Orlando Magic Player Comparisons: What’s in store for the sophomores

Orlando Magic Player Comparisons

Chuma Okeke

FiveThirtyEight: Paul Thompson, Iman Shumpert, Jared Dudley
Kevin O’Connor, The Ringer: Robert Covington, Maurice Harkless, Donyell Marshall

The Orlando Magic waited a long time for Chuma Okeke.

They drafted the forward after a torn ACL knowing they would have to wait out his recovery before he stepped onto the floor. Whether his athleticism and shooting would still be there when he stepped onto the court would be another matter.

Okeke really surprised everyone with how quickly he latched onto the NBA and contributed to the team. Even with the Magic having to lean on him more than they anticipated — and played him outside of his preferred position.

Orlando feels like the team found something of a hidden gem in Okeke. And considering that last year was his first year recovering from a torn ACL, there are expectations Okeke will get even better.

His averages were solid — 7.8 points per game, 4.0 rebounds per game and a 49.2-percent effective field goal percentage. He had a lot of strong moments and stepped up with big baskets in key moments. He also hit the rookie wall pretty hard — a product of his recovery from injury and the exhaustion of playing through his first NBA season with the intensity and challenges it represented.

Chuma Okeke has drawn comparisons to Kawhi Leonard for his calm and cool demeanor on the court. Teammates say he is much more playful and expressive behind closed doors. He is extremely popular with his teammates. Magic fans are eager for him to get comfortable enough to show that publicly.

What Okeke ultimately is or could become is still a big mystery for the team. He is definitely not Leonard. He probably does not have the scoring instinct — although he certainly showed enough hints he could be a more prominent scorer as he improves and gets more comfortable.

Right now, the projections seem to be more bullish on him.

Pre-draft, he was compared to several 3-and-D players like Robert Covington and Donyell Marshall. Okeke certainly has to continue improving his 3-point shot. But he showed enough to at least have some gravity from beyond the arc.

The FiveThirtyEight comparisons point to other 3-and-D players. Iman Shumpert was a solid shooter known more for his athleticism and shooting. The same could be said for someone like Jared Dudley.

They both carved very long careers. And Okeke certainly should view those two players as a floor for his career. He is more than capable of being a 3-and-D player. And if that is the biggest thing he proved in his rookie year, that was mission accomplished.

That bodes well for Okeke and his future and what he ultimately might become.

There is a lot of promise in Okeke. Of all the Magic’s rookies, he may not have produced the gaudiest numbers or biggest moments, but he certainly feels like the most promising.