STRENGTHS:

• Legit downhill pressure driver; 13.1 rim attempts per 100 possessions is a great amount given his size at just 6'2", helps that he uses a blend of strength and finesse to get his shots up

• Very good handle and decision-making as a passer; 3.6 assists to 1.9 turnovers given his high usage rate (30%) is a very good rate, and his handle helps contain himself when he uses his elite burst to get downhill

• Handle and burst allows for him to stop on. a dime and get to the mid-range; shot 42% on low-ish volume, a nice in-between game

• Leverages paint scoring with the basic reads to his teammates; whether that was to open shooters or lofting passes over the top of defenses, he has the basic abilities and touch to get the ball to teammates in favorable places

• Good on-ball defensive activity; his 6'8" wingspan allows for him to be disruptive him in the, disruptive playmaker, amd is a defemselve playmaker, just helping you out there

WEAKNESSES:

• Finishing at the rim was subpar at only 56%; for getting to the rim as much as he did, the percentage should be a little higher. May indicate the amount of shots he tries to force shots to the rim

• Small frame limits him on both ends; 6'1", 185. lbs, his inefficiencies may persist at the next level due to the athletic and physical traits of other defenders, and defensively is easier to pick on him

• Less than 19% of his shots were assisted; it is a double edged sword where he does a great job creating for himself and also shows how little he had to do off the ball, something that will need to be developed at the next level

• Consistent shooting needs to be present; 35% from 3, 33% on off the dribble 3s, 60% of his 3-pointers are unassisted, which leads directly into his next weakness 👇

• Off-ball scoring and being put in off-ball actions were rare at Stanford, mainly due to how much they made him become the primary initiator. Best served being a secondary initiator and playmaker

Summary: Ebuka Okorie is one of the highest usage players in this class. As a freshman playing over 35 minutes per game, he was tasked with a large bulk of the play initiation responsibilities, and it turned into one of the best scoring seasons by a D1 freshman this season. His blend of speed, downhill ability, foul drawing and low turnovers made him a big offensive threat at Stanford. He has advanced skills as a scorer that will be fun to develop. Again, this is a smaller player at 6'1" and while great at putting pressure on the rim, defenses are more than fine letting him try to finish given the inefficiencies on high volume. The size clearly stunts his defensive versatility, but shooting and off-ball ability will be his swing skill. If he were to keep this high usage playstyle, his on-ball shooting will need to improve, and if he has to alter his game for the next level, having an off-ball game offensively will go a long ways. Okorie has microwave ability that will properly be tapped into with some fine-tuning of his offensive scoring.

Player Comparison: Shades of Dennis Schroder and Bones Hyland

Best Fits: Denver Nuggets, Dallas Mavericks, Sacramento Kings

Ebuka is an extremely talented scorer in a top 2 conference in the nation. He’s young and he can score at all 3 levels efficiently. He has a tight handle and good acceleration that allows him to maintain high finishing ability at his size. He’s an underrated passer in my opinion as well, with solid decision making skills. He is also a good defender for his size, as his wingspan makes up for mismatches and he has an overall good basketball IQ in my opinion.

Comparisons: Cole Anthony, Kyrie Irving

COMPARISONS: KEMBA, MAXEY, FEARS

++PHYSICALS++ WHERE HE LACKS IN SIZE HE CERTAINLY MAKES UP FOR IN ATHELTICISM AND LENGTH. HE HAS A PLUS WING SPAN AND IS A REAL TWITCHY ATHLETE. HOWEVER AT 6'2 HE WILL BE PRONE TO GETTING PICKED ON, AND WILL NEED TO ADD STRENGTH.

++OFFENSE++ OKORIE WAS REALLY IMPRESSIVE AS A FRESHMAN, PUTTING UP GAUDY NUMBERS WITH LITTLE TO NO SUPPORT. HE GETS EVERYTHING STARTED WITH HIS RELENTLESS RIM PRESSURE, WHERE HE'S ARGUABLY THE BEST GUARD IN THE CLASS. HE WILL NEED TO IMPROVE AS A FINISHER, AND MAYBE GET STRONGER IN ORDER TO DO SO, BUT SOME OF THAT STRUGGLE ALSO COMES FROM THE LACK OF SUPPORT AND TRUE SPACING AROUND HIM. WITH HIS THREAT AS A DRIVER HE WAS ABLE TO DEVELOP AS A JUMP SHOOTER. HE'S A TOUGH SHOT MAKER AND IS PARTICULARLY IMPRESSIVE AS A PULL UP JUMP SHOOTER. THIS COMBO, COMBINED WITH A PASSABLE PLAYMAKING THREAT WILL MAKE HIM AN INTRIGUING SCORING AT THE NEXT LEVEL.

++DEFENSE++ DEFENSIVELY HE'S BOUND TO GET TARGETED AS ONE OF THE SMALLEST GUYS ON THE COURT. HOWEVER, HE MEASURES SIMILAR TO MAXEY, AND SHOWED SOME OF THE ATHLETICISM AND PESKY NATURE THAT MAXEY HAS TO NOT BE AN ABSOLUTE NEGATIVE ON THAT END.

RATINGS: OVERALL: 75

REBUILD: 78

CONTENDER: 72

Prospect Rating: 7

Ebuka is a high IQ, crafty player that excels at getting to the basket. He doesn’t posses elite top speed, size, or explosives but is able to use quick change of pace and sturdy build to create openings and get to the rim. His rim pressure is paired with a decent ability to pull up for mid range jumpers, keeping defenders a little more honest with defending his drives. His high basketball IQ is shown in his ability to run pick and rolls at a high level. He has excellent turnover rate for someone with the ball in his hands so much, he’s able to make the right pass with success often. He didn’t shoot the best from 3 in college but showed good mechanics, and ability to improve consistency which leads me to believe this skill will be a plus in the NBA giving him 3 level scoring potential. Defensively he’s very pesky and uses his longer wingspan to generate steals. His size will ultimately limit his impact but I don’t think it will prevent him from being a plus defender thanks to his high basketball IQ, stocky frame and quick hands.