The biggest question hanging over Detroit Pistons’ rookie Ebuka Okorie is whether he’ll be able to make an impact in his first season in the league.
The odds are stacked against him, as he has at least four veteran guards in front of him in the depth chart, even if he is technically the third point guard going into training camp.
Duncan Robinson, Isaiah Joe, Daniss Jenkins, Kevin Huerter and even Gary Harris are likely to see the floor ahead of Okorie unless he makes it impossible to keep him out of the rotation.
Okorie showed flashes in Summer League, but very much looked like a player who hadn’t yet adjusted to the speed and strength of NBA competition.
But videos of him getting run against Donovan Mitchell this summer have re-sparked the idea that Okorie could play in his rookie campaign. If he does, it will create an uncomfortable problem for the Pistons that they would be glad to have.
What if Ebuka Okorie is better than expected?
We’ve talked a lot about the possibility of Okorie not making much of an impact as a rookie, but it could also go the other way where he contributes more than is currently expected.
It’s always easy for coaches to find reasons not to play rookies if there are battles in training camp. Not only does coach Bickerstaff have a better feel of what his older players can offer, but they are all making more money and expect to play.
It will be easier for coach Bickerstaff to find reasons to play guys like Jenkins and Huerter over Okorie, at least at the beginning of the season.
But Okorie doesn’t have to beat out all of these guys, just one of them, and he can do that even if he isn’t immediately thrust into primary creator duties. Okorie can get buckets, so could be the change-of-pace scorer the Pistons need off their bench.
Okorie carving out a role would put JB Bickerstaff in the uncomfortable spot of having to bench a veteran player and would also put the front office on notice that they have a player that is expendable.
If Okorie can handle some creation duties and offer a different scoring look, it would make it much easier for the Pistons to put one of their other guards in a trade at the deadline.
In many ways, getting anything from Okorie would be gravy next season, as the Pistons aren’t counting on him to play a large role, but if the rookie can carve something out for himself, it would be huge for the Pistons, who need to keep a steady stream of cheap talent coming in as their payroll expands.
It would also better set them up in the trade deadline market with an expendable veteran player on a favorable contract that Detroit could feel more comfortable trading away.
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