Scouting Report: Onyeka Okongwu

Prospect Background

After a dominant freshman campaign with the USC Trojans, Onyeka Okongwu declared for the 2020 NBA Draft on March 25th, per his Twitter page.

A face that many remember from a few years ago at Chino Hills High School, Okongwu has been on the radars of scouts for years now. Thrown in the spotlight alongside Lonzo, LiAngelo, and LaMelo Ball, Okongwu was a four-year starter and often the best and most consistent player on the Chino Hills team.

Okongwu was one of the best freshmen in the nation this season in college as well, leading USC to a 16-4 record in their first 20 games. He showcased supreme athleticism, versatility on both sides of the floor, and tremendous potential and upside playing in one of the most up-and-down conferences in college basketball in the Pac-12. He stood out with a 64.5 true shooting percentage on over 20 percent usage, showing how much USC relied on him and how efficient and effective he was with his opportunities.

Projected to be a locked-in lottery pick, Okongwu has the potential and talent to be not only the best big man, but the best overall player in the 2020 NBA Draft.

Offensive Synopsis

The current play style of the NBA is dominated by two-way players. In the era of position-less basketball, guys who can get it done on both sides of the floor and are never a liability are a luxury and dominate the game. Offensively, during his freshman season, Onyeka Okongwu showcased guard-like touch around the rim, the ability to operate as a natural distributor out of the post and as the pick-and-roll man, tremendous length and athleticism while playing above the rim, tenacious offensive rebounding, and flashes of a potential outside shot in the long-term.

Let’s take a look at Okongwu’s Synergy profiles to help tell more of the story:

Right off the bat, ranking in the 97th percentile in overall offense and scoring 1.126 points per possession (PPP) is pretty insane for a freshman big man. Also, ranking in the 84th percentile – beating out many college guards – in possessions + assists just continues to prove the fact that Okongwu is an extremely talented and natural passer.

Breaking down his game into more concise portions, Okongwu was just excellent around the rim this season. His touch and feel out of the post stood out every single game. Being 6-9, 245 lbs., Okongwu can attribute his high shooting percentage around the rim and success in post-up opportunities to establishing great low-post position, using his strong frame to move defenders out of the way and create easy looks.

Okongwu shot 65% (145 – 223) on attempts in the paint, with most of these attempts being contested lay-ups and hook shots around multiple defenders.

Now, although that was impressive to watch, post-ups and the positioning he earned so often in college will be harder to come by at the NBA level next year against the likes of Joel Embiid, Hassan Whiteside, and other bigger rim protectors.

Perimeter Shooting

Taking a deeper look at Big O’s short chart, there was a severe lack of disparity in shot attempts from Okongwu in every spot on the floor outside of the paint. This was especially surprising to me, considering the fact that in high school ball, as well as AAU play, Okongwu was a fairly willing shooter – albeit from the high school three-point line – and one who showed promise to expand his range and become a perimeter threat at higher levels.

His mechanics were off in high school, starting with an unbalanced base, flared elbows, and a hitch in his push-heavy and slow release. Judging by the few jumpers we got to see from him this year at USC, Okongwu’s made noticeable improvements to his shot, straightening his upper body, eliminating the hitch from high school, and bettering his pre-shot and in-shot footwork.

This is evident in this clip here, and frankly quite encouraging. Okongwu sets his feet towards the rim and keeps his base tight and uniform, knocking down the clutch mid-range shot off the relocation.

Interestingly enough, Okongwu shot less his freshman year then he previously did while in high school. You have to wonder if that’s due to coaching or if he’s still generally uncomfortable with the shot. Needless to say, being an undersized big man at the NBA level requires you to be somewhat of a threat from the perimeter. The development of an outside shot is an imperative final piece Okongwu needs to add to his game to reach his fullest potential.

Pick-and-Roll Ability

One of the most dominant and exciting parts of Big O’s game that should translate well to the next level was Okongwu as the pick-and-roll screener this year. Ranking in the 78th percentile as a PnR man, he displayed great vision, composure, and applied high levels of rim pressure as a roller. Getting Okongwu in space and allowing him to showcase his footwork and innate touch around the rim was key to USC’s success this year. It was truly a sight to see, as it seemed like every time Okongwu got the ball off the pick-and-roll, he attacked the rim with much more intensity and power, like he was jumping off a springboard.

In the clip above, Okongwu throws down perhaps his best dunk of the season, catching the pass off the pick-and-roll from freshman guard Ethan Anderson and exploding towards the rim.

Back to his passing out of the PnR, Okongwu has unreal vision for a guy his size. His touch is reminiscent of Bam Adebayo in the way that he’s skilled enough to thread the needle with some of his looks, like this one below.

Again, Okongwu catches the initial dump-off after a slip from the screen location, then has the ability and awareness to deliver a beautiful left-handed pass to fellow freshman Isaiah Mobley for the easy bucket.

Post-Up

Operating primarily out of the post-up position throughout his freshman year, Onyeka Okongwu showcased terrific footwork and touch around the rim. He ranked in the 94th percentile in post-up offense, scoring 1.127 points per possession.

Not to be overlooked, the big man also demonstrated an impressive ability to find open teammates out of double teams in the post. This is an extremely crucial skill for a 19-year-old center to have, and one that will help make the transition to the NBA style of play easier for him next season.

Taking a look at the first clip above, this is just tremendous court awareness and vision on display from Big O. Drawing the hard double team, he’s able to keep his eyes up and find Daniel Utomi on the perimeter for an open three. Granted, the pass itself could be a little better and more on-line, but the fact that he’s able to make this kind of decision early on in his career is a tremendous indicator.

Here’s a bit of a different scenario. Okongwu doesn’t draw an immediate double team, but Arizona guard Nico Mannion is in deep help defense, ready to potentially double the post whenever. Okongwu senses this, and using his vision and awareness, waits for Mannion to bite, subsequently delivering a strike to Ethan Anderson for an open three.

Now, it’s unlikely that Okongwu will draw similar levels of attention from opposing teams out of post-ups in his first few NBA seasons, but his ability to pass and initiate offense out of spots like those make him valuable in any half-court offense.

Continuing to dissect Okongwu’s post-up game, it’s worth noting that his ability to create space and move fluidly from the block will be extremely useful early on in his NBA career.

Using his frame and strength to carve out spots in the paint should translate well to the next level, although good looks will be harder to come by.

In the clip above, Okongwu takes one hard dribble to throw his defender off-balance, reverse pivots towards the baseline and has the touch and upper body strength to finish through contact. That is an NBA-level move and one that is tough to guard for any defender at any level.

Offensive Rebounding

Posting marks of 8.6 rebounds per game and 3.3 offensive rebounds per game, Onyeka Okongwu was relentless on the backboards all season long. As an undersized big man, Okongwu’s long wingspan, strong frame and lower body helped him in this department often, as he was able to jostle for favorable position and grab contested rebounds over the top of opposing big men.

His rebounding percentages don’t jump off the stat sheet, but a lot of that can be attributed to playing alongside veteran center Nick Rakocevic the majority of the time, with the senior pulling down a respectable 8.4 rebounds per game. Okongwu kept many plays alive based off his tenacity on the glass, and a prime example of this is shown in the clip below.

Off the free-throw miss, Okongwu grabs the tough rebound and has the wherewithal and strength to finish the play with the contested put-back. Onyeka ranked in the 90th percentile on put-backs, per Synergy.

The kind of relentless nature that Big O displayed on the offensive glass all year is something that can’t be taught, and one that can be the turning point in many games. Undersized big men like Kenneth Faried and Reggie Evans have branded themselves as relentless offensive rebounders in the past as well, despite being at a noticeable height advantage. Of course, that isn’t comparing Okongwu to the likes of Evans and Faried in terms of skill level whatsoever, as Okongwu appears to be a big man with a plethora of abilities outside of rebounding. Needless to say, his ability on the glass could provide instant impact.

The clip above is one of my favorite sequences from Okongwu all year long. At first, he whips a gorgeous pass to the perimeter, then is able to use his long arms to get a hand on the basketball and complete the put-back. Okongwu is absolutely relentless on the boards.

Defensive Synopsis

One of the most intriguing and versatile defenders in the 2020 NBA Draft, Onyeka Okongwu serves potential as a rim protector and a switch-proof big man at the next level. His foot speed and mechanics – although still a work in progress – allows him to switch 1-5 defensively and hang with quicker guards on the perimeter.

Okongwu sported an extremely respectable 88.5 defensive rating, and ranked tenth in all of college basketball in defensive box plus/minus at 8.0. Okongwu’s defensive profile and potential truly makes him the intriguing prospect that he is.

Shot-Blocking

Okongwu blocked 2.7 shots per game his freshman season, ranking in the top ten in this category across the NCAA. His long wingspan, smart instincts and good timing helped him in this regard. He was able to achieve these numbers without fouling excessively either, averaging less than three per game (2.7).

Being a naturally smart player, Okongwu’s understanding of rotations and overall ability as a team defender really stood out and led to a lot of the blocks he got credit for. Here, Okongwu slides over from the weak side and is able to get the easy rejection because he’s just simply in the right place.

Again, this is just beautiful timing and a textbook rotation from Big O. Being a quality team defender and understanding the importance of help defense in basketball is one of the most crucial abilities for any prospect to have coming out of college, and Okongwu checks both boxes.

When you have the natural athleticism and long wingspan that Onyeka Okonwgu has, you’re set up to be a straight rim protector. Here, Stone Gettings learns to never try this again and gets absolutely embarrassed by Okongwu.

Lastly, matched up against talented big man Oscar de Silva on the perimeter, Okongwu is able to wall up and deny de Silva the baseline drive, turning him back to the middle and eventually blocking his floater attempt. This is, again, textbook defense from Big O.

Versatility/Perimeter Defense

In the current NBA, big guys who can’t hold their own against faster guards are being run out of the league. Coaches will pick-and-roll to death slower, flat-footed defenders, thus making them virtually unplayable, especially come playoff time.

Being 6-9 and light on his feet, Onyeka Okongwu is far from a liability in this regard. Many times, he was switched onto faster guards off the pick-and-roll, and time after time held his own. Okongwu slides his feet extremely well for a player of his stature. His length and fluidity laterally in his hips and legs make for an intriguing combination and endless defensive upside.

Breaking down this play, not only does Okongwu showcase tremendous foot speed by sliding to stay in front of Tyrell Terry and block his shot, but makes a great read with the shot clock winding down. Anderson gets burned on Terry’s back-cut, and Okongwu adjusts by rotating from De Silva to pick up Terry and force the shot clock violation.

Once again highlighting Okongwu’s tremendous rotational ability and overall understanding of team defense, he does a little bit of everything on this possession. First, Okongwu hedges the screen and causes traffic in the paint for Tyger Campbell. Then, with Rakocevic getting beat off the dribble, Onyeka slides over and gets two feet and his entire body in front of the driver, allowing him to contest and force a miss.

Lastly, this is just ridiculously good stuff from Onyeka Okongwu. Using his length, he rotates from the short corner to the free-throw line extended to come up with the steal in the passing lane and slams down the fast break dunk on the other end. This play alone embodies Okongwu’s two-way potential.

It’s worth noting that big guys like Onyeka Okongwu do not grow on trees. His versatility defensively and potential on this side of the floor could lead to multiple Defensive Player of the Year award winnings in the future.

Overall Outlook

High-End Outcome: Onyeka Okongwu will be an impact player in the NBA from day one, no matter his outcome. Posting a box plus/minus mark of 13.6 (third in NCAA) and a 31.1 player efficiency rating (tenth in NCAA) is unreal for a freshman and extremely telling of his impact in every game he played this season. Part of the reason I have Okongwu ranked as a top-two prospect on my board is because I believe he will reach one of his highest potential outcomes. He has absolutely everything in front of him. In his highest potential outcome, Okongwu develops a decent outside shot – which I believe is possible – and plays primarily the role of a dynamic, floor-spacing, inside-outside four for the rest of his career. He does this while also maintaining the versatility to be a plug-and-play small ball five. The development of his outside shot, combined with his superb inside touch, defensive versatility and rim protection, allows him to become an All-Star caliber player, who is a top-tier NBA starter for the rest of his career.

Median Outcome: Okongwu’s median outcome, at least for me, still has him ending up as a solid NBA starter. Plugging him into a team alongside a floor-spacing big man will be key, and will allow him to dominate the paint offensively. With this outcome, he most likely develops an inconsistent and slightly below average outside shot. I’m a firm believer that Big O has all the tools in his arsenal other than an outside shot right now, which is why I don’t believe he will need one extremely early to be successful. Essentially, you get an impact NBA starter in Okongwu if he reaches his median outcome.

Low-End Outcome: In my opinion, Onyeka Okongwu has an extremely high floor. It’s hard to imagine a guy with his skillset and defensive impact become a “bust.” The only way Okongwu could reach his high-level floor is if he displays no willingness to shoot from the perimeter and lands in a situation with multiple other big guys already on the roster. With this being said, I still believe his wide-range skillset allows him to make an impact in a rotation, even as a fringe starter/back-up.

Follow us @OT_Heroics for more great content! 

Also, be sure to check out the Overtime Heroics Forums page to join in on the discussion! 

Check out our partners at Repp Sports! They offer the first-ever crowd-sourced, no carb, no sugar, energy drink called RAZE and much more! Use the link above or add the promo code OTH1 for 30% off at checkout!