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NBA Drafts 2020: USC Head Coach Details Why Onyeka Okongwu is the Ultimate Teammate

Published 11/15/2020, 9:30 AM EST

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The NBA drafts are less than a week away. There has been a lot of talk about who the top picks are. Onyeka Okungwu is a potential top 10 pick in the draft. Okongwu, who played for the University of Southern California, had a great season of college basketball.

USC’s head coach Andy Enfield recently spoke with NBA TV and was full of praises for Okongwu. Enfield said, “Number one, he fits into any locker room anywhere in the country because when you are humble and you work hard and you show up with a smile every day and lead by example there is not a single person in the team who will dislike you.

“He is a wonderful teammate. The coaching staff will love him, because he just goes out and competes. There is no nonsense about his game or his off the court. He just goes on the court and wants to win and help his team. I think he can fit anywhere. Whoever drafts him will get a special young man who is all about winning and doing the right things”

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Potential suitors for Okongwu

Okongwu is one of the top centers available in the 2020 NBA drafts. Even though James Wiseman looks to be the player with all the right ingredients to be a centre, Okongwu is more experienced than two.

Wiseman only played 3 games, a tiny sample size to analyze a player, while Okongwu played 28 games which can give us a much clearer image about his skill set. Okongwu averaged 16.2 points, 8.6 rebounds and 2.7 blocks per in 30.6 minutes per match.

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Okongwu is a great rim-protector and is a high IQ centre. There are some teams who can use a man of his talents.

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The Atlanta Hawks have the number 6 pick in this draft and will try to add more depth to their defense. Okongwu may not make it to the top 5 of this draft, and this may be the best thing for the Hawks.

Adding Okongwu as the number 6 pick, the Hawks will have a backup centre to Clint Capela. Okungwu can also be used in place of Collins. The ‘2-time California’s Mr. Basketball’ is a much better defensive addition than Collins. And overall, he would be a great fit to the roster.

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The Washington Wizards will also be eager to add a centre. If Okongwu falls to the no.9 spot at the draft, the Wizards can surely look to draft him. With a healthy John Wall ready for the next season and an elite scorer in Bradley Beal, the Wizards can benefit from the addition of Okongwu, who can become the go-to guy in their defense.

Chicago Bulls do not an outright center in their team right now. Lauri Markkanen might be a 7-footer but lacks defensive abilities. The Bulls can benefit from a player like Okongwu who is a great defender, unlike Markkanen, who is limited to shooting.

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Written by:

Aditya Mohapatra

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Aditya Mohapatra is a sports enthusiast who primarily covers the NBA for EssentiallySports. Having graduated in Mass Communication, he has prior experience in writing for ABP News, and has been writing for EssentiallySports since November 2020. This die-hard Los Angeles Lakers fan feels that LeBron James is the best thing to have ever happened to the NBA, and will hold a healthy debate with anyone suggesting otherwise.
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