NBA Draft 2018 Prospect Watch: Elie Okobo
By Adam McGee
What the experts say
(as of 5/31/18)
ESPN (Jonathan Givony): 21st
The Ringer (Kevin O’Connor, Jonathan Tjarks, Danny Chau): 37th
Sports Illustrated (Jeremy Woo): 39th
Sporting News (Chris Stone): N/A
The Athletic (Sam Vecenie): 34th
The Stepien (Composite Rank): 41st
The Step Back (Brandon Kleen): 39th
Quotes:
Jackson Hoy of The Stepien firmly believes that Okobo’s skills and physical attributes provide him with an element of readiness to contribute, and that he may be one of the best point guards in the class outside of Trae Young:
"“Okobo already has many tools that teams covet in backup guards given his ability to make shots in a hurry and his size to defend two positions. If he can continue to progress as a decision-maker and develop a stronger floater game, it’s not crazy to think that he’ll have the all-around skill set necessary to play a starting role in the NBA. Among this draft class, Okobo’s combination of positional size, shot-making ability, plus playmaking, and defensive IQ stand out at the point guard spot.”"
Writing about Okobo following his recent 44-point outburst against first placed, AS Monaco, and his matchup with Defensive Player of the Year, Aaron Craft, The Step Back’s Andrew Bernucca concluded:
"“In short, Okobo is a handful already — chalk full of skills that are elite for his age, an exceptional athlete, and with huge upside on the defensive end.”"