Trail Blazers: 3 players to watch as March Madness approaches
By Ryan Gaskin
Isaac Okoro (Auburn, SF)
I’ve seen Isaac Okoro all over big boards, and people can’t seem to work out where to place him. Those who value defense have had him as high as a top 5 pick, but those wary of his shooting have placed him considerably lower.
Despite these fluctuations, Okoro is without a doubt a talented player, and an extremely intriguing prospect heading into March Madness. The freshmen’s strengths are clear; Okoro’s defense is simply astonishing. He has quick hands, high IQ, and a very strong and athletic frame. He can be trusted to slow down a team’s best offensive player, and he’s just as good off-ball too.
He reads passes well, he rotates well and is quick about switching when needed. Everything about his defense is top-notch and should translate well to the NBA, especially on a team like the Blazers.
However, his offense tells a different story. Okoro has struggled to be effective on this end of the court and seems to have no real above-average skills offensively. His shooting is the biggest concern — 27 percent from deep and 66 percent from the line really isn’t going to cut it, and the Blazers would hope for some improvement if they did land Okoro.
His offense is part of the reason I highly doubt Okoro will end up going top 5, and the Trail Blazers may end up with a chance to snag him. Okoro is highly skilled defensively and does have offensive upside, despite his shooting. He drives with strength and finishes around the rim pretty skillfully too. Athletically speaking, Okoro can get up too, as this dunk shows.
Isaac Okoro com career high 23pts na vitória de Auburn sobre Vanderbilt ontem.
— Tankometro (@tankometro) January 9, 2020
Hoje Okoro é o Matisse Thybulle dessa classe: especialista em defesa (um degrau abaixo de Thybulle) que não sabe chutar. Hoje Top10 no próximo Draft.
pic.twitter.com/62EPYpOlUo
It’ll be interesting how high Okoro ends up going, but the Blazers should certainly keep tabs on him over the coming month.
dark. Next. Please don't bring Carmelo Anthony back next year
The Trail Blazers’ main concern in this summers draft needs to be in the wing spot, and there are some good-looking options on both the offensive and defensive end. When the season finishes we’ll have a better gauge on where the Blazers will be picking, but keep an eye on these three during March Madness, as they may well be donning a Portland jersey come November 2020.