Comparisons: Elfrid Payton, Earl Watson, Collin Sexton, Reggie Jackson, Jeremiah Fears<\/p>\n
Raptors Comparisons: Rafer Alston, T.J. Ford<\/p>\n
Ebuka Okorie\u2019s elite trait is his ability to get to the basket at will. Ranking in the 99th percentile per 100 possessions for attempts at the rim, Okorie understands how to deploy his game-breaking first step and jitterbug agility to get by perimeter defenders. While he graded out better as an isolation scorer, Okorie was also solid in pick-and-roll actions.<\/p>\n
His relentless play style naturally resulted in an elite free-throw rate. Okorie finished with a nation-leading 226 free throws – 7.3 per game – and converted on an impressive 83.2 per cent of his attempts.<\/p>\n
Despite Stanford\u2019s lack of top-end talent, Okorie still averaged 23.2 points and 3.6 assists on 46.5 per cent shooting. Opposing teams resorted to shading-type coverages that often were used to slow down offensive threats like Brandon Ingram, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Anthony Edwards in the NBA playoffs. Yet Okorie still thrived with the ball in his hands and averaged nearly 31 per cent of Stanford\u2019s points.<\/p>\n
While Okorie could stand to improve in certain spots on the floor, he\u2019s still a legitimate three-level scorer. Okorie isn\u2019t an above-the-rim type of athlete, but he can seemingly shift into an unlimited number of gears with the ball in his hands.<\/p>\n
Okorie may be the best – or most consistent – at applying downhill pressure, but the freshman isn\u2019t necessarily the most effective when he gets into the paint. While nearly 90 per cent of his rim-attempts are unassisted, Okorie converted on roughly 55 per cent of those dribble-drives. That ranks him as an average finisher among NCAA players.<\/p>\n
Against the California Golden Bears on Jan. 24, Okorie was held to 1-of-16 from the field, with nearly half of his shots coming at the rim. Fortunately for Okorie, his knack for getting to the basket still resulted in 14 free throws. If Okorie sees even a slight uptick in efficiency, that might be the swing factor that catapults him into a draft-day steal at 19.<\/p>\n