Isaac Okoro is a 6’6 224 pound SF that attended Auburn last fall. In most mock drafts they have Issac going anywhere from 5-15 in this year’s draft. At Auburn Okoro, averages were 12.8 PPG, 2.0 APG, and 4.4 RPG on 51%FG and 29% from deep. Now Isaac has the tools to be a very good basketball player and has the potential to be a Jimmy Butler of a team. Isaac Okoro was ranked 40th in the top 100 ESPN Class of 2019. Coming out of Powder Spring Ga, Okoro was a 4 star recruit and the only offer he got was from Auburn so he really didn’t have a say where he wanted to go. But it turned out well for him in his freshman year because now he is a lottery pick in the NBA Draft.
Strengths: Issac Okoro has an unlimited ceiling for his basketball career, with a few adjustments that we’ll go over in the weaknesses section, he can become a very dominant player for years to come. Now if you follow the SEC for basketball, you know that Okoro was probably guarding your best player. Okoro is probably top 3 defenders in this draft or even top 2 but the top spot has to go to Saddiq Bey out of Villanova. He can guard basically 1 through 4 and lock them down, he’s a very good on ball defender and a very good team defender. Now you won’t see him put up crazy defensive numbers but that’s basically due to the point of him not wanting to take risks and avoid fouls. Another point that makes him similar to Jimmy Butler is Okoro’s competitive drive on the court, they both have similar mentalities when it comes to Basketball. Now let’s get to the offense side of the ball, Okoro is a very freaky athlete, he’s one of the best dunkers in the class. He attacks the basket hard, has a nice touch around the rim and finishes with both hands well. When you see him going downhill, his go to moves are the euro and the spin cycle. More quick point are he is a very good rebounder for his size, he’s shown glimpse of being a good playmaker in the NBA.
Weakness: Now with his weaknesses it’s all offensive flaws that could easily be fixed by NBA coaches and help this young man become something special. He’s comfortable shooting the deep ball but his mechanics and his efficiency are inconsistent. As you could’ve seen from the stats above, Okoro did shoot 29% from 3 this year, which isn’t something to have a party about. With his mechanics, Okoro likes to fade sometimes when he is in a catch in shoot situation, his jump shot can be stiff, and his elbows like to go in weird directions that make his shot inconsistent but definitely could be fixed. With his shooting struggles comes with his FT shooting problems and well to be honest it’s expected. Doesn’t have moves to create space like a snatch back or a stepback but yet again it can be easily be fixed at the next level.
Verdict: Isaac Okoro can be a very very good basketball player in the NBA, he has the defensive part, he has the motor, he has the competitive drive that most don’t have. All of his weaknesses could easily become strengths over time, which makes him a very dominant player for years to come. The team that picks him has some work to do but 100% will work out for them over time.
TheDyspatch 