10/29 Draft Buzz (11/9 update)

[footey]

Ok ... what decent perimeter skills does Okongwu posses??

Watch below his scouting report weakness. Poor shooter and passing skills at the moment

https://youtu.be/dPFzWZfnJUY

For Jalen Smith the 2nd bullit point. Regarding his defensive impact

https://youtu.be/XfKPIOh1LFE

Okongwu D is not leaps better like you describe.  It is better but there is room for Smith to improve.  Where as Okongwu is a solid D big but his offensive ceiling is hard to gauge. His jump shot needs work. Awkward looking form.

I ask again, what difference are we looking at between Okongwu and Timelord really?

Scenerio: in the playoffs, a smart team can lay layoff Timelord/Okongwu.   Where a stretch big like Smith forces Bam come out to guard him out to the perimeter, opening up space underneath the basket. Making Brown, Tatum, Walker life a little easier

Man, you don't need perimeter skills on offence if you're an elite roll man. His athleticism and soft touch inside make him a threat to score whenever he's in the key, and he's a great offensive rebounder to go alongside his great vertical spacing.

Okongwu is not merely a "solid D big". That's so over the top dismissive of his ability. He's good in every PnR coverage, can defend multiple positions, plays longer than his wingspan and height, is the best shot-blocker in the class, and is only 19.

Okongwu is better at both ends than Timelord. That's the difference.

Didn't we layoff Bam? Did that help us slow down Miami's shooters? What about Miami laying off Dwight and McGee?

Is Okongwu really better as a roll man than Williams? Williams' passing and absurd catch radius + athleticism make him a really good roll man imo.

I do think so, especially given the age gap. Okongwu doesn't have the raw athletic tools (main difference is shorter wingspan) but I think his screen-setting and footwork is off the charts as a roll man. He slips really well, can nail people with physical screens, has the ability to short roll and attack off the dribble (his passing could do with development here to make him a true weapon in the short roll), and he can finish with both aggression and polish.

His PnR game is super well balanced for a teenage big man. This video shows an array of what he can do in the PnR:

https://youtu.be/nulhicMWpvo?t=206

Rob's pick and role is quite acceptable.  Okongwu projects as a better switch defender but beyond that I don't think he is ahead of Robert in any other skills. I guess better free throw shooter which projects to be a better shooter.  I like Okongwu, and would be satisfied if we managed to snag him. But the amount of draft and player capital it would probably take to get someone who may not end up significantly better than what we have in Rob makes me doubt we will do so.