Even though he only played the last 10 minutes of the first preseason game, Pistons’ rookie Ebuka Okorie was impressive, getting the rim several times, knocking down a 3-point shot and eventually hitting the game winner.
We can’t get too carried away about garbage time of a preseason game, but Okorie looked the part, as he was poised running the offense and had no problem blowing by defenders to get to the rim, which is his modus operandi.
It also happens to be something the Pistons desperately need, as Okorie has the ability to get his shot without any help. He doesn’t need screens or plays run for him to get to the rim, which is a skillset the Pistons lack overall.
It leads Detroit to a question they probably didn’t think they’d have to answer, which is what if Okorie is better than expected right away?
Ebuka Okorie, the G-League and the Pistons rotation
It’s going to be tough for the rookie to crack the rotation immediately, as the Pistons have a lot of guards and more NBA players than minutes.
Coach Bickerstaff could go 12-deep before you even get to Okorie, and everyone in front of him will have more experience.
Daniss Jenkins has earned the backup point guard spot, so it’s not likely Okorie displaces him soon and there may not be enough minutes for a third guy unless coach Bickerstaff wants to play his two smallest guards together, which could be an option if Okorie continues to play well.
Okorie may find himself in the position where he is too good to send down to the G-League but not quite ready for consistent NBA minutes, which is not a great spot, as the Pistons would love to get him consistent reps this season one way or another.
It’s possible it will be in the rotation, so it will be interesting to see if Bickerstaff goes to the rookie a little more as the preseason goes on and experiments with some lineups that contain both him and Jenkins as he did briefly in the first game.
The Pistons traded up to get Okorie, so they obviously thought highly of him, and coach Bickerstaff has already raved about his poise and work ethic, so I wouldn’t rule out some spot minutes for Okorie at some point.
The question is whether he’s ready for those minutes now, and if not, what do the Pistons do to ensure he doesn’t just rot on the end of the bench?
We should get a better idea of where he stands as the regular season gets closer, and the Pistons start to tighten the rotation for the games that matter.
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