Ebuka Okorie's biggest problem can be easily solved

The Detroit Pistons drafted Ebuka Okorie to help with their ballhandling and scoring, and what we’ve seen from him in Summer League so far has been a mixed bag of exiting potential and obvious weaknesses. 

Okorie has struggled to put the ball in the basket, as he’s shooting just 33 percent overall in Summer League and a somewhat worrying 16 percent from the 3-point line. 

It would be more worrying if we hadn’t seen this same narrative unfold in Summer League a million times, as Okorie is hitting the same challenges all rookies face, which is adjusting to the speed and physicality of the NBA. 

Okorie has shown he has the skills, now he just needs the strength to back them up. 

Ebuka Okorie needs to put on strength 

Okorie has shown the ability to create space for himself and to blow by defenders, but he’s had trouble finishing through contract and is being forced into taking shots a little earlier than he is probably used to. 

A big part of this is that Okorie needs to put on muscle, as he’s only 6-foot-1, so needs to be able to absorb contact. He has an impressive bag around the rim, but it won’t matter until he has the strength to finish. He's not going to get the same whistle he did in college, so hitting the floor every time there is contact is not going to work.

It’s not like he’s the only one. Go back and look at pictures of Cade Cunningham in his first Summer League, as he too was a lanky teenager who had a hard time finishing around the rim. 

Fast forward a few seasons and Cunningham was not only noticeably bigger but able to take contact and bully defenders in the paint. 

Obviously, Okorie isn’t going to gain the strength he needs overnight, but it’s something that should be a focus between now and when the season starts. 

Unfortunately, the Pistons don’t have a ton of time to ease Okorie in, as they will need his playmaking and scoring right away since they haven’t added much in the ball handling department so far this summer. 

I’ve seen a lot of concern around circles of Pistons fans about Okorie’s performance in Summer League, but many of his problems will be helped by time and the size and strength that comes with it. 

There will be some bumps in the road in the meantime and likely times when Okorie looks undersized against NBA defenders, but the biggest change most players go through in their transition to the league is putting on additional strength, and I am sure Okorie will eventually get there. 

It’s a lot easier than trying to fix a broken shot, so let’s hope the Pistons have an offseason plan for Okorie that includes plenty of time with the strength and conditioning coaches. 

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