Undoubtedly one of the more promising international prospects in this year’s NBA draft, how can French point guard Elie Okobo’s game translate to the league?
Luka Doncic is ensuring that European prospects are getting plenty of attention at the top end of this year’s draft class, but French guard Elie Okobo may prove to be just as worthy of discussion when all is said and done in his NBA story.
Okobo has spent much of the draft process flying a little under the radar, but an exceptionally strong finish to an impressive overall season with Pau-Lacq-Orthez has led to an increase in the buzz surrounding the 20-year-old point guard.
Okobo tested the draft waters last year, even completing multiple workouts before ultimately withdrawing. Along with another season of high level professional basketball under his belt, Okobo revealed to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony that he’s hopeful his experience of the draft process last year will play to his strengths this time around.
More from Bucks Draft
- Grading Milwaukee Bucks 2022 Draft Picks Beauchamp and Besson
- Milwaukee Bucks: 5 options for No. 17 pick in 2017 NBA redraft
- Milwaukee Bucks: 5 options for No. 10 selection in 2016 NBA redraft
- Milwaukee Bucks: 5 options for No. 17 selection in 2015 NBA redraft
- Milwaukee Bucks: 5 options for No. 2 selection in the 2014 NBA redraft
"“I plan to show teams that I have the right level to play in the NBA, and show my intensity and determination. I plan to stay in the draft to the end this season. I am confident this is the right time for me, and I am already receiving very strong feedback from the teams that have come to see me play this season.”"
A native of Bordeaux, born to a French mother and Congolese father, Okobo boasts a wide and varied range of positives that provide for intrigue about his draft prospects.
Okobo possesses impressive physical attributes, has stood out with a significant minutes load in a high-level league at a very young age, has earned his stripes at a club with a history of producing NBA first round picks (i.e. Boris Diaw and Mickael Pietrus), and he has also represented the French national team at both senior and underage level.
So without further ado, let’s take a closer look at Okobo’s game, what the experts are saying about him, and his potential fit with the Milwaukee Bucks.
Strengths
Okobo is physically primed to be an NBA point guard. Standing at 6’3″ with a 6’8″ wingspan, the Frenchman also boasts a strong frame that is more accustomed to playing against larger, stronger athletes than most prospects are at his age.
The LNB Pro A has a long history as one of the stronger international basketball leagues, and has regularly produced high quality prospects who’ve gone on to succeed in the NBA — Tony Parker, Nicolas Batum, Evan Fournier and Frank Ntilikina stand as just a small selection of the examples.
With that in mind, it’s generally rare for a young player to log significant minutes at that level, yet after logging 13.4 minutes per game as a 19-year-old, Okobo returned this year to average 26.4 minutes per game across 36 contests.
Not only has that time afforded Okobo the chance to ready his body for a future in the NBA, but it’s given him plenty of opportunity to hone his skills too.
Okobo is an exceptional shooter, who’s comfortable taking a variety of different shot types. Although he’s close to automatic as a catch-and-shoot option, Okobo is very capable at knocking down pull-up jump shots and step-backs, and generally shooting on the move. Combining a range of difficult attempts, Okobo shot 41.8 percent from deep last season.
While Okobo’s best work out of the pick-and-roll may come from his shooting, he also possesses great court vision and the ability to make good reads and then execute difficult passes. His playmaking isn’t as efficient as it will need to be at the NBA level, but that’s certainly not due to an inability to spot and complete passes.
Okobo has the potential to be a terror in transition and is generally very strong in getting to the basket with penetration, in large part thanks to his nice mix of speed and strength. Okobo shows good body control on drives and has the potential to finish with both hands, while he also excels at kicking out to open shooters to finish his drives.
On the defensive end, Okobo’s length gives him plenty of opportunities to be a disruptive presence in the passing lanes and a chase down shot-blocker, but perhaps even more important is his lateral quickness and ability to stay in front of his man.
Weaknesses
Okobo’s base skills and attributes are all where they need to be for him to make an impact in the NBA, but unlocking the next level of his ability will likely center around rounding out the mental side of his game.
Although still a very young player, Okobo has been known to struggle with inconsistency, while his decision-making can lead to turnovers and lapses in focus can lead to sub-par defensive contributions.
This seems to be something Okobo and his camp are aware of and actively working to improve, as ESPN’s Mike Schmitz noted back in January.
"“Consistency is the key for Okobo, who has started working with a sports psychologist to help him maintain a balanced approach.”"
If that work pays off, Okobo will hope to dramatically reduce the 3.81 turnovers per 36 minutes he averaged last season with Pau-Lacq-Orthez. Okobo’s turnovers can’t be attributed to an inability to execute simple passes or a lack of recognition, but they act as one of the more obvious ways in which he needs to improve his focus and decision-making.
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.”"
Fit with the Bucks
If the playoffs taught the Bucks anything, it’s that they still have questions to answer about the franchise’s long-term direction at point guard.
After a strong regular season, Eric Bledsoe fell flat in the postseason and faces a significant pay day in free agency next summer, and while Malcolm Brogdon has proven to be a solid option at that position, there’s reason to believe he may still be better utilized at shooting guard.
With that in mind, it would be no real surprise if the Bucks were to draft a point guard this summer, and they’d be hard pushed to find a better option than Okobo.
Okobo’s combination of size, strength and atleticism makes him a natural fit for Milwaukee’s roster, but from a skills perspective, there’s plenty to like about the fit too.
One of the most reliable elements of Okobo’s game at present is his shooting, opening up the possibility for him to thrive off the ball at a higher level. In saying that, Okobo also excels in creating for himself out of the pick-and-roll and offers the kind of dynamic change of speed that the Bucks have often appeared to need at the point guard spot.
With some intriguing defensive tools to work with too, Okobo is a prospect capable of developing into the kind of all-around guard who could be a key member of Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s supporting cast in the long-term, and his play in France does nothing to indicate he couldn’t help in a backup capacity even sooner.
Even more interesting, judging from comments Okobo made to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony after he declared for this year’s draft, it appears Mike Budenholzer and his coaching staff could make for an ideal match for Okobo too.
"“I hope to land with a team that is serious about player development that will help me to continue improving my skills.”"
Okobo has a very tangible skill-set that the Bucks, or any other team, can trust in when draft night comes along, but he also comes with the potential to be even greater.
Next: NBA Draft 2018 Prospect Watch: Josh Okogie
He’s not going to be in the discussion in this regard on draft night, but Okobo certainly has the potential to be the best point guard in this class over time. If a player like that is available at 17, the Bucks should be advised to take them.