite finisher for a wing. Made 64.2 percent of his shots at the rim this season in half court settings, second-best among all top-100 wings in the 2020 NBA Draft class. Extremely shifty after he picks up the ball on his drives, showing off a variety of Euro steps, spin moves and angle-change finishes. Polished as a one-footed leaper who can maneuver around rotating rim protectors. More of a below-the-rim finisher in the half court as a driver, but an above-the-rim finisher on the break or off cuts with his elite leaping ability. Has shown some ability to beat defenders in isolation situations and out of pick-and-rolls.
More than that though, Okoro is also an absolutely terrific passer out of these situations. He’s unselfish and really makes high-level reads quickly. Knows exactly where the second- and third-level defenders are and makes knows exactly what the right play is. Already sees the cross-corner kickout that is regularly available in the NBA with the way that help-side taggers play in pick-and-roll, a high-degree-of-difficulty pass. Great at hitting dump-offs and same-side kickouts. Doesn’t panic underneath the rim. This ability off the bounce is where Okoro’s real upside shines and where the comparisons to some of the elite wings in the NBA come through. The feel, athleticism and finishing ability are there. He’s one-and-a-half steps away from being a real threat. Unfortunately, his big issue is also the thing that is most important to him playing a role in the NBA if everything doesn’t come together....
WEAKNESSES: The jump shot is kind of a mess. It’s inconsistent in terms of mechanics, particularly off the catch. Doesn’t have good shot prep and doesn’t involve his legs much. It’s a two-motion jumper there that often has a bit of a pause at the top, then a release that doesn’t come off the hand with good rotation or cleanly. His elbow flares regularly. Has a ball dip that he uses to get momentum to go up. His shoulders kind of hunch at times and then other times he fades away unnecessarily. It’s all over the place.
One upside is that he’s a bit better off the dribble. He has more natural bend in the legs already and the ball dip disappears because it’s already coming from his hip. That helps him get into better rhythm. Okoro actually made a better percentage off the dribble this season than he did off the catch, an exceedingly rare statistic (a 40.9 effective field goal percentage off the dribble compared to 36.7 off the catch, according to Synergy). Still, neither mark is particularly good enough to be effective yet. He has a massive way to go here.
His handle is also a bit high and he can get stripped a bit more often than you’d like to see from a potential secondary ballhandler. He’s shown enough prowess here to where I’m not too concerned, but that and trying to make too much happen as a passer is where a majority of the turnovers happened this year. Will need to develop an in-between game if he does morph into more of an on-ball threat.
SUMMARY: Ultimately, everything hinges on the shot. If he shoots it at even a reasonable level, he’s a monstrous role player who helps you win as a secondary player. He does a lot of similar things to Andre Iguodala entering the NBA out of Arizona. His feel is off the charts, his intersection of strength and athleticism is superb and he defends multiple positions at a high level. He could be even more than that, though, if the jumper breaks right. There is also some real star upside here if he can keep improving off the dribble. I don’t think he gets to this level, but there are some Jimmy Butler shades here because of the way he sees the game and gets downhill. But if the jumper never comes along enough, we’re probably looking at a skill package similar to what Justise Winslow has brought to the table and that’s shown to be useful but limited. The marginal gains on an improved jumper could shoot him into a stratosphere and the diminishing returns on the jumper never getting there could significantly hinder him to the point that he’s more of a solid role player who starts as opposed to a difference-maker. The upside of the former is real and could allow him to become a star. Even if he ends up hitting his floor, he’s still a guy who helps you win games, albeit as a role player. To me, the intersection of his floor and ceiling both being relatively high push him to No. 5. The more likely outcome is that he ends up closer to the middle or floor of that projection, but even if that happens I’m comfortable with him being on my roster because of his professional demeanor, winner’s mentality and elite feel for the game.
5. Isaac Okoro | W | Auburn | Birthdate: Jan. 26, 2001 (Age: 19) | 6-6 | 225 LBS | Hometown: Atlanta, Ga.
BACKGROUND: Parents are Godwin and Gloria. Both parents are originally from Nigeria and came to the United States. Born and raised in Atlanta. Started young as a basketball player, meeting future AAU and high school teammate (and incoming collegiate five-star freshman) Sharife Cooper before he turned 10 years old. They trained together for the next decade, including playing for Cooper’s father Omar’s AAU team, AOT. Two have had an inseparable journey to this stage. Both chose to attend McEachern High. Okoro started as a freshman and was immediately impactful. Eventually, Okoro and Cooper led McEachern to a 32-0 season in high school, the first time that a team in the highest classification in Georgia has gone unbeaten in 25 years. He shared the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s state MVP award with Cooper. McEachern was ranked as the No. 1 high school team in the country by multiple outlets and Okoro led them to the state championship in 2019. Led to opportunities with Team USA on youth levels. He was on the roster for the 2018 U17 World Cup team that won a gold medal. However, was drastically underrated by recruiting services. Snubbed from McDonald’s All-American game, although was chosen for Nike Hoop Summit. Despite all of his accolades, Okoro was only a consensus four-star recruit that ranked outside of the top-35 prospects. However, NBA scouts who had seen him at Team USA and Hoop Summit (including myself) felt he was likely to be a one-and-done and outperform that ranking. He proved to do just that. Okoro was named to the All-SEC, All-Freshman SEC and All-Defense SEC teams on his way to a dominant two-way season that helped lead Auburn to a 25-6 record and second-place finish in the SEC. Declared for the draft early after his freshman season. Okoro has proven himself throughout every level as a consistent winner and the kind of guy who helps his team play better when he’s on the court. Also has a high-level reputation as a worker.
STRENGTHS: The place to start is he just makes teams better through his sheer presence on the court. The consummate team player who does everything. It’s not an accident that Auburn lost to SEC basement dwellers Georgia and Missouri in two of the three games Okoro missed because of a sprained ankle. Overall Auburn was 15 points better than its opposition per 100 possessions when Okoro was on the floor and was just about even with its opponents when he left the floor.
He just does a lot of things well and does so while being an elite athlete. He’s 6-foot-6 with a 6-foot-10-ish wingspan and has great quickness, speed and leaping ability. He also is a fluid athlete despite a well-built 225-pound frame that allows him to play physically. More than anything though, it starts with his basketball IQ. His feel for the game is off the charts. The place where that is most noticeable is on defense. Okoro is terrific in all capacities. He is so smart and solid as an off-ball, team defender. He’s always in the right position rotationally. His closeouts are low with his arms up and it’s tough to drive him and get past him. As a weak-side defender, you’ll occasionally see him rotate over for a weak-side block. He’s great in scramble situations at causing havoc. He’s disruptive in exchanges and fights through screens. Not really a gambler, hence the low steal total, but don’t mistake that for defensive inaction. On the ball, he’s well-schooled in defensive slides and can drop his hips well. He is a menace in recovery, too, if he has to back into actions. And most importantly, he’s switchable 1 through 4 in the NBA and can take on tough wing assignments because of his strength. Okoro profiles as a potential borderline All-Defense team member on the wing if he keeps improving. But at the very least, he should be a part of good defenses in his career. NBA coaches should feel confident putting him out there from Day One and know that he’ll do his job.
On offense, he’s somewhere between “flashes” and “a real skill” as an on-ball creator. He’s not quite consistent because he doesn’t have the threat of the shot to play off of, but he’s better than he gets credit for as a slasher. Does a great job of getting downhill and being tough to get in front of. An elite finisher for a wing. Made 64.2 percent of his shots at the rim this season in half court settings, second-best among all top-100 wings in the 2020 NBA Draft class. Extremely shifty after he picks up the ball on his drives, showing off a variety of Euro steps, spin moves and angle-change finishes. Polished as a one-footed leaper who can maneuver around rotating rim protectors. More of a below-the-rim finisher in the half court as a driver, but an above-the-rim finisher on the break or off cuts with his elite leaping ability. Has shown some ability to beat defenders in isolation situations and out of pick-and-rolls.
More than that though, Okoro is also an absolutely terrific passer out of these situations. He’s unselfish and really makes high-level reads quickly. Knows exactly where the second- and third-level defenders are and makes knows exactly what the right play is. Already sees the cross-corner kickout that is regularly available in the NBA with the way that help-side taggers play in pick-and-roll, a high-degree-of-difficulty pass. Great at hitting dump-offs and same-side kickouts. Doesn’t panic underneath the rim. This ability off the bounce is where Okoro’s real upside shines and where the comparisons to some of the elite wings in the NBA come through. The feel, athleticism and finishing ability are there. He’s one-and-a-half steps away from being a real threat. Unfortunately, his big issue is also the thing that is most important to him playing a role in the NBA if everything doesn’t come together....
WEAKNESSES: The jump shot is kind of a mess. It’s inconsistent in terms of mechanics, particularly off the catch. Doesn’t have good shot prep and doesn’t involve his legs much. It’s a two-motion jumper there that often has a bit of a pause at the top, then a release that doesn’t come off the hand with good rotation or cleanly. His elbow flares regularly. Has a ball dip that he uses to get momentum to go up. His shoulders kind of hunch at times and then other times he fades away unnecessarily. It’s all over the place.
One upside is that he’s a bit better off the dribble. He has more natural bend in the legs already and the ball dip disappears because it’s already coming from his hip. That helps him get into better rhythm. Okoro actually made a better percentage off the dribble this season than he did off the catch, an exceedingly rare statistic (a 40.9 effective field goal percentage off the dribble compared to 36.7 off the catch, according to Synergy). Still, neither mark is particularly good enough to be effective yet. He has a massive way to go here.
His handle is also a bit high and he can get stripped a bit more often than you’d like to see from a potential secondary ballhandler. He’s shown enough prowess here to where I’m not too concerned, but that and trying to make too much happen as a passer is where a majority of the turnovers happened this year. Will need to develop an in-between game if he does morph into more of an on-ball threat.
SUMMARY: Ultimately, everything hinges on the shot. If he shoots it at even a reasonable level, he’s a monstrous role player who helps you win as a secondary player. He does a lot of similar things to Andre Iguodala entering the NBA out of Arizona. His feel is off the charts, his intersection of strength and athleticism is superb and he defends multiple positions at a high level. He could be even more than that, though, if the jumper breaks right. There is also some real star upside here if he can keep improving off the dribble. I don’t think he gets to this level, but there are some Jimmy Butler shades here because of the way he sees the game and gets downhill. But if the jumper never comes along enough, we’re probably looking at a skill package similar to what Justise Winslow has brought to the table and that’s shown to be useful but limited. The marginal gains on an improved jumper could shoot him into a stratosphere and the diminishing returns on the jumper never getting there could significantly hinder him to the point that he’s more of a solid role player who starts as opposed to a difference-maker. The upside of the former is real and could allow him to become a star. Even if he ends up hitting his floor, he’s still a guy who helps you win games, albeit as a role player. To me, the intersection of his floor and ceiling both being relatively high push him to No. 5. The more likely outcome is that he ends up closer to the middle or floor of that projection, but even if that happens I’m comfortable with him being on my roster because of his professional demeanor, winner’s mentality and elite feel for the game.
