The Big Board 2020: Onyeka Okongwu (The Only Man In The Draft)

I’m not that into the NBA draft. I can hardly stomach college ball. I can’t handle watching kids pass for twenty seconds as they are befuddled by a zone defense. Just shoot the ball or drive on that center who is only on the team because he is freakishly tall and can manage to break into a jog without spontaneously combusting. That being said, I’m glad the draft exists for the sake of writing right now, because being a Cavs fan always means the draft is something that offers some form of instant gratification…or long term gratification in the case of LeBron James.

Over the years, I’ve developed two rules with the draft for the Cavs:
1. Always take a guy with a high floor. Development isn’t a given for Cleveland.
2. Get a man.

The first point is pretty self explanatory. Don’t take the project or the guy with huge potential. Take the sure thing.

The second point is more nuanced and is full of personal bias. Get a man. There are all sorts of ways this can go. I’d like to say I’m taking about character here, but no matter how much an 18 year old is a “man“ decision-wise, he is still a dare away from sliding into Rihanna’s dms or “accidentally” posting a picture of him drinking an illicit substance through a funnel. 

I’m talking about a man physically. There’s a shortage of those this year. This NBA draft is full of 6’7” to 7” guys that weigh less than 215 pounds. Scrawny kids who can add muscle, so much muscle, every single summer. That’s not a sure thing though. 

I’m talking about a man who is above 230 pounds. That’s about the weight you can start to exert some will. If it’s someone who is muscular and above 230 pounds, all the better. 

I’m speaking from experience here. Being a stout man myself coming in at 6’3” and 245 pounds after a good night of libations and Rally’s, I have some recreational basketball experience to back my claims up.

With a vertical coming in at slightly over nine inches, I’ll board over the lanky 6’6” kid all day because he’s getting moved out of the way. I’ll post up that same stick figure deeper in the paint than should be allowed. And, this is all without old man strength or actual skills. I’m not even 31 yet. My pro days are clearly ahead of me once my gray hair gives me the skills all old men acquire.  

I know some of our readers get this point. You ever just destroy the little kid with handles for days because he’s like a small yapper dog that you can shove six feet with minimal effort? I know you have.  

You can’t teach size. I’m not even going to get into the pure intimidation being large and flapping your arms like a butterfly on defense can do to some smaller being because that’s just not nice.  

My two rules go hand and hand. If you’re man size for the NBA, you have a much better chance of succeeding and your skills translating.

Let’s look at the Finals here. If you’re an NBA GM right now, you’re looking for players that could see the floor in the biggest games of the season. Two of the best players in those games this year were Jimmy Butler and LeBron James. Jimmy comes in at 230 pounds and the King comes in at roughly 250 pounds. 

I’m not going to say Onyeka Okongwu is ever going to be on the level of the two above mentioned stars, but he’s at least relatively the same size as them and could theoretically defend either, which makes him someone worth looking at. He’s not getting shoved like the earlier mentioned yapper dog; and, who knows, maybe he could even score a point or two. I’m about to let you know.

The Breakdown: Onyeka Okongwu; Age: 19.6 (Born December 11, 2000); Height: 6’9”; Weight: 245 pounds; Wingspan: 7’1”; College: USC; Splits: 30.6 minutes, 16.2 Points (62% from the floor, 72% from the line),18.6 Rebounds, 1.1 Assists, 2.7 Blocks, 1.2 Steals, 2 Turnovers, 2.7 Fouls, 

Okongwu has several strengths that make him playable in the NBA right away. Defensively, he’s large and he’s extremely mobile, he’s a MAN; most importantly, he actually uses his size to his advantage. During college, he was a force at the rim. He made things easier for his teammates. If a guard penetrated, he’d step over and make himself felt every chance he got.

Look at this defensive highlight video:

He was a block machine in the paint, and as the clip below shows, he’s mobile enough to run out to the 3-line on close outs, a must have skill for guys in today’s NBA.

He’s also a decent post defender who knows where to go, although he’s a tad light for the true centers the NBA will throw at him (thankfully, there are only one or two left in the league at this point).

Finally, he cements himself as a 1-5 defender with his ability to mirror offensive players that are much smaller than him. The below clip from Max Carlin shows how well Okongwu keeps his hips parallel to guards as they drive. Okongwu also shows patience as he waits for the shot to go up before going after the block. 

Zero issues whatsoever for Onyeka Okongwu switching PnRs in this game. Awesome laterally, and picked up his 7th block of the game here pic.twitter.com/JQyEzegttV

— Max Carlin (@maxacarlin) June 10, 2020

He’s great at anticipating passes to guys in the corner too. He jumped lanes often getting 1.2 steals per game. And, the best thing of all about him is his rather low number of fouls. He picked up just 2.7 per game playing 30 minutes, which is very impressive considering how often he tries to block shots. 

Offensively, Okongwu has a few strengths too which should translate to the NBA. He’s a hard rim runner and sets solid screens. He hits the pause button whenever he sets a screen and allows the ball handler to read and react to what’s happening. On top of that, he finishes hard at the rack and goes for dunks. He can finish with either hand and even though he’s a two footed leaper, he gathers quick enough where it won’t pose any issues for him in the NBA. 

He consistently runs the floor and seals his man when possible to get easy buckets down low. When he isn’t setting screens or sealing his man early on, he is constantly moving, which bodes well for the less pick heavy offenses NBA teams are moving to. 

My favorite part about Oknogwu’s offensive game is his motor going after offensive boards. He grabbed 3.3 per game in college and didn’t stop until the ball was in the net. See the first clip of the video below for more on that. He’s also a top tier defensive rebounder, although he relies on raw ability more so than fundamentals at times.

He hit a respectable 72% from the free-throw line and his stroke looks decent, but is nowhere near proficient yet. 

The weakpoints in Okongwu’s game come on the offensive end of the floor. He’s not exactly raw in the post, but he plays like he’s playing a video game. He has moves, but they are telegraphed even if they look decent against lesser defenders. He ponders what he is going to do, and in the NBA, defenses are going to swipe down on him because he’s a little aloof with where help is coming from. He averaged just 1.1 assists per game.

His lack of ability to make complicated reads also renders his handle moot. He can dribble well for a big, but he’s only a threat to drive. Better defenders at the next level will exploit that. 

Overall though, Okongwu limits how much his weaknesses affect his game by playing within himself. He doesn’t call for isolations, demand the ball in the post, or take too many jumpers or 3s. He does what is asked of him and could be a surprise offensively if you believe this quote from Hoops Hype:

I know if I set a good pick, I can always pop out to the free-throw line or even the three-point line. I’m working on my touch. I’m feeling more confident in my jumper. I didn’t really showcase that a lot at USC due to the personnel we had on our team. I’m polishing it every day, though, and I think I will be able to extend my range beyond the arc. 

Okongwu should bottom out as a defensive specialist starter in the NBA if he doesn’t develop his game. If he works on his overall offense, mainly his ability to hit jumpers and make crisp passes, he could be the next Bam Adebayo. Otherwise, he’s a high level above the rim Tristan Thompson.

He has the type of work ethic that should push him to reach his ceiling. He wasn’t a highly regarded recruit coming out of high school; at the beginning of the college season, he wasn’t projected to go in the top ten. He has worked his way to the top of this draft class.

How he’d fit on the Cavs: Onyeka could fit into any situation in the NBA because of his defensive versatility, but he actually fits fairly well on the Cavs with Tristan Thompson most likely leaving in free agency. If Onyeka landed on the Cavs, he’d look great playing next to a stretch four like Kevin Love or the ever improving Larry Nance. He can handle most 4s in the NBA and leave the more lumbersome 5s to Love or Nance. His ability to roll hard to the rack would allow the Cavs to space the floor with Love or Nance taking 3s and the Sexland back court tossing lobs or finding open shooters. He’d also shore up a terrible defense being able to take the defensive assignment on the top level forwards in the NBA. If Tristan re-signs with the team, Onyeka would most likely come off the bench. And, if Andrew Drummond stays, the Cavs could run out the ultimate offensive rebounding group in the league that lacks an ability to shoot beyond 15 feet at times. It’d be fun to watch at least.

What he should be working on: If Onyeka showed up with a solid 35% 3-pointer to start the NBA season, he’d be an All-Star candidate within three seasons. If he added the ability to read the floor and hit some tougher passes, he’d be near a Draymond Green level player fairly quickly. 

Why the Cavs Should (or Shouldn’t) Draft Him: Onyeka is a certain contributor in the NBA. He’s a man size wise and that’s hard to find. The league isn’t exactly full of guys weighing more than 230 pounds, aside from the center position right now; yet the teams that consistently find themselves in the Finals tend to have a guy that size with some skill.

Onyeka isn’t going to take the Cavs to the Finals or even the playoffs by himself, unless he truly maximizes every facet of his game. He wouldn’t take them out of either of those situations though at this point today with his defense. Guys like him are enough. Look at teams like the Raptors who just have solid guys on the entire roster. That’s a valid and sustainable way to build a team. The Cavs shouldn’t trust development these days. I don’t want to be waiting for the next season every season.

For a more detailed breakdown of Oneyku Okongwu check out Spencer Pearlman’s piece for The Stepien.

Random Rambling: This year has been a heck of a year with COVID and the National election. I’ve been struggling to find the motivation to write and do many other things I use to do on a day-to-day basis. I’ve been angry. I’ve been depressed. I’ve been hopeless.

I’ve found just talking things out does wonders especially with contentious topics like COVID and the election, especially so with people who don’t share the same views as you. So, take a second and talk to someone who is different from you and remember everyone has reasons for their views and that we’re all humans experiencing this year together…