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Portland Trail Blazers: NCAA Tournament star Chuma Okeke’s draft profile

By Aneesh Namburi

KANSAS CITY, MO - MARCH 29: Auburn Tigers forward Chuma Okeke (5) leads the fast break in the first half of an NCAA Midwest Regional Sweet Sixteen game between the Auburn Tigers and North Carolina Tar Heels on March 29, 2019 at Sprint Center in Kansas City, MO. (Photo by Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
KANSAS CITY, MO - MARCH 29: Auburn Tigers forward Chuma Okeke (5) leads the fast break in the first half of an NCAA Midwest Regional Sweet Sixteen game between the Auburn Tigers and North Carolina Tar Heels on March 29, 2019 at Sprint Center in Kansas City, MO. (Photo by Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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Could the Portland Trail Blazers add one of the NCAA Tournament’s biggest stars, Chuma Okeke to the roster?

The 2019 NBA Draft, the first big event of the whirlwind that is otherwise known the NBA offseason, is just down the road this Thursday. For years, fans of the Portland Trail Blazers have been looking to add a defensive minded forward who can be competent offensively. Enter Auburn’s Chuma Okeke

After watching the likes of Moe Harkless and Al-Farouq Aminu struggle to stay on the floor in the playoffs, people now understand how important it is to have wings who can create for themselves, and not be repeatedly represented as liabilities on one end of the court.

However, this year’s class of wings is not too strong in Portland’s range. The issue with this draft is that there are so many uncertainties, so teams will find it difficult to zero in on prospects that they truly believe will pan out.

Okeke is currently one of the safer bets in the draft. Although an intriguing player before the season started, he was not very high on most big boards.

As the season progressed, especially as it reached conference and postseason play, Okeke showcased the variety of areas he can impact the game, especially in big wins against Tennessee and North Carolina.

Unfortunately, Okeke’s season came to a disastrous end when he tore his ACL against North Carolina in the Sweet 16. After slowly working his into the top 20 in some mock drafts, this injury provided a slight set back to his professional career.

Although it is tough to preach the benefits of such a serious injury, Okeke has now fallen far enough where he could be selected in Portland’s range. Let’s find out how can he make an impact for the Blazers.

Measures 
Height: 6’8″
Wingspan: 7’0″
Weight: 230
Year: Sophomore
Age: 20.8

Stats
Points: 12.0
Rebounds: 6.8
Assists: 1.9
Steals: 1.8
Blocks: 1.2
Turnovers: 1.7
2FG: 57.4%
3PT: 38.7%
FT: 72.2%
Minutes: 29.1
Games played/started: 38/38

Strengths

Chuma Okeke’s draft appeal starts with his tremendous defensive appeal. He has the size, length, and athleticism to play either the 3 or the 4 in the NBA, and has a beautiful blend of strength and quickness that also allows him to switch onto guards and centers when necessary.

Okeke is also extremely opportunistic on the defensive end. Using his high level IQ and feel for the game, he is able to take away opportunities for the other team, whether it be generating turnovers, blocking shots, and grabbing rebounds.

Offensively, Okeke is no slouch either. A 39% three point shooter during his two years of college, Okeke has shown the ability to be a threat that needs to be considered from deep. Additionally, he also flashed shot creation and playmaking skills, which revealed enough promise to where NBA teams (and myself) could expect him to prove in these areas.

Weaknesses

Obviously the biggest drawback to drafting Okeke is his injury. Despite modern medicine’s rapid advancements that have made recovery for these injuries quicker and much more secure, an ACL tear is still a significant injury, and there is a chance (albeit minor) that Okeke does not return to full strength.

On the court, there are a couple of limitations that are legitimate. While I said earlier that he “flashed shot creation and playmaking skills,” they were by no means consistent and they need to improve before he can make an impact in these areas at the pro level.

His assist to turnover ratio was almost equal, and while forwards are not expected to distribute like guards, he can make some questionable decisions with the ball in his hands. And with his struggles scoring with ball in his hands in the SEC, some wonder how to translates to the NBA.

Team fit

From what I’ve written, I think it is obvious that I really like Okeke as a prospect.

However, it is not what I think, it is what. It is what Neil Olshey and the rest of the Blazers scouting department thinks. I can’t see a reason why they would not like him. As a intelligent, athletic, high impact defender who can also shoot the ball and keep the offense moving, Okeke can provide valuable potential replacements for Aminu and/or Harkless.

As long as his medical reports come back relatively clean, Okeke should fit Portland perfectly.