Elie Okobo is one of the most intriguing point guards in this NBA draft. On one hand, he’s an elite offensive talent with a clearly high basketball IQ and high potential, however he’s significantly behind where he needs to be athletically and still makes reckless mistakes with the ball. I can easily envision a future where Okobo is torching teams on a nightly basis en route to multiple All-Star bids, but it’s just as easy to think of him consistently showing tantalizing potential, yet frustratingly never capitalizing on it. Here’s why:
There are some five-year veterans who couldn’t make that play. His playmaking instincts in the pick-and-roll are elite and easily the best in the draft.
As a scorer, it’s possible he’s even more dangerous. He’s developed a lethal toolbox in the pick-and-roll which he can pull out at any time with everything from pull-up three’s to creative floaters to Chris Paul-esque mid-range jumpers. And most impressively he’s done it all with superb efficiency.
So far in his career he’s shown that he has the creativity and skill to be one a superstar-level guard in the NBA. Look how he escapes trouble and drains a contested pull-up three when he has the slightest opening:
He’s quite possibly the most advanced point guard in this draft and if his pick-and-roll game holds up he should be around for awhile.
Player specifics:
Height: 6’2″ Weight: 180 Wingspan: 6’8″ Position: Point Guard Age: 20 Team: Pau-Lacq-Orthez Home town: Bordeaux, FranceStatline:
| Season | G | MP | FG% | 3P% | 2P% | FT% | TRB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 | 6 | 2.2 | .250 | .250 | .250 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.8 | |
| 2016-17 | 19 | 13.8 | .440 | .366 | .529 | .846 | 2.2 | 1.6 | 0.6 | 0.1 | 0.9 | 4.8 |
| 2017-18 | 34 | 26.3 | .475 | .394 | .555 | .819 | 2.8 | 4.8 | 0.9 | 0.2 | 2.7 | 12.9 |
| 59 | 19.8 | .464 | .385 | .545 | .823 | 2.3 | 3.3 | 0.7 | 0.2 | 1.8 | 9.1 |
Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 6/13/2018.
Skills:
Pick-and-Roll Prowess
This may seem a tad benign given the fact that executing a pick-and-roll effectively is a pre-requisite for being an NBA-caliber point guard, but it’s the foundation upon which Okobo’s game is built. He’s already an elite navigator of the play, both as a scorer and a passer, and he already appears to understand the complexities and nuances of the screen that often take young point guards years to learn. Throughout his time overseas, he’s exhibited a preternatural understanding of speed and timing that should instantly make him a weapon in the NBA. Watch how he probes the defense for just long enough for his teammate to get open before delivering a perfect bounce pass:
There are some five-year veterans who couldn’t make that play. His playmaking instincts in the pick-and-roll are elite and easily the best in the draft.
As a scorer, it’s possible he’s even more dangerous. He’s developed a lethal toolbox in the pick-and-roll which he can pull out at any time with everything from pull-up three’s to creative floaters to Chris Paul-esque mid-range jumpers. And most impressively he’s done it all with superb efficiency.
So far in his career he’s shown that he has the creativity and skill to be one a superstar-level guard in the NBA. Look how he escapes trouble and drains a contested pull-up three when he has the slightest opening:
He’s quite possibly the most advanced point guard in this draft and if his pick-and-roll game holds up he should be around for awhile.