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Atlanta Hawks: Onyeka Okongwu



The eye test and the stat sheet both agree: Okongwu is ready for a leap year.

His biggest obstacle to this point has been a lack of opportunity. Significant floor time may not elude him much longer, though, given the offseason departure of Danilo Gallinari and the trade winds that perpetually swirl around Clint Capela and John Collins.

Okongwu is already up to the task on defense, and on offense, his finishing is ready, too. His per-36-minutes marks of 14.2 points, 10.3 rebounds, 2.2 blocks and 1.9 assists paint him as a potential juggernaut. Clearing him for takeoff could be the final tweak needed for the Hawks to soar into the elite tier.

The Hawks lost several key players this summer. Those losses no doubt require some of the younger prospects to fill larger roles, specifically third-year center Onyeka Okongwu.

Okongwu has been very productive when on the floor, but his playing time has been limited as he has missed over 60 games in just two seasons. Okongwu is an incredibly able scorer around the basket and even developed a jump shot this summer. Some have said that, at 6 feet 8 inches tall, Okongwu is too small for his position, but his height actually allows him to be a quick and versatile defender. When switching on pick-and-rolls, Okongwu can keep up with smaller guards and effectively defend his opponent.

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Even when matched up against much larger players, like Milwaukee Bucks star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, Okongwu stands his ground and blocks their shots. The key to Okongwu’s success this season – and thus the Hawks’ success – is health. If Okongwu can stay healthy, he will definitely be playing significant minutes for the team.

Jamaaliver wrote:

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Jamaaliver wrote:Onyeka got himself a poster!!!

azuresou1 wrote:OO is really really good when he isn't giving up size. His problem is the same as it was pre-draft - he's really small for a 5 and can get easily bullied out by legit 5s

His jumpshot looks a lot better, he needs to take the Al Horford evolution and continue working on that aspect of his game