Josh Okogie was a gifted scorer and an incredibly gifted athlete. The question for this guard is what he will do and how he fits in with the NBA.
At the end of the day, basketball is about scoring. There are a whole lot of other things teams look at — physical attributes, speed and all the others — but it comes down to being able to put the ball in the basket. In whatever role it comes with.
Players typically have to find a way to make their games work within the concept of a team. And their ability to do that will likely determine their place in the NBA. Finding other skills to keep a player on the court are a good thing but scoring is ultimately what the point of the game is. Everyone needs to support something in that line.
Josh Okogie did it all for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets last year. His two years in Atlanta, he averaged 16.9 points per game. He scored 18.2 points per game last year with a 47.5 percent effective field goal percentage. He made a cool 38 percent from beyond the arc fairly consistently.
On top of all this, he is a good defender with good length for a 6-foot-4 guard. Okogie has a lot wrapped up into him.
But there is always that question. How does he play when the ball is not in his hands? How does he help a team score more? Okogie will not carry over that 27.3 percent usage rate to the NBA. His scoring is not nearly efficient enough, nor his size good enough to do so.
Or maybe it is.
Teams view Josh Okogie in the same category as Khyri Thomas. Something of a tweener positionally who showed some good offensive flair but not enough to be among the top stars. And they both seem to have great defensive potential.
Okogie is more of a driver and slasher than Thomas. And perhaps a better defender, but not nearly as good of a shooter. They should get drafted in the same area in the upcoming NBA Draft.
But that raises that big question for any player transitioning from a college star to a NBA role player. How do you contribute to a team? How do you make that team better?
Okogie has plenty of physical promise and potential. But also a lot of questions about how to channel that talent successfully.
The Good
Josh Okogie’s athleticism stands out first and foremost when he is on the floor. He has a good quick burst that gets him past his defender and to the basket with some explosiveness. Okogie is able to get off the floor quickly.
That helps him most in transition where he had a tendency to leak out and beat opponents down the floor for easy dunks and layups. That is hardly a sign of what kind of player he can be.
But that same burst is present in how he darts to the basket off the dribble or off cuts. Or even in how he rises up for jumpers off the dribble. Okogie can be in constant motion and get to the basket with that burst.
That was something he did at Georgia Tech more often than his usage rate would suggest. He is smart working across the lane and can finish quickly after he makes the catch. That is all important. Okogie’s speed in this respect is certainly strong.
He is a reliable enough shooter to keep teams honest. His solid 3-point shooting suggests he could work off the ball. Maybe even as a cutter. But that was not his game with the Yellow Jackets. With Georgia Tech, he was on the ball and looking to attack off the dribble.
That will be part of his transition to the NBA.
But Okogie has another skill that makes him extremely valuable. His defensive length and acumen suggest he can carve out a role in the NBA. That makes him valuable outside of his scoring.
His 7-foot wingspan was the fourth longest at the NBA Draft Combine among guards. That helped him accumulate nearly 2.0 steals per game in his time at Georgia Tech.
Okogie has a ton of speed and a ton of natural athletic gifts. That makes him extremely intriguing and promising as a player.
The Bad
Josh Okogie had a high usage rate at college and was the main guy for Georgia Tech. That would be all well and good and his production was solid. But the Yellow Jackets were not a winning team.
Georgia Tech struggled to get much traction the last two years with Okogie leading the way. And no one sees him being the main player on a team moving forward. That is why Okogie will have to ease into a new role. And that will be a difficult thing to do.
Okogie is a decent shooter, but not an overly accomplished one. He shot just 41.6 percent from the floor with 13.3 field goal attempts per game. That is probably a lot more to do with the role he had to play for the Yellow Jackets.
He is a good enough shooter that he might find a role off the ball. But that will be a big adjustment for him.
Okogie at 6-foot-4 is a bit undersized for a shooting guard. And his point guard skills are not particularly developed. He averaged just 2.5 assists per game. His playmaking leaves a lot to be desired. His passing is not particularly strong, especially in traffic.
That leaves a question with where he fits on the floor.
Finding his role will be the biggest question he has to answer in his rookie year. Where does he fit in with the modern NBA. If he is not a great shooter or playmaker, where does he fit on the floor.
The defensive ability undoubtedly will stand out most. That will get him some playing time. And he is a great athlete in space and can slash to the basket. But he will have to show he can hit spot-up 3-pointers more effectively to find a comfortable place in the NBA.
Draft Sites Say
Jonathan Givony, ESPN
"Okogie has the type of length, toughness and multipositional defensive versatility the coaching staff covets, and he has put himself firmly in the first-round mix with a strong pre-draft process, including an excellent showing at the combine."
Kevin O’Connor, The Ringer
"Has the versatility to switch onto multiple positions given his excellent length, muscular frame, and great agility. Strong help defender who hustles, stays engaged, invades passing lanes, and blocks shots from the weak side. Plus rebounder for his position. . . . Low shooting release. Needs to get better at finishing tough below-the-rim layups; he drew a lot of fouls in college, but may not get the benefit of the whistle in the NBA. Average passer."
J.Z. Mazlish, The Stepien
"Okogie didn’t get much draft hype throughout the season, but his intersection of tools and production from the wing position puts him squarely in the first round discussion. There are a number of positive indicators with his shot but his form and release speed are major concerns. Where the shot ends up will be the biggest determinant of his NBA future. May have some avenues to secondary creation upside if he tightens his handle, but likely profiles as a 3&D guy who can attack closeouts well with burst and vision."
Final Word
Josh Okogie has the length and defensive versatility teams look for in a guard. He should be able to switch onto almost any player on the perimeter and use his skills to stick with them. If he turns into an elite defender, he will find a place in the rotation.
The question is whether his other skills will translate. Whether he will be able to get his shot off or attack the rim with as much effectiveness. Like with most athletes, it is about putting all those athletic skills into something he can use.
Okogie showed plenty of signs he can do that at Georgia Tech with the ball in his hands. He is not a raw athlete without any definable NBA skills. Or scoring ability. Okogie has some things very well developed on the offensive end.
But it is always difficult to get scorers, especially ones who dominate the ball, to scale down and find a role. That is the big question with Okogie. What does he scale down to?
Defining a NBA role is always the trick with these late first round picks.
Okogie will make waves in the league with his length and defensive acumen. He will find a place on the court if he commits himself to that end and proves effective. He has all the physical tools to do so.
Offensively, he is a good enough shooter to make an open jumper and cut himself into open space. If he gets a straight shot at the rim or space to attack, he will finish above the rim. It might be asking too much to use him as a playmaker. That is not his forte.
So the question then becomes finding a place for Okogie to fit. The question is about finding that role and finding that fit in the NBA.
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There is clearly a way for him to do so. The rest is about him fitting into a role and succeeding.