Josh Okogie thread

[Monster]

The draft day was last week and it seems like having a thread on the 1st round pick is worthwhile so here we go.

I just finished watching this full game of Georgia tech vs Miami. Miami had Lonnnie Walker and Bruce Brown on their team who both got drafted Thursday night.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=6dRUBEJ6azY

This was an ugly game. Both teams struggled to score. GT offense was pretty ugly espcially early on. I was wondering what kind of 3 point shooting they had but based on this game I thought it was bad. I looked it up after the game. They were 345th outnof 351 teams in hitting 3's last season. Okogie hit exactly a 1/4 PF then and he missed 8 games. So some of Okogie's game should be considered innthe context of poor 3 point shooting and spacing of his team.

Okogie has 30 in this game and there was a number of times he just got the ball with a few seconds left and had to jack up something. At times he was the offense. He wasn't dribble the ball all the time or hogging the ball that's just the reality of the situation other guys didn't seem up tot he task at all.

Okogie likes to attack. Either he doesn't quite have the burst to beat guys off the dribble to just blow past them or his ball handling isn't at that level. I think it's more of the later. His finishing at the rim doesn't look very good. Again though there is no spacing. Often he would be dribbling into a crowd of player and oftennsomeone was easily there to contest. Still he didn't lol older control and didn't look like a guy that had that natural feel for how to put up a shot to have it go in. He was more reckless and out of control. This isn't tonsay he has no skill to get there but it is unrefined.

To me his jumper looks fine. Can it be better? Sure but it's not broken or anything.

Activity level motor was there. The guy flys around everywhere you hate to say this but very much like Jimmy in that regard. He also seems like he takes some calculated risks not just flying at any chance to make a play. He seems to understand how to play off his guy and also get back to him. He looks and plays with toughness. Someone on YouTube said he compares athletically to Oladipo. I can see some of that but of course the difference when it comes to them in college is I believe Dipo scored well at the rim and Okogie is a better shooter. I have no idea what Dipo's ball handling looked like his softomore year. It's very far from a perfect comp but it's something i found resonated just a bit.

Obviously I happened across one of his best games. There are a couple more I am gonna check out.

Lonnie walker had a couple nice plays. One he came off Okogie and had a beautiful block on someone coming down the lane. There were a couple nice offensive plays too. He had some pretty boneheaded plays too. He through up some horrifically bad ally oop pass in transition that had zero chance as there were a lot of players running back for both teams. Okogie has a couple bad turnover himself but at least one he almost stole the ball back after doing so.

Brown looked like a solid player but also fouled Okogie a couple times when he shouldn't have.

[Q12543 [enjin:6621299]]

Thanks for the read out Monster.

I'm hoping he ends up somewhere in Trevor Ariza/DeMarre Carroll/Jae Crowder range. Those guys may all be a little bigger or taller, but he really seems more like a spot up wing (like those guys) than a pure shooting guard that can handle, pass, and make fancy finishes around the rim. He's a classic 3 & D wing that should limit his shot attempts to spot up 3's, basket cuts, and fast breaks. We do not want him as a ball handler or pick and roll player.

[Lipoli390]

Thanks for the read out Monster.

I'm hoping he ends up somewhere in Trevor Ariza/DeMarre Carroll/Jae Crowder range. Those guys may all be a little bigger or taller, but he really seems more like a spot up wing (like those guys) than a pure shooting guard that can handle, pass, and make fancy finishes around the rim. He's a classic 3 & D wing that should limit his shot attempts to spot up 3's, basket cuts, and fast breaks. We do not want him as a ball handler or pick and roll player.

I have the same view, Q. Perhaps he can significantly improve his handle, in which case he could become a really, really good player. But otherwise, his defense, energy and potential to become a very good 3-point shooter give him the makings of a very good 3&D guy. Unfortunately, Diop doesn't have a particularly good handle either. Only one of our two starting wings has a good handle and with Crawford's departure we don't have any good ball-handling wings coming off the bench. That's a big hole in today's NBA.

[Q12543 [enjin:6621299]]

Thanks for the read out Monster.

I'm hoping he ends up somewhere in Trevor Ariza/DeMarre Carroll/Jae Crowder range. Those guys may all be a little bigger or taller, but he really seems more like a spot up wing (like those guys) than a pure shooting guard that can handle, pass, and make fancy finishes around the rim. He's a classic 3 & D wing that should limit his shot attempts to spot up 3's, basket cuts, and fast breaks. We do not want him as a ball handler or pick and roll player.

I have the same view, Q. Perhaps he can significantly improve his handle, in which case he could become a really, really good player. But otherwise, his defense, energy and potential to become a very good 3-point shooter give him the makings of a very good 3&D guy. Unfortunately, Diop doesn't have a particularly good handle either. Only one of our two starting wings has a good handle and with Crawford's departure we don't have any good ball-handling wings coming off the bench. That's a big hole in today's NBA.

This is probably why he brings back Rose. Thibs loves having a second guy out there that can handle the ball and create, no matter how inefficient he might be in reality.

Tyus would be so awesome if he had the ability to do more off the dribble to create offense. He pretty much checks the box on nearly everything else you want in a PG.

As for Diop, I really see him potentially filling the Bjelly role and coming off the bench as a backup 4, not 3.

[Monster]

Thanks for the read out Monster.

I'm hoping he ends up somewhere in Trevor Ariza/DeMarre Carroll/Jae Crowder range. Those guys may all be a little bigger or taller, but he really seems more like a spot up wing (like those guys) than a pure shooting guard that can handle, pass, and make fancy finishes around the rim. He's a classic 3 & D wing that should limit his shot attempts to spot up 3's, basket cuts, and fast breaks. We do not want him as a ball handler or pick and roll player.

I have the same view, Q. Perhaps he can significantly improve his handle, in which case he could become a really, really good player. But otherwise, his defense, energy and potential to become a very good 3-point shooter give him the makings of a very good 3&D guy. Unfortunately, Diop doesn't have a particularly good handle either. Only one of our two starting wings has a good handle and with Crawford's departure we don't have any good ball-handling wings coming off the bench. That's a big hole in today's NBA.

This is probably why he brings back Rose. Thibs loves having a second guy out there that can handle the ball and create, no matter how inefficient he might be in reality.

Tyus would be so awesome if he had the ability to do more off the dribble to create offense. He pretty much checks the box on nearly everything else you want in a PG.

As for Diop, I really see him potentially filling the Bjelly role and coming off the bench as a backup 4, not 3.

Another thought I had was Okogie looks a bit like a shorter version of Jalen Brown. Brown improved and obviously was much more highly regarded so that is a stretch but I don't think Okogie being more of a creator than some of the players mentioned here is wildly unrealistic. Nobody is gonna complain if he tunes out to be one of the types Q mentioned they are all pretty god players and the type that would really help this team.

Let's say these guys are solid spot up guys and that's what they are (espcially year one). Q brings up Rose and to me the fit make a lot of sense. I think his fit with Tyus makes some sense also. Rose is a scoring player but I think he is a heck of a lot better and creating and getting it to others than Crawford. It just feels like Rose and Tyus may have a better chance at some synergy than Tyus and Crawford who just seemed to take away from Tyus more than help him out. Teague and Rose seemed to work well together also but that was obviously a limited sample but it could lead to some better mix and match lineups. Rose won't help as a 3 point shooter but he will create more because he attack's more and goes all the way to the basket which makes the defense react. Crawford took less than 14% of his shots within 10' of the basket last year and takes around 20% of his shots from that range the last few years. His shot creation leads to mostly shots for himself. Nobody is gonna react to him getting in for those long 2's except maybe to contest them. He wasn't passing. Rose the last couple years has taken around 60% of his shots from that 10 feet in including 40% at the rim. Obviously there is a tradeoff there with things you get from a guy that does that but yeah.

One thing about KBD as a 3 it's worth mentioning that if he is playing some minutes there as a 3 there are lots of pretty meh SF for I'm to have to guard. I agree with Q that he will likely see a lot of minutes at the 4 but ai think he can help the wing situation as well...assuming can actually play.

[kekgeek]

The think I really like about the Okogie pick is for the 1st time in like 14 years we have a player that can come in an just play a role on the team. He is supposedly good at defense and that is what he will get to focus on in the NBA. He doesn't have the pressure of being the face of the franchise or carry the offensive load. I like that he can just focus on a niche area and get really good at the area what could make him a plus player and then he can focus on his weaknesses in the offseason and who knows maybe he becomes more than just a role player in the future.

[60WinTim]

The think I really like about the Okogie pick is for the 1st time in like 14 years we have a player that can come in an just play a role on the team. He is supposedly good at defense and that is what he will get to focus on in the NBA. He doesn't have the pressure of being the face of the franchise or carry the offensive load. I like that he can just focus on a niche area and get really good at the area what could make him a plus player and then he can focus on his weaknesses in the offseason and who knows maybe he becomes more than just a role player in the future.

Yeah, it was kind of weird not looking for our next "savior" going into the draft. It let us look at the draftees in a different light -- a complimentary light.

[Q12543 [enjin:6621299]]

I don't think Justin Patton, Bjelly, Gorgui Dieng, Kris Dunn, or Tyus Jones were drafted to be franchise players/saviors. Patton is hurt; Gorgui has regressed; Dunn was traded; and Bjelly may be lost to free agency. Tyus Jones is the one guy I can look at in this group and feel like he's been on a steady trajectory of improvement and has filled the backup PG role at an above average level.

There are no guarantees with Okogie. And if Butler walks after this season, he may very well be thrust into a position of higher expectations....especially if Wiggins doesn't improve.

[WildWolf2813]

I have no expectations for Okogie in the short term.

That said, the ultimate goal for Okogie is to play well enough to replace Wiggins.

[khans2k5 [enjin:6608728]]

I have no expectations for Okogie in the short term.

That said, the ultimate goal for Okogie is to play well enough to replace Wiggins.

Wouldn't it be to replace Jimmy who is significantly older than Wiggins and Towns?