After two seasons at Georgia Tech, sophomore swingman Josh Okogie has officially declared for the 2018 NBA Draft. With that, we break down what he has to offer now that he’s making the jump to the NBA.
Georgia Tech wing Josh Okogie has set his sights on progressing his career to the next level by officially declaring for the 2018 NBA Draft early last week.
The 19-year-old’s decision comes after featuring as a major focal point for the Yellow Jackets over the last two seasons and showing incredibly well across the board at this year’s NBA Draft Combine.
It’s an incredible rise for Okogie, who was once billed as a three-star recruit and didn’t commit to Georgia Tech until midway through his senior year of high school.
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With that said, there was some speculation over whether Okogie would keep his name in this year’s draft, considering he didn’t hire an agent upon initially declaring for the draft after the completion of Georgia Tech’s 13-19 season this year.
And as he relayed to Ken Siguira of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution after participating in a workout with the Atlanta Hawks earlier this month, the Nigerian-born Okogie has been looking for the avenue that will help him sustain his place upon entering the league:
"“I think, really, the goal is to stay in the league,” he said. “If going in the second round is how I’m going to go and stay, I don’t know. But right now, I’m always shooting for the best possibility, and I think I have the potential to be a first-round pick, so that’s everything I’m shooting for.”"
Based on how much has changed in the weeks since that statement, things may be trending in the direction Okogie has long been aiming for.
So without further ado, let’s dive deep into Josh Okogie’s game, see how draft experts rate him at this point in the process and examine his potential fit with the Milwaukee Bucks.
Strengths
Standing at 6’4 and armed with a seven-foot wingspan, Okogie possesses great size and length for an NBA level two-guard.
The same is true for his athleticism as Okogie tested incredibly well at this year’s Combine and registered the highest max vertical leap as well as fastest three-quarter-court sprint of all participants.
The combination of all those traits make the Georgia native an incredibly tantalizing defender, whether that’s on the ball or off. While it comes with the caveat that Okogie may not always stand engaged on that end of the floor, the high-usage role he played in both seasons with the Yellow Jackets may have played a factor in that.
Switching sides, Okogie is a well rounded scorer as evidenced by the fact that he led Georgia Tech in scoring over his two seasons in Atlanta (16.1 points per game during his freshman year and 18.2 points per game in his sophomore campaign).
Okogie’s career 38.2 three-point percentage is a good indicator that he’ll be able to space the floor effectively upon making the jump to the league as is his free throw shooting mark, considering he knocked down 77.7 percent of his 6.6 attempts from the foul line over the last two years.
Weaknesses
Although Okogie is capable of filling it up in a variety of ways, he could stand to improve his touch around the rim.
According to this shot chart tool wonderfully assembled by Will Schreefer of The Stepien, Okogie finished 62 of his 115 attempts at the rim (53 percent) during his sophomore season this year, which ranks him in the 13th percentile among wings across the NCAA.
Additionally, Okogie isn’t the most dynamic ball-handler, despite the solid playmaking vision he possesses on occasion. That certainly shows when he has to navigate through a crowd of defenders when penetrating the paint or if hounded by his matchup up the length of the court or in halfcourt situations.
Finally, as has been noted by multiple draft pundits or those who have followed him to this point in his development, Okogie’s shot will have to get touched up no matter where he lands on draft night.
Given how vital his three-point shot will be in fulfilling the type of role he’ll be asked to play in an NBA environment, Okogie holds promising signs that he’s up to the task, but there’s always room for him to grow in that department as well.
What the experts say
(as of 5/29/18)
ESPN (Jonathan Givony): N/A
The Ringer (Kevin O’Connor, Jonathan Tjarks, Danny Chau): 28th
Sports Illustrated (Jeremy Woo): 42nd
Sporting News (Chris Stone): 28th
The Athletic (Sam Vecenie): 49th
The Stepien (Cole Zwicker): 28th
The Step Back (Brandon Kleen): 26th
Quotes:
Following his strong showing at this year’s NBA Draft Combine, both in terms of his athletic testing and how he fared during the on-court scrimmages, The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie wrote about Okogie’s thought process behind making the decision to keep his name in this year’s draft:
"“He had a good set of measurements at 6-4 with a 7-0 wingspan, had the highest vertical leap at 42 inches, was top-five in shuttle run time and was first in the three-quarter-court sprint. Then he went out and scored 12 points and 14 points in the two scrimmage games. The now-former Georgia Tech star will be a top-30 player on my board when it’s updated, and he has the potential to be selected late in the first round.”"
Also viewing him as a candidate to be taken in the first round on draft night, The Stepien’s JZ Mazlish surmised that while he’s capable of extending beyond this status, Okogie pegs to be an ideal “3-and-D” type player:
"“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.”"
Fit with the Bucks
Since his range falls anywhere from late in the first round to deep in the second round across mock drafts, Okogie will likely be available by the time the Bucks are on the clock at 17.
As much as selecting him at that spot might not be a conversation starter for the front office and fans alike, where things get interesting is if the Bucks are looking to secure another pick deeper in the draft to possibly nab the now-former Yellow Jacket.
After all, the fit is there across a few areas and as we have covered on numerous draft profiles during this process, the Bucks, much like any team in the league, will almost always be looking to stock up on wings.
Of course, there will be some period of adjustment for Okogie in terms of the 3-and-D role he will be asked to play in the league, seeing that he was asked to take on a greater responsibility of making things happen on the offensive end during college.
But considering his age, his athletic upside and his production level to this point in his development, Okogie could be a hot commodity the further he falls on draft night, due to his sleeper potential.
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In order for this type of scenario to play out in favor of the Bucks, a lot certainly has to fall their way, whether that’s adding another draft asset and Okogie still remaining on the board later into the night. If either one doesn’t come to pass, Okogie’s chances of landing in Milwaukee on June 21 stand slimmer.