Cavs: 3 reasons to strongly consider Onyeka Okongwu in 2020 NBA Draft

#2: Inside-out scoring potential

What’s particularly appealing about Okongwu is his inside-out scoring potential, and with the relative uncertainty involving Cleveland’s bigs, this is another key reason why the Cavs should strongly consider drafting Onyeka.

Whether or not Cleveland trades Love, who actually could be a nice pairing in some stretches with Okongwu playing the 5, Okongwu would likely be an efficient scorer early on for Cleveland.

He has a strong low-post game, great finishing ability as a roller as a tremendous athlete with quickness and authority, as well as touch with both hands. In that realm, he could fit in really well with Darius Garland and Collin Sexton, who has shown a ton of growth as a passer lately.

You can see Okongwu’s feel with his rolling timing and sudden above-the-rim finishing in this instance with USC guard Ethan Anderson here.

https://twitter.com/USC_Hoops/status/1236394142231486466?s=20

Despite him not showing three-point shooting capability yet, a free throw hit rate of 72.0 percent at this stage indicates he could develop a deep ball over time.

Also, with Okongwu flashing touch in the mid-range area already as a face-up threat, of which FanSided’s Jackson Frank highlighted, I’m optimistic that Okongwu’s game has a much higher offensive ceiling than say, primarily just a roller in James Wiseman, previously of Memphis. Wiseman had big-time statistics, but that was primarily against weak competition, before he ended up withdrawing essentially due to an NCAA suspension (which was a bogus suspension, though).

At any rate, with Okongwu’s feel in the low post, ability to carve out space as a screener in on and off-ball scenarios, and him feasibly being able to be a good athletic fit alongside Love, Nance and as a roller in situations with Sexton, Garland, potentially Cedi Osman and Porter, Okongwu could be a double-double threat on a nightly basis.

Plus, his combination of touch and power near the basket would help out others on the perimeter, and I don’t read too much into him having an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.1 to 2.0.

Okongwu is a player that draws a ton of attention from opposing defenses, and as a freshman big, I’m not all that worried, and with what Okongwu brings as an interior scoring threat, with better spacing, this isn’t as much of a concern and I believe he’ll develop better awareness in how to handle doubles.

Now to the first reason why I’m so high on Okongwu potentially for the Cavs, in particular.