Net Rating: +12

Athleticism / Frame Overview: Very strong (functional strength) with a great base (low center of gravity, too), quick reactions, quick hips (fluid hips), and quick feet (though not super quick). Not a great vertical athlete, but can get up in space (and has a quick second jump). More of a “strong athlete” in that he’ll power through contact and finish on drives (including dunks through contact), but not someone who will rise above a defender and finish. Great frame with functional strength.

Mentality Overview: Competitive who plays well within his role – played a pretty small role with Auburn, but I believe there is room to increase his role due to his passing ability (especially if his shot improves).

Offensive Role: Slasher, C&S player (if shot comes around), and secondary playmaker – jack of all trades wing. Can run PnR, potentially spot up (if shot comes around), and slash/drive and finish in the paint. Does a nice job drawing fouls – .498 FTr, 3.625 fouls drawn per game.

Defensive Role: Versatile wing defender – someone you can put on the opposing team’s best player. Can defend down on to point guards and up onto bigger wings / some 4s. Very good on-ball defender, good team defender – wingspan might limit potential here as an elite defensive playmaker.

Offense:

Synergy Profile: scoring : 84 possessions + assists : 83

Shot Chart in HC:

Not including post ups:

Finishing: Nice finisher in the halfcourt. Strong finisher (18 and 1s), soft touch, nice body control and flashes some craft around the rim. Good finisher with either hand – really love some of his left handed finishes in traffic through the contest and/or contact. Does not get pushed off his spot on drives to the basket (and can dislodge defenders as he drives), strong on finishes (and can finish through contact with some dislodging in air), and shows some nice craft on drives too – shielding ball from contest (and diggers on drives), wrong hand / wrong foot finishes, Euro-steps, etc. Very active on the offensive glass and does a nice job dislodging defenders / finding the open areas to go after the ball – soft touch on putbacks. 6 dunks in the halfcourt (2 misses) and 9 blocked shots. Not someone who rises very well in traffic (though can if given a runway leading to the rim). Nice job going underneath the shot blocker’s contest to get the ball up – likes fully extended scoop shots on drives. Nice job getting low on drives (including off the screen in the PnR). Can force attempts on floaters / in the paint if the defender cuts off his lane to drive. Prone to offensive fouls when unable to adjust on drives and he can bring the ball out going up to the basket, which opens up the ability for the defense to poke it out and force a turnover – this happened a good amount of times so far. Does a nice job drawing fouls.

Post Up: Not someone who will likely get many shots in post up situations, but in switches / when he has a smaller defender on him, he can do some work here. Does a great job using his size and strength to get where he wants, plays physically in the post, and has soft touch. I mention how he can get the POA defender to switch onto him when Okoro plays as the screener, so if the team drafting him uses him in such a roll, he could take advantage of the size-mismatch in these situations.

Shooting: Form needs work. Has a natural dip that gets him into rhythm, but looks a bit rigid / stiff as he goes into his shot. The upper body mechanics need work – left elbow pops out on the dip as his shoulder gets rigid; left arm pops out immediately going into the shooting motion with the left hand on top of the ball; right elbow flares a little, though not a crazy amount (now he’s at a double elbow flare); he is prone to “thumbing” the ball with his left hand as he removes it from the ball; then his right arm pops back in as he shoots the ball. Even though the upper body mechanics / release of the ball needs work, the lower body mechanics are not bad. He generally does a nice job staying balanced on both feet, has shown flashes of getting his right leg / foot lined up with the basket (though it is not consistent, as shown across all the pictures below), has good energy transference from his legs through his core into the shot, and has shown the ability to set pretty quickly off movement (though definitely not a movement shooter / up to movement shooting speed). However, legs can sometimes be a bit too close together and right knee / leg might point away from the basket (which is not terrible, but for someone such as Okoro who has upper body mechanical issues too, this compounds the problem).

Form breakdown:

Shot Versatility: Not very versatile now in terms of ability to make shots, but there is room to improve and reason to believe it might. He does a solid job running around screens for someone his size (especially a non-shooter at his current stage) – has shown the ability to take a good angle to get the defender screened off (though limited sample size from), gets set pretty quickly in his lower body, and (despite the poor form) Okoro has shown the ability to get the shot off comfortably in C&S situations when the defender is closing (though it is a little slower off movement). The baseline of skill / structure in his lower body / flashes he’s shown from moving from the catch to the shot (in general) is good enough to where I think he can potentially become a minor threat off screens – it likely won’t be a major part of his game, but if he fixes his form, I can see him hitting some shots off movement. Off the bounce shooting is something he hasn’t shown much of this year – only 10 total attempts through February 15. Pullup jumper looks smoother (and he looks more comfortable shooting downhill) off of a left handed dribble, which is a nice compliment to his ability to drive and finish with his left, and has shown nice stepback footwork as well – balanced, comfortable taking them, and the release itself looks more smooth here than it does on the catch and shoot. Able to get from his dribble into his shot well. Would like to see him develop a 1-2 dribble pull up jumper if he’s chased off the line, too. That said, this is all a big projection if he does not fix his form – the moving pieces (left hand on top of arm, elbows flaring, right arm popping in on the release, etc) all hurt his percentages and likely need correcting before his shot becomes consistent.

Shot IQ: 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). Loves attacking downhill and is not someone who will force jumpers when there is an open lane. 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.

Handle: Good handle for a wing. Comfortable attacking with his right hand or left hand. Has some really nice flashes with his handle, which makes me think there is untapped potential here. Has a really well-rounded handle for someone in his role at Auburn. Does a nice job getting downhill and picks up acceleration well with some really nice suddenness to his moves with a good setup to his moves and first step. He uses crossovers (can go either way, but likes L-R), through legs, hesitations / in-and-outs / change of pace, spins (likes starting off with his left and going back to his right, but can go in either direction), etc…but not someone who will piece together multiple moves on drives, but the moves he uses get the job done. Does a nice job keeping it under control, though it may get a bit high – doesn’t get away from him and lead to turnovers, though. Not someone who does a good job adjust on hard drives / stopping on a dime and changing direction (adjusting on a fly) if cut off, aside from using his spin and going to his Euro-step. If crowded, he stays with the drive and can force up a look at the rim. The crossovers look a lot smoother when he’s coming from a slow pace or is able to set up the drive at the top of the key, but does not cross as well when he’s already moving in one direction with speed and goes to the cross (does not change direction well here or pick up acceleration on the cross like he can from a standstill)…he still is able to cross, but its effectiveness is not great. Only a few turnovers as a result of a loose handle – a ball can be poked away on drives (from behind, on digs, etc), but he doesn’t lose the ball due to a loose handle very often.

Passing: Really good passer for a wing…and it’s a shame Auburn didn’t use him more as a creator, because he had really nice flashes. Quick decision-maker who can react quickly to closing defenders and a good (and quick) swing passer. Good accuracy on passes, with the ability to hit all areas of the court with bounce passes, over-the-top / lead passes, and flashed some really nice live-action passes…though it was not something he did often, when it did, it looked very natural and popped bigtime. More comfortable passing out to the perimeter than on the interior. Good drive and kick passer, drive and drop-off passer, etc. Does a nice job getting the defenders to commit to him downhill before making the pass to the open pass…but also prone to not making a pass until it’s just a bit too late, leading to tipped passes and turnovers – would like to see him improve moving from his handle to a pass, though he is still solid here. I do not think he has elite vision, but does a nice job reading the defense and knowing where the open man is going to be because of it – for example, if he knows the help is coming in from the top of the key, he’ll pass it back; if he sees the help coming from a corner, he’ll pass it there; etc. Pretty accurate on passes, but passes into the low post / high post need work on his touch – can overshoot his man, leading to turnovers.

PnR (General): 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. Does a nice job using the screen as either a way to set up the defender and getting him to go one way, which then opens up the opposite way for Okoro to attack (ie, jab right, attack left), and/or closing the space between himself and the screener (making it difficult for the defender to get through the screen when Okoro does decide to use it). Auburn ran some plays with him as the screener also, and he flashed some ability here too. Had a few short roll passes, and given his ability as a passer, projecting him as a positive short roller as a screener going forward, I do think this can be a part of his game. He releases from screens pretty well with a quick turn and proper footwork. Okoro does a nice job getting position on his defender on the roll, and given his effective use of strength and soft touch / finishing ability, running 1/2 and 1/3 PnRs with him could be a nice weapon to have in the bag. He likes slipping, but he sets really nice screens for wings – good contact, stays strong and wide, and does a nice job delaying the POA defender getting back out to the ballhandler. Would like to see him snake the PnR a bit more, because with his passing ability, finishing ability with either hand, and spin move / Euro-step, it could be a nice weapon to have.

PnR Passing: 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. More of a reactionary / read and see passer than a predictive passer, but shows a good feel for where the ball should go in relation to where his teammate is moving. Does a nice job getting the defense to commit and hitting the strong or weak side with a good pass – gets the ball out immediately when a man gets open.

PnR Scoring: Right now, he’s really only a driver out of the PnR. As mentioned above, his off the bounce game needs work. He does not have an in-between game (yet?) and is prone to forcing forced looks at the rim on drives if the defense is lining up in front of him with no room to adjust (if they don’t bite on the jab and attack or if the big switches cleanly)…however, when there is some room, Okoro does a nice job utilizing spin moves and Euro-steps to free up a better look – this is still something he has to work on, but there have been nice flashes. The defense can go under him in the PnR because of his poor shot off the bounce. Does a nice job getting low running around screens, picking up acceleration on his drives.

Assist Chart:

Defense:

Synergy Profile (I know there is a lot of noise here, but this is just added information): 70th Percentile

Halfcourt Defensive Shot Chart (A lot of noise, but interesting. Paint = as primary and secondary defender.)

Awareness / Team Defense: Nice team defender off ball – stunts, digs, and rotates well. He’s had a few really impressive flashes with Auburn playing in a zone and the middle man being sealed off from the corner man, sprinting to the strong corner to get to the man knowing the big in the middle can’t get to him – love the awareness. Uses length well. Good positional defender too, being in the right place at the right time. Does a nice job helping on the strong side / opposite half of the court when the weak side is empty / being ignored – moves to the paint, knowing he can recover in time; moving to the elbow / pin to help the middle of the court; etc. However, he can sometimes get a bit too help happy, leaving his man unguarded / with an open lane.

Rim Protection: Nice rim protector for a wing, but wingspan might limit him a bit. 1 of 12 players (and 3 freshman) in high majors 6’6 and shorter who have a block percentage of 3%+. Nice timing around the rim and makes very good use of his length. Smart adjustments moving his hands to get the hand on the ball / make the shot difficult to get off – had an awesome block where he started going up with two hands, saw the defender go to his side, so he adjusted and moved his hands out to get the block. Has solid pop off two feet and one in the paint (though not great) and makes smart rotations from weak side to strong side to effect the shot. His strength and ability to take contact from bigger players (and not be dislodged) is helpful, as if a driver jumps into him, he won’t budge much if at all. Though he has a + wingspan at 6’8.5 (last reported measurement), his length is merely average for a SG both in terms of wingspan and standing reach – this might be a limiter for him, because even if he is in the right position and tries to contest it, the person attacking might still be able to get the shot out and around his contest.

PnR Defense: Shows potential in the PnR, though has to clean up the footwork. He has the strength to power through at the point of attack when the screener sets a weak screen / when Okoro angles himself so he’s only getting hit by the shoulder … but would like to see him get a bit skinnier and beat the screen over the top when there is space to clear. Screens where the screener gets hit square in the middle are difficult to power through, even for someone as strong as him – he doesn’t get completely rung up where he’s out of the play, but he cannot get through and the defense has to switch (which Auburn did a good amount anyway). Okoro tries going over the top a good amount, but because he doesn’t always close the space between the ballhandler and screen, he is prone to getting clipped by the screener’s hip or knee – he can still get through, but it might be delayed. There are definitely flashes of beating the screener over the top, which are great to see…it just has to be more consistent and the footwork has to be cleaned up a bit. Though he might relax at the POA or try to cheat one side, he usually does a nice job staying home – not biting on hesitations, fakes, change of pace, etc. I would like to see him commit fully to getting back to his man by hustling a bit more or staying with the switch, as he can sometimes semi-jog back into the play instead of hustling back. Due to his strength and post defense, he will likely be switchable going up in the PnR. Will need some help against the bigger and better post up players, but he has the strength, low center of gravity, and solid foot positioning (flashes putting knee behind hamstring / glute of player posting up) that could be effective in switch situations. Okoro does a nice job taking bumps on the drive and not being pushed back that much. Nice job using his length in the post, also.

Shot Contests / Closeouts: Nice job stunting / tagging off ball and making an effort getting back to his man, but he is prone to overhelping and isn’t particularly quick to get back to the shooter … often times, giving up a pretty good look. Can give up drives to the basket when he comes in hot, but shows flashes of getting back in the play from behind (or switching off to the helper’s man). When he is able to get back to the shooter, he has flashes of closing under control…but this is inconsistent. When Okoro deems the shooter too far away, he’ll jog to the shooter and not fully contest. The biggest issue here is his quickness to the shooters. Also needs to keep his hands up when he’s closing, as he is often late to contest the shot.

Off Ball Defense: Shows flashes getting through screens getting over the screener’s shoulders, but needs work with technique – would like to see him dip his shoulder a bit more and get his foot over the top a bit cleaner. Shows nice potential reading the screen properly and getting back to the shooter / receiver quickly. Does a nice job seeing ball and man and not losing track / ball-watching.

Man (ISO) Defense: Good isolation defender. Has quick (and strong) feet and slides well, nice hip turns (can turn on the fly and also turns well with short steps while mirroring), and does an excellent job using his strength to keep the defender from getting to his spot – really love the way he does a good job cutting off the driver on his drives and fantastic angles to the ballhander. Can bump drivers off their spot easily without causing fouls. Does a quick job turning his hips on the move – really impressive for someone his size. Does a nice job staying in his stance in space. Quick reactions to contest the jumper, too. Would like to see him not relax as much on stop and go drives / when the ballhandler slows down a bit, he can get out of his stance and stand a bit – he has flashes, but it’s not consistent. If he’s beaten off the bounce, he does a great job turning his hips and getting downhill – awesome recovery speed. The only thing I’d get him to hone in on is when he does turn his hips to get downhill, he may cross his feet, which can lead to difficulties stopping if the ballhandler tries pulling up (or when he stops on a dime) – he has a strong core (and great balance) and is still able to stop pretty quickly to recover and contest, but improving in this area will make him even better than he already is (and provide some more versatility against quicker guards). Prone to relaxing and getting out of his stance / standing up from time to time as the ballhandler relaxes – needs to stay in stance here.

Footwork: Generally speaking, he has good footwork. There are always areas to improve, but he has a good base and the flashes are really good. Does a nice job turning his hips, sliding quickly, and reacting to the ballhandler’s moves. Love his instincts cutting the ballhandler’s drives off and beating him to the spot. If there is one area I’d like to see him improve, it’s he can be prone to turning his hips and crossing his feet – this opens him up to stop and go / change of direction problems…which has happened to him this past season, but has been able to get by it due to his good core strength and balance.

Potential Switchability: Definitely has positional versatility, both going up and down positions. He showed a lot of versatility this defending everyone from small guards to bigs. Does a nice job staying with quick guards – though he might have some issues with some of the quicker guards in the NBA … but he is very smart with the angles he takes and knows how to cut off the ballhandler, which helps make up some of the difference. He has the ability to defend 2/3s, including movement shooters (though would like to see him improve his technique through screens a bit with the dip…even though he does do a good job getting over the screener’s shoulder and reading the screen). Though his wingspan / length is only average for a 2, he has the strength of a 3 (that is functional) with a low center of gravity, and plays physically – I’d like to see him bring in his base a bit, but he does a nice job putting his leg behind the posting player’s hamstrings / glutes, so it’s difficult to dislodge him.

Written by Spencer Pearlman, https://twitter.com/SKPearlman, link to other pieces and in-depth reports: https://www.thestepien.com/author/spencerpearlman/