Isaac Okoro Draft Party Thread (5th Pick to the Cavs)

[aubearcat 2,163]

🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻Please! Please! Pretty Please!!!

[RunInRed 18,479]

 

[ellitor 33,884]

 

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‘He refuses to lose’: What Auburn’s Isaac Okoro will bring to the NBA team that drafts him

Josh Vitale

Montgomery Advertiser

The biggest adjustment for Isaac Okoro as he transitions from Auburn to the NBA will not be the talent, size or experience of the players he’s going up against. No, Mike Thompson said, it will be the losing.

Okoro has not done that much at any level of his standout basketball career. He won 47 of the final 48 games he played for Thompson at McEachern High in Powder Springs, Georgia, including all 32 during a perfect run to a state championship as a senior. He won his first 15 games at Auburn, which lost only four times with him in the lineup.

“He refuses to lose,” Thompson said. “Going to the NBA and getting his ass kicked 35, 40 times a year is not going to be good with him.”

It is probably inevitable, though. Okoro is projected to become Auburn’s first lottery NBA Draft pick since Chris Morris went No. 4 overall in 1988 and first to do it after just one season in college on Wednesday (6 p.m. CT, ESPN). The teams set to make the first 13 selections lost more games than they won last season.

But that’s why the one that ultimately drafts Okoro will be better off in the long run, those who have coached him agree: Winning is what he provides.

“He was one of the most productive college basketball players I’ve ever had,” Auburn coach Bruce Pearl said in an interview with NBA TV. “I’ve never had a young man be able to understand what we’re trying to do, affect winning in an in an incredibly productive way. I think he’s the most ready prospect to contribute early in his career in this draft.”

‘His guy’s not scoring’

Okoro was a Day 1 star for Auburn as a true freshman, starting 28 of 31 games alongside four seniors with Final Four experience (he missed the other three due to a hamstring injury). His stats don’t jump off the page – 12.9 points (second on the team) on 51.4% shooting (third), 4.4 rebounds (second), 2.7 assists (third) – but his impact was immeasurable.

The 6-foot-6, 225-pound small forward’s greatest gift is his defense. Pearl touted the former four-star recruit ranked as the No. 36 player nationally in the 2019 class as “the best defensive guard I’ve ever coached” before he played his first college game. Okoro is capable of not only defending all five positions, but doing so at an elite level – he allowed only 0.48 points per one-on-one possession last season, which ranked in the 90th percentile nationally.

“That’s going to be A-No. 1. His head coach is going to want to put him on the floor because his guy’s not scoring. His guy is not having a night. It’s over,” Pearl said.

That ability allows Okoro to be a star player without needing the ball in his hands, which could make him the perfect fit for teams like the Atlanta Hawks, Detroit Pistons, Washington Wizards or San Antonio Spurs, who have established go-to scorers but need more pieces to be competitive.

He has two years of experience in that role. Samir Doughty was Auburn’s go-to scorer last season. Okoro wasn’t even the leading scorer on that 32-0 McEachern team – Sharife Cooper averaged nearly nine more points per game. But when the Indians needed someone to shut down an opponents’ top scorer, Okoro was the player to whom Thompson turned.

The game Okoro played against Georgia and projected top-five draft pick Anthony Edwards on Jan. 11 is the best example from his time at Auburn. Okoro scored just seven points on 3-for-8 shooting, but the Tigers won, 82-60, in large part due to the defense he played against Edwards, who scored only six points on 2-for-10 shooting through the game’s first 30 minutes.

Pearl said Okoro reminds him of Andre Iguodala, a versatile contributor on both ends of the court who, during his stint with the champion Golden State Warriors, made the bulk of his impact as a defender and on-court leader. Per KenPom, Okoro’s freshman-year numbers at Auburn’s compare to Kawhi Leonard’s at San Diego State. He was a defense-first wing coming out of college who went on to develop an MVP-caliber offensive game.

"He can switch out and guard anybody one through four, and that’s a valuable skill in the NBA because the NBA is a lot about switching now," ESPN college basketball analyst Jay Bilas said. "He is ultra-competitive. He never backs down."

 

‘A jump shot away’

One of the things both those players have that Okoro doesn’t – yet – is a consistent outside jump shot. He made just 20 of 69 3-point attempts during his lone season with the Tigers (29%). That might be the thing that’s keeping him in the back half of the lottery conversation, rather than in the mix to be one of the first few picks.

 “I think it might have been Jay Bilas on TV, I heard him say one time that Isaac was a jump shot away from being a 15-year NBA pro,” Thompson said. “And it’s probably true.”

The reason that aspect of his game developed later is because he never needed a jump shot coming up through middle and high school – he was so athletic, so adept at driving to the basket and muscling his way to the free-throw line that there was rarely a reason for him to settle for a jump shot.

There’s nothing necessarily wrong with Okoro’s form, Thompson said; he just needs to gain enough confidence to believe that it was the best shot his team can get when he’s open. That sort of progress is possible – Iguodala shot 20.5% from beyond the arc as a freshman at Arizona in 2003 then 33.3 percent as an NBA rookie with the Philadelphia 76ers two years later.

“I would say during the college season it was probably, like, a C-plus,” Okoro said of his jump shot in an interview with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “But I feel like now I’ve been working every day just putting up a lot of shots, and I feel like right now it’s around a B-plus, A.”

‘As solid as you can find’

Okoro could have done that pre-draft training anywhere. He could have stayed near home in Atlanta. He could have traveled anywhere in the country to work out with other top prospects.

Instead, when Auburn players returned to campus in June, Okoro did too. He trained alongside his former teammates, playing a series of two-on-two games with Cooper, Devan Cambridge and Babatunde Akingbola.

"To see him still working hard every day and improving his game, when he's already projected to be a top draft pick ... he's still working out like he's not even projected at all," junior guard Jamal Johnson said.

That’s one of the reasons why Thompson says Okoro is “different.” He’s not searching for fame or the limelight. He just wants to win basketball games.

“He’s the most unique, most well-balanced young man I’ve ever been around,” Thompson said. “He knows what he wants to do. He’s got a great family, a great background. He’s just a solid dude. As solid as you can find.”

 

 

[toddc 13,197]

Can’t wait to watch him play! I haven’t watched NBA for years, but with him and Chuma and others in the league I might give it another shot.

[cole256 17,085]

Wish he could fall just a little more in the actual draft. If he could fall low enough for Dallas to get him that would be amazing

[ellitor 33,884]

29 minutes ago, cole256 said:

Wish he could fall just a little more in the actual draft. If he could fall low enough for Dallas to get him that would be amazing

@cole256What about the Spurs at 11? I have seen a number of mock drafts have him there & they have a good history of developing players offensively.

[bigbird 60,941]

21 minutes ago, ellitor said:

@cole256What about the Spurs at 11? I have seen a number of mock drafts have him there & they have a good history of developing players offensively.

Please let that happen!

[ellitor 33,884]

2 minutes ago, bigbird said:

Please let that happen!

@bigbirdI immediately thought about you when I saw a few Okoro Spurs mocks coming in.

[cole256 17,085]

1 hour ago, ellitor said:

@cole256What about the Spurs at 11? I have seen a number of mock drafts have him there & they have a good history of developing players offensively.

It would be awesome. They would really have a strong and awesome looking future backcourt with him and Murray. That would be quite the defensive nightmare tandem. 

To be honest I wouldn't know who to draft first between okoro and Devin vasell, or Patrick Williams. This is a super strong draft class.

[CameronCrazy 1,111]

I’m praying that it’s the Warriors (trading back), the Celtics (trading up), or the Spurs at 11. I want him on a contender, not someone like the Hawks or Knicks.

[GwillMac6 20,849]

3 hours ago, CameronCrazy said:

I’m praying that it’s the Warriors (trading back), the Celtics (trading up), or the Spurs at 11. I want him on a contender, not someone like the Hawks or Knicks.

Being a young player in the league when you do not have those high expectations to be a franchise player and go to the playoffs soon after you are drafted in the league is all about getting yours and putting up the highest possible averages you can. I want him in the most advantageous situation for him to put up big time numbers if that is a bad team. I am cool with that. Just put up good numbers and make sure you do enough to get that big second draft. Worry about being a role player on a contender down the line later in his career. I do not think the hawks are a good fit for him to accomplish them so I do not want Okoro to go there. They have drafted 3 wings in the first round in the past 2 drafts.

[GwillMac6 20,849]

 

[GwillMac6 20,849]

 

[Dual-Threat Rigby 9,091]

hope the Warriors say F BPA and take him. Think they give him a much cheaper peak (Warriors tenure) Iggy in about 2 1/2, 3 years. And that wouldn't be his ceiling imo 

Spurs are so boring and they're probably about done in terms of competing for rings in the forseeable future, but a shooting coach like what they typically enlist would do wonders for Isaac. 

[ellitor 33,884]

4 hours ago, GwillMac6 said:

Being a young player in the league when you do not have those high expectations to be a franchise player and go to the playoffs soon after you are drafted in the league is all about getting yours and putting up the highest possible averages you can. I want him in the most advantageous situation for him to put up big time numbers if that is a bad team. I am cool with that. Just put up good numbers and make sure you do enough to get that big second draft. Worry about being a role player on a contender down the line later in his career. I do not think the hawks are a good fit for him to accomplish them so I do not want Okoro to go there. They have drafted 3 wings in the first round in the past 2 drafts.

@GwillMac6Where would you like to see Okoro go?

[GwillMac6 20,849]

1 hour ago, ellitor said:

@GwillMac6Where would you like to see Okoro go?

Whichever team he can put up the best numbers with. I honestly don't know where that might be though.

Edited November 18, 2020 by GwillMac6

[GwillMac6 20,849]

 

[GwillMac6 20,849]

 

[cole256 17,085]

It's hard to tell because so many teams are expected to trade down so you don't have an actual order. Also the best place and the quickest playing time doesn't always co exist. 

Okoro skill set is so good too any team could use what he has to offer. One of the best situations he could have could be with Denver. They have every piece but a versatile defender like him. We already mentioned spurs, going to a place with a stable coaching staff could be huge as well. I know Dallas would be great for him. Portland. With the way offense is played now, that's why he's so valuable

[Grumps 3,706]

2 hours ago, GwillMac6 said:

 

I'm surprised they don't list defense as a strength.

[gravejd 3,304]

This may be the first time in my life i had said this but i am really excited to see what happens with the NBA draft tonight. It stinks we got robbed of seeing what Okoro could do in the SEC and NCAA tourney. I remember Okeke was just and ordinary fringe NBA player before he went on his tear at the end of last season and played his way into first round draft pick. It would have been cool to see if Okoro could of done  something similar and gotten himself into top 5 pick consideration. Hell maybe he sneaks in there anyway. There appears to be a lot of interest in him so maybe some team says screw it and picks him a little higher than what you'd expect a guy with limited shooting skills should go. 

Where ever he ends up i hope it is a great situation for him. The thing about Okoro is that I think he will succeed no matter what team drafts him. He may develop quicker with certain teams than with others but when you bring the attitude and effort that Okoro does you will be good where ever you are at. He'll make the team that takes him better and be a great representative for AU basketball. Congrats on all the hard work paying of Isaac! War Eagle!!

[ellitor 33,884]

14 minutes ago, Grumps said:

I'm surprised they don't list defense as a strength.

@GrumpsThey do in the 30 second clip in the tweet.

[gravejd 3,304]

Remembering the good times
 

 

[ellitor 33,884]

 

[ellitor 33,884]