Washington Wizards 2020 NBA Draft: Onyeka Okongwu

Onyeka Okongwu: Strengths

During his short stint at USC, Okongwu was a force down low on both ends of the floor. Offensively, Onyeka Okongwu’s ability to score with high efficiency was incredible. At the collegiate level, he led the entire Pac-12 in both true shooting percentage (.645) and field goal percentage (.616). Whether it be dunks, lay-ups, hook-shots, mid-range shots, or whatever! Okongwu excels at putting the ball in the basket in a variety of ways.

He has a great feel for when to slip screens and attack the rim or pop out for short jumpers. I can already visualize Okongwu running the pick and roll with a healthy John Wall. It will look similar to the days when Marcin Gortat was on the team. The Polish Hammer was adept at slipping screens for a Wall bounce pass and finishing with a thunderous jam. Okongwu could be the new recipient of these crafty passes and a much more athletic recipient than Gortat was. Okongwu’s excellent hands and explosive first jump make him the ideal pick-and-roll player.

Although he flashed a ton of offensive potential at USC, Okongwu’s defensive prowess is what scouts are really drooling over. Other than maybe Precious Achiuwa, there’s no other prospect in this class with a higher ceiling as a rim protector. Even though they both played 30 minutes per game, Okongwu averaged almost one more block than Achiuwa. His timing and defensive instincts are impeccable! Opponents struggle to find an open path to the lane when he’s defending the paint because he recovers so fast even when opponents think they’ve found daylight. Thanks to his quick feet, Okongwu is also capable of switching onto guards. That ability to guard multiple positions will be key at the next level and will set Okongwu apart as an elite NBA defender.