NBA Draft 2019 Prospect Watch: Stanford's KZ Okpala

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CHICAGO, IL – MAY 14: (Photo by David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Making the rare decision to leave Stanford early in pursuit of turning pro, KZ Okpala will hope to hear his name called in the first round of the NBA Draft.

As KZ Okpala opted to declare for the NBA Draft after just his second season at Stanford, he set out on a path that not many players have been down before.

To be more specific, only two players had previously left Stanford before their junior season to head to the NBA, those being Robin Lopez and the Milwaukee Bucks’ Brook Lopez.

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In its own right, that decision indicates a certain degree of confidence on Okpala’s part, and likely even suggests a confidence in him being selected in the first round.

Okpala arrived at Stanford after a significant growth spurt in high school, boasting real athletic pedigree (his sister was a college volleyball star), and a 4.4 GPA.

In the time since then, Okpala has developed further. Make no mistake, he remains incredibly raw, but he has the right mix of skills and physical tools to potentially make an investment in his development worthwhile for an NBA team.

With that considered, let’s take a closer look at Okpala’s skill-set, where his draft stock currently stands, and how he might fit in with the Bucks.

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NBA Draft 2019 Prospect Watch: KZ Okpala

By Adam McGee | Jun 13, 2019

Making the rare decision to leave Stanford early in pursuit of turning pro, KZ Okpala will hope to hear his name called in the first round of the NBA Draft.