Elie Okobo has flown under the radar in most NBA draft analysis. But his combination of size, pull-up shooting from deep range and passing acumen makes him ideal.
The Orlando Magic have a pronounced need at point guard. They have a pronounced need for shooting. They have a pronounced need for offensive creation in general. The team has a pronounced interest in positional size and wingspan.
Elie Okobo, averaging 18.8 points and 6.5 assists per 36 minutes while shooting 41.5 percent from three for Pau-Orthez in the French LNB Pro A, is an intuitive fit.
Outside of Trae Young, he might be this draft’s best point guard prospect (sorry, Collin Sexton). He has demonstrated a penchant for explosive offensive performances, dropping 44 points on 70 percent shooting against AS Monaco on May 23 and 30 on 70 percent shooting against Chalon-Sur-Saone, including 15 points in the last five minutes to lead his team to a victory.
He fits the modern point guard archetype: He is an efficient and technically sound pull-up shooter. Okobo is capable of elevating in space to block shots and finish above the rim. He has a quick first step and good measurements for his position at 6-foot-3 with a 6-foot-8 wingspan.
Like Young, Okobo is an adept pick-and-roll operator, capable of pulling up from multiple levels and making reads all over the floor.
Holding him back is mostly consistency on both ends. For stretches, he looks like an elite defensive guard prospect, leveraging his frame and athleticism to lock down and make plays on and off the ball. Other times, he looks disengaged and spacey, making ill-advised gambles. And on offense, he can be prone to puzzling decisions on drives.
That lack of consistent quick and intelligent read-making is what holds him back from cracking the top tier of point guard prospects in this draft.
But for the Magic, it is difficult not to be attracted to his shot-making ability as a potential draft-and-stash candidate with the 35th or 41st pick.
The Good
You do not have to look very far to see the strengths of Elie Okobo’s game. They were out in full force against AS Monaco (see the highlight video above).
He has arguably the most pull-up shooting range of anyone in this class not named Trae Young. Combine the threat of his jumper with his quickness, burst, finishing above and below the rim and continued improvement with hesitation moves and craftiness, and you have a pretty devastating offensive package.
On and off the ball, he forces defenders to either stick close to him or to close out hard. That allows him to get to the middle of the floor, opening up his driving game and providing passing angles to the perimeter.
It is worth stressing his relative well-roundedness as a scorer. Many guard prospects, especially in this draft, have struggled considerably finishing at the rim. Trae Young, Devonte’ Graham, Collin Sexton, Jevon Carter, Aaron Holiday and Carsen Edwards are just a few with poor efficiency in that area, per Synergy.
While we do not have similar statistics for Okobo readily available, his leaping ability, wingspan, strength and touch make it significantly easier for him to finish among the trees, through contact, below the rim and above it.
He has also demonstrated the ability to make shots in the midrange off the bounce and fading away. His floater game needs some work. But there is not an area on the court from which he is not a respectable scoring threat.
His awareness working out of the pick-and-roll bodes well for his NBA translation. He knows how to find and execute pocket passes to roll men. But he is also cognizant of cutters and open shooters beyond the arc.
There is no clear way to defend him in these situations, especially if he is paired with decent shooters and a lob threat.
Drop coverage and he can pull-up. Switch and he can blow by a mismatch with ease. Hedge, trap or show and he can find his dive man or a shooter. That dynamism is exactly what you look for in a modern point guard.
Defensively he leaves something to be desired for someone with his tools. But he has clearly demonstrated that he knows how to use his length, strength and quickness in an effective way. It is just a matter of applying those things more consistently.
Even if he does not, and his execution remains inconsistent, he is still a better defensive point guard prospect than many of his peers in this class.
The Bad
Elie Okobo’s transition from off-guard to lead guard was not seamless. He is a bit turnover-prone. His 19.8 percent turnover rate is greater than Trae Young, Collin Sexton and many of his other peers. He appears to have found his stride, with his efficiency ticking up in recent months. But that number is still a point of concern.
The turnovers are due in no small part to his decision-making on drives, where he will occasionally drive into traffic and elevate without a plan or pick up his dribble under pressure.
Sometimes it is foul-seeking behavior, other times it is just confusing. Okobo began working with a sports psychologist this year, which may be a reason why his efficiency has improved. But it is clear he knew this was an area of weakness.
These struggles are understandable given the drastic nature of his role change. He nearly doubled the percentage of teammate field goals he assisted on. Okobo went from 18.72 percent in LNB Pro A play last season to 32 percent this season. That is a massive jump in playmaking volume to adjust to, especially for a young initiator.
Equally concerning, and perhaps more frustrating, is the lack of defensive consistency.
He has clear potential on that end with his physical makeup but his effort and execution wax and wane. When he is locked in, he demonstrates good technique, good gap defense and good effort on closeouts and screens. But for a worrying amount of his possessions, he gives up far too easily on and off the ball. And then does not give second efforts.
Much of that is to be expected with a young player with a large offensive load. Plenty of NBA players underperform relative to their tools because of energy conservation. Russell Westbrook is a prime example of that. And even the lower end of his defensive projection is beyond much of this guard class.
That said, the lack of consistent motor and decision-making raises concerns about his floor as a prospect. It is well within his range of outcomes that he just does not make the necessary effort plays or small good decisions frequently enough to be a positive NBA player.
The self-awareness he showed by beginning work with a mental skills coach is encouraging, however.
Draft Sites Say
Jonathan Givony, ESPN
"Okobo has attracted significant attention this season from NBA scouts, not just due to his productivity but also his size, 6-8 wingspan and scoring instincts. He’s a fluid athlete who plays above the rim regularly, changes speeds smoothly in the open floor, is a prolific pick-and-roll player who can find the open man and has proven to be a capable shot-maker, pulling up off the dribble from long vantage points."
Jackson Hoy, The Stepien
"Okobo already has many tools that teams covet in backup guards given his ability to make shots in a hurry and his size to defend two positions. If he can continue to progress as a decision-maker and develop a stronger floater game, it’s not crazy to think that he’ll have the all-around skill set necessary to play a starting role in the NBA. Among this draft class, Okobo’s combination of positional size, shot-making ability, plus playmaking, and defensive IQ stand out at the point guard spot. In my opinion, Okobo’s name should be in the center of the discussion about the best point guards in the draft not named Trae Young."
Stefanos Makris, NBADraft.net
"Left-handed guard with a nice frame that looks that can fill up nicely… Good size and great length for his position (wingspan measured at 6-8 feet) … Good athlete who seems to take care of his body. . . . He is not overly explosive … He doesn’t always play with the same aggressiveness … Does not concentrate as he should at all times."
Final Word
Elie Okobo’s specific multi-level shot-making profile ad pick-and-roll acumen is tailor-made for the modern game.
His deep range from beyond the arc, ability to drop and blow by defenders with his handle and quickness and solid passing vision all jump off the page. If he played in the NCAA, you have to imagine he would be a top-20 prospect on many boards. Or at least the subject of far more buzz, highlight reels and mixtapes.
Add in the athleticism and defensive potential, it is pretty clear Okobo is well worth a draft pick in the 30-40 range. Particularly by the Magic, who need a point guard, need a shooter and may be seeking to stash one of their picks.
It is important to keep in mind that as with any prospect in that part of the draft, expecting him to become an All-Star or even a good starter may not be grounded in reality.
The historic odds of picks in that range becoming and remaining a good player on a second contract with the team who drafted them is fairly low. But he is an intuitive fit for a Magic team that lacks scoring, shooting and creation.
The 2018 and 2019 draft also may not have more than one or two point guard prospects that stick around in the league.
Trae Young is full of upside, but also may never be able to stay on the floor defensively. Collin Sexton’s competitive nature makes it hard to imagine him washing out. But he lacks the two-way decision-making, shooting or passing vision needed to have Young’s upside or even be a good starting point guard on an elite team.
In next year’s draft, only Darius Garland appears to have a real shot at sustained NBA success from that position.
That scarcity is worth keeping in mind. The Magic need a point guard at some point. And although this year’s class is somewhat shallow, next year’s does not look any better.
Next: 2018 NBA Draft Preview: Who is Michael Porter Jr.
It will probably take multiple swings. Taking someone like Okobo is necessary if for no other reason than to give Orlando as many bites at the apple as possible.