Okongwu & the Summer that Changed Everything

[sturt]

[ShooterSays]

 

[MarylandHawk]

1 hour ago, ShooterSays said:

 

Where is this? Open practice?

[Spud2nique]

1 hour ago, ShooterSays said:

 

My OO with a relaxed 3. It’ll take more time but nice.

3 minutes ago, MarylandHawk said:

Where is this? Open practice?

Burd posted it earlier I forget.

[JayBirdHawk]

 

 

[NBASupes]

3 hours ago, JayBirdHawk said:

 

 

Over 50%

[benhillboy]

9 hours ago, NBASupes said:

Over 50%

He isn’t up to the frequency of mid range shots that I expected (5% of shots instead of 10) but 45-50% is where I expected he’d shoot.  
 

It’s good that he’s maintaining his high career shooting percentage while being assisted less but his dunk frequency has been cut in half.  As much as his dunks infuse the team with energy that ain’t good.

[JayBirdHawk]

 

 

[JayBirdHawk]

@Spud2nique

 

 

[Final_quest]

1 hour ago, JayBirdHawk said:

@Spud2nique

 

 

He’s really doing it.  Slowly, but he’s hitting them.

[LucastheThird]

1 hour ago, Final_quest said:

He’s really doing it.  Slowly, but he’s hitting them.

I need at least 1 a game, hopeful to see him get more confident in his shot

[AHF]

If one of those 10-14 foot shots rimmed out he drops from 57% to under 43%.  I’m putting this in the category of “I love the start; now let’s do it over a meaningful volume and do it often enough that the opponent fears leaving you open.”  In others words, I like what I’ve seen but SSS caveat.

Keep on progressing OO!

[benhillboy]

We don’t perceive his percentages to be that good because frankly that shot ugly.  Anyway carry on my boy.

[BudBall]

I dont think he has lived up to expectations of a number 5 overall pick. He is just a bench rotational player and not a starter in this league.

[Wretch]

I'm sure he can keep hitting it, but these are super-uncontested shots.  I want to see his shot when teams start to respect it and/or when we really need it.  IE - with a hand in his face, on a closeout with the shot draining, or with the pressure of a key possession hanging on it.

[JeffS17]

2 hours ago, BudBall said:

I dont think he has lived up to expectations of a number 5 overall pick. He is just a bench rotational player and not a starter in this league.

Hey, he's better than Kris Dunn and Alex Len who squatted in ATL for a bit.

Actually, those are #5 picks, OO was #6.  Looking back at that draft, it really wasn't that strong... not a ton of great options.  Look at the picks right after OO... Killian Hayes, Obi Toppin, Deni Avdija, Jalen Smith, Devin Vassel... half this draft class wont be in the NBA in a couple years

[AHF]

Devin Vassell has been pretty good but the rest not so much.

[JayBirdHawk]

OO looked like a real starter vs Vuc tonight: 18 points, 11 rebounds, 5 blocks, only 3 fouls and 1 TO.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[JayBirdHawk]

 

 

[benhillboy]

Ain’t sh%t changed.  I gotta agree with @Diesel here, soberly he’s looking like a tweener in the most unflattering use of the word.

He’s getting less And 1 chances, getting blocked more, shooting and win shares down considerably.  It seems like he went from “blocking shots and foul drawing guy” to “illegal screen and And 1 surrenderer guy.”  It seems like all of a sudden the NBA loaded up on Bigs who can box him out and reach over him no problem.  I’ve noticed small players adding emphasis to boxing him out as well.  He’s shooting well from the 10-16 feet range but he doesn’t take nearly enough to make an impact.

I’m not totally blaming him for the drop off in play: he simply doesn’t have the length to slide into the starting slot let alone the Bam-like ball skills an undersized 5 should aspire to, and the losses of Kevin, Delon (who looked to set him up much moreso than DJ does or Aaron can), and Gallo especially as a shot creating Big have taken so much oomph from the second unit.  But it’s looking like he may be in line for a change of scenery.

I’m still a fan and hoping he pulls it together and returns to a .200 WS/48 player, whether here or elsewhere.

I know why Haliburton didn’t want to come here and I empathize totally.  Doesn’t make the monumental gap in talent between he and OO feel any better as he’s quickly turned into a stud.

Edited January 7, 2023 by benhillboy