The Rookie: Chuma Okeke

• Player : Chuma Okeke, F

• Height w/ shoes: 6’8”

• Weight: 230 Ibs

• Wingspan: 7’0”

Chuma Okeke was selected with the sixteenth pick in the 2019 NBA Draft by the Orlando Magic, to the dismay of many fans who would have preferred a guard prospect such as Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Kevin Porter Jr., or even Keldon Johnson. Their argument was we had a hole at both guard spots (depending on how you feel about Markelle Fultz) and we were in the prime position to draft one with the number 16 pick. I for one am a fan of picking the best player available and a healthy Chuma Okeke is a lottery level talent. After watching the NBA postseason for the last half a decade or so, you would think people would start to understand that you can never have too many large wings and positional versatility is at an all time premium. I believe that we can learn from the playoffs when we are drafting players and how Okeke (and Jeffries but I digress) fit into it. You can never have too many wings in the current NBA. Wings are like the one stop shop of the positions because athletically some compare to guards but physically they may be comparable to much bigger players which gives them increasing value in the postseason where every possession is so precious and the ability to be fine switching onto a myriad of different players becomes ancillary. For this very reason we see guys such as Trevor Ariza, Andre Igudola, PJ Tucker, Danny Green, and even to a lesser extent Danuel House see their value skyrocket as soon as the playoffs begin every year.

First things first, Magic fans, sorry to break it to you but he is not Robert Covington. Covington is a far superior athlete, and Chuma does a lot more for a team offensively than Covington can and likely ever will do. Okeke will derive his defensive value by being a smart team defender and being ahead of the play cerebrally, using his IQ, awareness, anticipation, and quick reaction time to make plays defensively rather than just straight up locking down the opposing player individually. In this sense Okeke is more similar to a player such as Kyle Anderson both athletically and in the way he brings value to his team on the defensive end. His defensive IQ is apparent when you take a look at his stock numbers (steals and blocks) of 5.0 per 40, when you take into account his lack of top end athleticism, it just goes to show how great of an off ball defender he is and how he knows how to get the most out of his tools, as well as being in the right places positionally, spatially and using his anticipation. I will repeat this once more, we did not draft the next Tony Allen, Okeke is a player who will rely on his strength, length, feel and IQ to thrive on the defensive end. My concerns with Okeke defensively come from his athleticism and form. Okeke routinely got blown by during his tenure at Auburn by more quick or athletic players which is something that the NBA is full of, due to his athletic deficiencies and poor form and this is something that will be exposed in the playoffs by smart teams (hell, it happened to Robert Covington and like I said he is a MUCH better athlete than Okeke is). My hope is that the magnitude of this will be lessened once he is under coach Clifford who is known for instilling discipline into his players on the defensive end which will do wonders for Okeke as a point of attack defender. I also hope Okeke sees more of his minutes at the 4 and small ball 5 rather than the 3 to help cut down on him having to defend quicker players and allowing him to play primarily off ball defensively where he will thrive. Part of Okeke’s allure is the fact that he can play either forward and the small ball center position which is why I believe players like Jae Crowder and Demmarre Carroll will always find themselves on an NBA team. Not only are they solid basketball players but they are extremely versatile.

Offensively I am willing to bet Okeke becomes serviceable from day one due to his valuable blend of being able to dribble, pass, shoot, process things quickly and consistently make the right decision. Watching the NBA finals this season, count to me how many players on the floor were not capable of making quick reads, and making good decisions when they pass the ball? The answer is zero. All of them have that ability to do the little things, which I think is something we as basketball fans underrate on the whole. Anyone who is not a star player or athletic aberration that has any value deep into the postseason is a master of the little things which is a skill Okeke possesses. At the very least Okeke will shoot, and shoot it well in the NBA. He shot 38% from deep at Auburn and passes the NBA draft “will he be a good shooter” litmus test due to him shooting almost 58% on two point jumpers and 71% on free throws. He also flashes the ability to get his shot off of movement which would increase his offensive value a ton. Okeke is a truly great passer, not only for his size but period. His ability to keep the ball moving, make high level reads and make the defense react to him to get a teammate open is something we should all be excited for. His handle is extremely good for a power forward and in conjunction with his playmaking should make for a very efficient and highly positive offensive player at the next level. While I do not believe Okeke should ever be the primary initiator in any lineup I am extremely comfortable with him when the ball is in his hands because I have faith that the best play for the team will be made due to his passing acumen and unselfishness. If the Magic ever get a guard with any sort of offensive gravity (2020 draft class has a few) Okeke will be a great short roll threat due to the defense keying in on the guard with the ball it allows Okeke (when he receives the pass) to make the decision to either pass or shoot which is deadly when you consider it will be 4 on 3 on the short roll due to the attention the guard would be getting.

In conclusion Chuma Okeke was a great value pick at 16 and is a much better, and will be a more valuable player in the postseason than any of the guard prospects we were rumored to be interested in and the Magic hit a home run with this pick. Okeke projects to be an amazing team defender, with a lot of things in his tool box on the offensive end, that fits well with the Magic’s defensive identity and the hope is his athletic shortcomings will be covered up by good coaching, IQ and being a monster in the more important of the two defenses. Oh, yeah it also helps when you have Jonathan Isaac and Mohamed Bamba as your second layer of defense in the event that you are blown by.

By: Xavier Green

Twitter @notzay22