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Isaac 3 & D Okoro - A Two Way Playing Basketball Savant

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Who is Isaac Okoro's Favorite Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Emperor?

  • Arcadius (if one does not count Constantine as first)

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Justinian the Great

    Votes: 8 14.3%
  • Zeno

    Votes: 2 3.6%
  • Heraclius

    Votes: 3 5.4%
  • Basil II, the Bulgar Slayer

    Votes: 6 10.7%
  • Nikephoros II Phokas, the Pale Death of the Saracens

    Votes: 7 12.5%
  • Alexios I Komnenos

    Votes: 4 7.1%
  • John II, the Beautiful Komnenos

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Constantine XI

    Votes: 4 7.1%
  • Jim I Chones, the Magnificent

    Votes: 26 46.4%

  • Total voters
    56
I really like The Stepien's breakdown of Okoro. Their basic view is that, at worst, he will be an energy guy that is a high-level on-ball defender. At best, they see a prime Iguodala-type with slightly worse playmaking.


Some key points:

-"Strong shot IQ – really knows how to play to his strengths. ~51% of his shots come in the paint, only 33% on jumpers, 7% on runners, and 9% on postups (where he is effective using strength / touch against mismatches)."

-"Shot location from jumpers is really good for his role and for the modern NBA. He knows he’s not someone who can really create off the bounce for himself, so only 6% of the jumpers are off the bounce – as mentioned above, he does a nice job creating some space on stepbacks (and keeping balance with a fluid transition from space creation into his jumper), but it’s not something he will likely go to often. In terms of how his jumper locations fit in the modern NBA, 93% of his jumpers come from 3 – and given his role will likely be a 3/D wing who can attack off the catch (D&K, finish, etc) off the ball, the shot locations fit perfectly to that role. Does a nice job drawing fouls – .498 FTr, 3.625 fouls drawn per game."

-"Auburn really did not run many PnRs with Okoro as the ballhandler, so there is a limited sample size…but he did a nice job splitting his reps between passing and looking to score. 49 total possessions, 26 scoring attempts and 23 passes."

-"Good PnR passer – should have been used as a creator more at Auburn, but showed really nice ability when he did run it. Not comfortable hitting the roll guy with pocket passes, but can see the full court and hit all other areas – 17/23 passes were to spot ups (all over the perimeter), 4 to cutters, and 2 to the roll (only 1 was an actual roll, which was a really nice look…the other pass was a pop). Flashed live-action passes to cutters, opposite wings, etc."

-They also tend to think he has a really good handle and was underutilized as a playmaker at Auburn. He has a lot of potential in this area, for them, and may emerge as a secondary facilitator because of his ability to drive-and-kick.

-Defensively, their concerns are that his wingspan will limit his ability to be a "rim protector" and to interrupt passing lanes. They also are concerned about his footwork in the pick-and-roll. Overall, though, they see an elite isolation defender that is good at interrupting shots on closeouts and good positional versatility.

I want to address his PnR defense specifically:

He is a great isolation defender, no doubt about that. But his PnR defense is far from great. He gets stuck on screens and doesn't quite have the ability to recover very well. While he doesn't seem unaware to his surroundings, it doesn't seem like he takes the right angles defending the PnR. He doesn't slide over or under the pick, but seems like he gets stuck in between.

There are some great athletes that can recover so fucking fast that it doesn't even matter like this guy

With Okoro he pops up athletically at certain aspects, but at some other aspects, not so much(from what I have seen). For example, his start stop ability is not elite and it shows on his ability to recover. He is strong laterally and takes good angles in isolation, but it doesn't pop in straight line acceleration and top end speed. When you factor that into his PnR defense that could be the reason why he is stuck in between when defending the PnR..he has no issues sliding laterally obviously, but when he has to move his feet in every other direction(sliding over or under depending on the action) while moving his feet laterally it becomes a bit muddy...and it doesn't look like he has that elite ability to recover well when behind.

This is an assumption from what I have seen. I don't know if it's combination of PnR awareness as well, but it will be interesting to see how he looks in that area. How is it going to affect his ability to guard the PG position? Can he do it?

I'm hopeful that with his build and strength he will able to fend off screens and push them into more favorable angles, and hopefully against quicker players and PnR savvy players he will also be able to switch effectively if he proves to be able to handle 4s and 5s on a switch. Which I believe can be a realistic expectation.

I do believe that he is the prototypical player to match up against the herky jerky bullshit iso dribbling clowns like Harden and Kyrie. He doesn't seem to waste any movement, he has good balance and stance and takes good angles in isolation. That part of his defense I'm pretty confident about. He is also great off the ball..always in good position, good with rotations etc.. so he will fit most schemes from day 1.

But I have to wonder how he is going to look in the PnR against NBA athletes. Whether it's just an entirely technique/awareness/experience, or it is also an athletic deficiency.

As for his wingspan and being a rim protector and distruptor. Well, I don't think he is that guy. He has low stl+blk rate, and doesn't have the quickest hands. I think he won't be an on-ball disruptor like Thybulle or Kawhi for example, or a rim protector like Lebron, but he will be good at playing off-ball and covering ground and angles with good positioning. So as far as playing the passing lanes, I think he is going to be pretty good at that...don't know whether it is going to result in high steals or not in those scenarios for himself, but I think it's going to create a lot of chaos because of good rotations and lack of passing angles..so whether it results in a tough shot, a steal for the other guy or for himself, I think it is going to be as a result of his addition.

I read that he was in the 94% in isolation. So that is clearly going for him. He is good attacking the rim and making the correct play which is great. However, back into my mixed athleticism concern, it seems like he is at times earth bounded on his finishes. For a guy with his athletic profile I would expect to play a bit more above the rim on his drives. How is it going to look against NBA length and athleticism? On the other hand, with his strength(which will only improve), I do have to wonder if he is going to incorporate a little bit of a push off with his off hand on his drives(and receive leeway from the refs).. that alone could open up the game and make it a non issue..at least againt his own primary defender (against help defender and centers it's different I suppose), similar to how Kawhi operates on his drives. But in Okoro's favor he is much smoother on drives and gets down lower than Kawhi.

All in all, a lot to look forward to.
 
Why?? They all play different positions.
I feel that okoro's height/length makes him a natural 2 that can guard 3 and 4.

Kpj and garland still have potential but are flawed, KPJ with his off court issues and garland with his lack of athleticism. Maybe both of them can net a better player?
 
I want to address his PnR defense specifically:

He is a great isolation defender, no doubt about that. But his PnR defense is far from great. He gets stuck on screens and doesn't quite have the ability to recover very well. While he doesn't seem unaware to his surroundings, it doesn't seem like he takes the right angles defending the PnR. He doesn't slide over or under the pick, but seems like he gets stuck in between.

There are some great athletes that can recover so fucking fast that it doesn't even matter like this guy

With Okoro he pops up athletically at certain aspects, but at some other aspects, not so much(from what I have seen). For example, his start stop ability is not elite and it shows on his ability to recover. He is strong laterally and takes good angles in isolation, but it doesn't pop in straight line acceleration and top end speed. When you factor that into his PnR defense that could be the reason why he is stuck in between when defending the PnR..he has no issues sliding laterally obviously, but when he has to move his feet in every other direction(sliding over or under depending on the action) while moving his feet laterally it becomes a bit muddy...and it doesn't look like he has that elite ability to recover well when behind.

This is an assumption from what I have seen. I don't know if it's combination of PnR awareness as well, but it will be interesting to see how he looks in that area. How is it going to affect his ability to guard the PG position? Can he do it?

I'm hopeful that with his build and strength he will able to fend off screens and push them into more favorable angles, and hopefully against quicker players and PnR savvy players he will also be able to switch effectively if he proves to be able to handle 4s and 5s on a switch. Which I believe can be a realistic expectation.

I do believe that he is the prototypical player to match up against the herky jerky bullshit iso dribbling clowns like Harden and Kyrie. He doesn't seem to waste any movement, he has good balance and stance and takes good angles in isolation. That part of his defense I'm pretty confident about. He is also great off the ball..always in good position, good with rotations etc.. so he will fit most schemes from day 1.

But I have to wonder how he is going to look in the PnR against NBA athletes. Whether it's just an entirely technique/awareness/experience, or it is also an athletic deficiency.

As for his wingspan and being a rim protector and distruptor. Well, I don't think he is that guy. He has low stl+blk rate, and doesn't have the quickest hands. I think he won't be an on-ball disruptor like Thybulle or Kawhi for example, or a rim protector like Lebron, but he will be good at playing off-ball and covering ground and angles with good positioning. So as far as playing the passing lanes, I think he is going to be pretty good at that...don't know whether it is going to result in high steals or not in those scenarios for himself, but I think it's going to create a lot of chaos because of good rotations and lack of passing angles..so whether it results in a tough shot, a steal for the other guy or for himself, I think it is going to be as a result of his addition.

I read that he was in the 94% in isolation. So that is clearly going for him. He is good attacking the rim and making the correct play which is great. However, back into my mixed athleticism concern, it seems like he is at times earth bounded on his finishes. For a guy with his athletic profile I would expect to play a bit more above the rim on his drives. How is it going to look against NBA length and athleticism? On the other hand, with his strength(which will only improve), I do have to wonder if he is going to incorporate a little bit of a push off with his off hand on his drives(and receive leeway from the refs).. that alone could open up the game and make it a non issue..at least againt his own primary defender (against help defender and centers it's different I suppose), similar to how Kawhi operates on his drives. But in Okoro's favor he is much smoother on drives and gets down lower than Kawhi.

All in all, a lot to look forward to.

This is a great post and I think your read on Okoro's athletic profile is correct. He doesn't have the burst of a guy like Wade or the kind of hops you'd find in someone like, say, Oladipo. He is still a very good and decently explosive athlete, but ultimately it's his explosiveness combined with his strength and smarts that makes him effective. It's the same with his defense. like he has decent length and quickness, but what ultimately stirs the drink is that he is wicked smart and strong, and knows how to leverage his physical tools as effeciently as possible.

And again, that's not to say that he's a complete stiff, who can't blow by a trash can. But those blow by's aren't necessarily going to be the product solely off his explosiveness as much as him understanding what angles are open to him and catching a defender in a bad position. It's why the jumper is such a big deal for him. Not because he won't ever be a decent player without one, but giving him another avenue of stressing the defense providing opportunities to take advantage of poor positioning exponentially opens up his ability to impact the game.
 
I want to address his PnR defense specifically:

He is a great isolation defender, no doubt about that. But his PnR defense is far from great. He gets stuck on screens and doesn't quite have the ability to recover very well. While he doesn't seem unaware to his surroundings, it doesn't seem like he takes the right angles defending the PnR. He doesn't slide over or under the pick, but seems like he gets stuck in between.

There are some great athletes that can recover so fucking fast that it doesn't even matter like this guy

With Okoro he pops up athletically at certain aspects, but at some other aspects, not so much(from what I have seen). For example, his start stop ability is not elite and it shows on his ability to recover. He is strong laterally and takes good angles in isolation, but it doesn't pop in straight line acceleration and top end speed. When you factor that into his PnR defense that could be the reason why he is stuck in between when defending the PnR..he has no issues sliding laterally obviously, but when he has to move his feet in every other direction(sliding over or under depending on the action) while moving his feet laterally it becomes a bit muddy...and it doesn't look like he has that elite ability to recover well when behind.

This is an assumption from what I have seen. I don't know if it's combination of PnR awareness as well, but it will be interesting to see how he looks in that area. How is it going to affect his ability to guard the PG position? Can he do it?

I'm hopeful that with his build and strength he will able to fend off screens and push them into more favorable angles, and hopefully against quicker players and PnR savvy players he will also be able to switch effectively if he proves to be able to handle 4s and 5s on a switch. Which I believe can be a realistic expectation.

I do believe that he is the prototypical player to match up against the herky jerky bullshit iso dribbling clowns like Harden and Kyrie. He doesn't seem to waste any movement, he has good balance and stance and takes good angles in isolation. That part of his defense I'm pretty confident about. He is also great off the ball..always in good position, good with rotations etc.. so he will fit most schemes from day 1.

But I have to wonder how he is going to look in the PnR against NBA athletes. Whether it's just an entirely technique/awareness/experience, or it is also an athletic deficiency.

As for his wingspan and being a rim protector and distruptor. Well, I don't think he is that guy. He has low stl+blk rate, and doesn't have the quickest hands. I think he won't be an on-ball disruptor like Thybulle or Kawhi for example, or a rim protector like Lebron, but he will be good at playing off-ball and covering ground and angles with good positioning. So as far as playing the passing lanes, I think he is going to be pretty good at that...don't know whether it is going to result in high steals or not in those scenarios for himself, but I think it's going to create a lot of chaos because of good rotations and lack of passing angles..so whether it results in a tough shot, a steal for the other guy or for himself, I think it is going to be as a result of his addition.

I read that he was in the 94% in isolation. So that is clearly going for him. He is good attacking the rim and making the correct play which is great. However, back into my mixed athleticism concern, it seems like he is at times earth bounded on his finishes. For a guy with his athletic profile I would expect to play a bit more above the rim on his drives. How is it going to look against NBA length and athleticism? On the other hand, with his strength(which will only improve), I do have to wonder if he is going to incorporate a little bit of a push off with his off hand on his drives(and receive leeway from the refs).. that alone could open up the game and make it a non issue..at least againt his own primary defender (against help defender and centers it's different I suppose), similar to how Kawhi operates on his drives. But in Okoro's favor he is much smoother on drives and gets down lower than Kawhi.

All in all, a lot to look forward to.

I love this whole post, but "herky jerky bullshit iso dribbling clowns" is an absolute gem.
 
I feel that okoro's height/length makes him a natural 2 that can guard 3 and 4.

Kpj and garland still have potential but are flawed, KPJ with his off court issues and garland with his lack of athleticism. Maybe both of them can net a better player?
Okoro is a 3, with the ability to defend multiple positions. He’s 6’6” 225 lbs with plus strength & athleticism.
 
Okoro is a 3, with the ability to defend multiple positions. He’s 6’6” 225 lbs with plus strength & athleticism.
I am obviously assuming that KPJ gets back on a schedule with the organization and does not flame out, ala Callaway or Gordon for the Browns.

With that said, I actually think a Sexton-KPJ-Okoro backcourt could become defensively solid as the players get more experience. Okoro starting is only a problem if you think Sexton and Garland need to start.
 
I am obviously assuming that KPJ gets back on a schedule with the organization and does not flame out, ala Callaway or Gordon for the Browns.

With that said, I actually think a Sexton-KPJ-Okoro backcourt could become defensively solid as the players get more experience. Okoro starting is only a problem if you think Sexton and Garland need to start.

I'd say that anyone is a problem if you think both Sexton and Garland need to start.
 
I want to address his PnR defense specifically:

He is a great isolation defender, no doubt about that. But his PnR defense is far from great. He gets stuck on screens and doesn't quite have the ability to recover very well. While he doesn't seem unaware to his surroundings, it doesn't seem like he takes the right angles defending the PnR. He doesn't slide over or under the pick, but seems like he gets stuck in between.

There are some great athletes that can recover so fucking fast that it doesn't even matter like this guy

With Okoro he pops up athletically at certain aspects, but at some other aspects, not so much(from what I have seen). For example, his start stop ability is not elite and it shows on his ability to recover. He is strong laterally and takes good angles in isolation, but it doesn't pop in straight line acceleration and top end speed. When you factor that into his PnR defense that could be the reason why he is stuck in between when defending the PnR..he has no issues sliding laterally obviously, but when he has to move his feet in every other direction(sliding over or under depending on the action) while moving his feet laterally it becomes a bit muddy...and it doesn't look like he has that elite ability to recover well when behind.

This is an assumption from what I have seen. I don't know if it's combination of PnR awareness as well, but it will be interesting to see how he looks in that area. How is it going to affect his ability to guard the PG position? Can he do it?

I'm hopeful that with his build and strength he will able to fend off screens and push them into more favorable angles, and hopefully against quicker players and PnR savvy players he will also be able to switch effectively if he proves to be able to handle 4s and 5s on a switch. Which I believe can be a realistic expectation.

I do believe that he is the prototypical player to match up against the herky jerky bullshit iso dribbling clowns like Harden and Kyrie. He doesn't seem to waste any movement, he has good balance and stance and takes good angles in isolation. That part of his defense I'm pretty confident about. He is also great off the ball..always in good position, good with rotations etc.. so he will fit most schemes from day 1.

But I have to wonder how he is going to look in the PnR against NBA athletes. Whether it's just an entirely technique/awareness/experience, or it is also an athletic deficiency.

As for his wingspan and being a rim protector and distruptor. Well, I don't think he is that guy. He has low stl+blk rate, and doesn't have the quickest hands. I think he won't be an on-ball disruptor like Thybulle or Kawhi for example, or a rim protector like Lebron, but he will be good at playing off-ball and covering ground and angles with good positioning. So as far as playing the passing lanes, I think he is going to be pretty good at that...don't know whether it is going to result in high steals or not in those scenarios for himself, but I think it's going to create a lot of chaos because of good rotations and lack of passing angles..so whether it results in a tough shot, a steal for the other guy or for himself, I think it is going to be as a result of his addition.

I read that he was in the 94% in isolation. So that is clearly going for him. He is good attacking the rim and making the correct play which is great. However, back into my mixed athleticism concern, it seems like he is at times earth bounded on his finishes. For a guy with his athletic profile I would expect to play a bit more above the rim on his drives. How is it going to look against NBA length and athleticism? On the other hand, with his strength(which will only improve), I do have to wonder if he is going to incorporate a little bit of a push off with his off hand on his drives(and receive leeway from the refs).. that alone could open up the game and make it a non issue..at least againt his own primary defender (against help defender and centers it's different I suppose), similar to how Kawhi operates on his drives. But in Okoro's favor he is much smoother on drives and gets down lower than Kawhi.

All in all, a lot to look forward to.
Sam Vecenie is more enthusiastic about Okoro's defense then you are.

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 may not be a great P&R defender at the moment but he has all the physical tools necessary to excel along with the most important quality - desire. He's strong, has great lateral movement, long arms, and good leaping ability. He may need a little coaching in how JBB wants to defend it, but Okoro has all the tools and also the desire and work ethic needed to excel.
 

I personally feel more comfortable with a guy like Okoro who really needs to improve only one aspect of his game to become a true stud. His athleticism, physicality, attitude, BBIQ, defense, slashing, passing, etc., are all strengths. If he gets that shot up to respectable territory, then we're really talking about a special player.
 
If the Pacers are successful in working out a sign & trade for Gordon Hayward (and he’s from Indiana), here’s a 3-way trade that I could see happening:

BOS: Andre Drummond & Jeremy Lamb
CLE: Myles Turner & TJ Leaf
IND: Gordon Hayward & future 2nd

I’d actually prefer to keep Drummond, but only if he’s willing to sign an agreement extension for a reasonable amount.
 

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