Okongwu is a top defender, but would he be a reach for the Hornets with 3rd draft pick?
Third in a series analyzing options for the Charlotte Hornets’ No. 3 overall draft pick:
Onyeka Okongwu represents where the NBA is headed with switching defenses.
The question for the Charlotte Hornets is whether the Southern Cal center does that so well that he should be in the mix for the No. 3 overall pick.
Okongwu might be a long shot to be the Hornets’ pick in Wednesday night’s draft. But how he plays — with the mobility to guard perimeter scorers in switches — is reminiscent of the quick impact center Bam Adebayo has had with the Miami Heat.
“I want to be a player like Bam — Bam is my size, same athleticism,” Okongwu said. “I can definitely switch on screens. I have great lateral foot speed for someone 6-9 or 6-10ish. That gives me an edge on other defenders my size.
“I’m able to bang down there (in the post) with big players and (guard) some of the shiftiest scorers in the world.”
Okongwu’s situation
Okongwu enters the draft in an era when NBA teams are open to playing smaller centers (he’s been measured at 6-9) and when big men can ideally switch onto smaller scorers to guard pick-and-rolls more efficiently.
While he could help an NBA team quickly on defense, his offense is far less refined. He says extending his shooting range and improving his poor ball-handling (he averaged two turnovers per game in his one college season) have been his priorities since the Trojans’ season ended.
“I’d never really worked on ball-handling before. In the last six, seven months, I’ve worked on that every day I’ve trained,” Okongwu said.
How Okongwu would fit with the Hornets
While position won’t drive this decision, it’s clear the Hornets need to address center. They have one center under contract, Cody Zeller, who is in the final season of his contract. Bismack Biyombo and Willy Hernangomez are both free agents.
Coach James Borrego switched up his center rotation throughout last season and experimented briefly with power forward P.J. Washington as a small-ball center.
If the Hornets don’t draft a center, it’s likely the position will be addressed through free agency. The Hornets finished last in the NBA last season in defensive-rebound percentage and had little rim-protection.
Argument for Hornets drafting Onyeka Okongwu
There is no position where the Hornets need immediate help more than center. Okongwu’s mobility relative to his size is as valued now as ever in NBA defensive strategy.
He would likely be ready to play immediately, based on his defense and the Hornets’ needs, maybe even more than center James Wiseman — a player of higher potential but less experience.
Argument against Hornets drafting Onyeka Okongwu
Hornets general manager Mitch Kupchak has said continuously that he will draft the top talent available at No. 3 — that “we’re not good enough to draft by position.”
One among Wiseman, Anthony Edwards and LaMelo Ball will be available. Most likely, Kupchak takes that guy, and figures out positional roster balance later.
