I'm on record as not being on the Okoro train. Not. At. All.
I have no issues with members loving Okoro, but he shouldn't be a sure thing at 5 at all. He has clear limitations. I also don't think people have enough tape on him to really have a solid idea who he really is. I do think people love who Okoro pertains to be in their own mind.
Quick review of his limitations:
1.Doesn't have a quick first step, nor does he have high straight line speed or acceleration. Doesn't fill the lane like you hope he would.
2.While he is a good college finisher, doesn't seem to have great elevation jumping off two feet in a crowd. How will he look against NBA athletes?
3.Isn't quick defending screen action. Doesn't have the quickest of hands..not an elite disruptor and will not be a good shot blocker in the NBA.
4.bad shooter, opposing teams used to double Wiley/their center off of Okoro's side. form doesn't seem to be that bad, and his FT form isn't bad either though. could be a minus offensively. Should be until he shoots it well.
5.How tall is he? he hsa tree trunks for legs like Lebron and beefy, wide shoulders..but his reach and wingspan don't seem great.
Strengths:
1.Better passer than his stats suggest. Smart player.. makes the hockey assists and generally makes good decisions with the ball. Should look better with more on ball duties.
2.His rebounding numbers don't look great mainly because he used his strength to box out mainly to allow his teammates to rebound, He is plenty strong to box out and push centers under the basket to allow his teammates to rebound the ball. Probably the most switchable swingman in the draft.
3.Lock down 1 on 1 defender. Hips are super strong.. moves his feet with purpose and doesn't spaz out. Pofile may suggest he might be able to defend the bigger SFs in the league due to combination of size and iq.
4.College number suggest he is a good at the rim finisher, but i'm not sold on him being a great finisher against length. We will see.
5.Unselfish.
6.Seems to have high impact on his team according to the runs they make with him and without him watching the film.
7. Better ball handling and ability to attack than has shown, but doesn't have the explosiveness to create much separation..certainly when he lacks a shot. Comparison athletic wise? Jimmy Butler with some Jaylen Brown.
I like him, but I don't see him as a 5th best player. I also think we need to be maximizing our offensive potential, and surround our ball handlers with shooters...3&D types.
It's tough to gauge how good he can be, but he shouldn't blindly be your top pick. I don't think. He is closer to Laguentz Dort than he is to Kawhi.
