The Pistons are favoring more pace and space this season, but keeping one of their fastest and most creative weapons locked up. Rookie Ebuka Okorie has seen little playing time to start the year, but he got a chance on Monday night against the Wizards late in the game. Okorie played just under 6 minutes and worked his way into 5 quick points, including an and-one up-and-under layup in transition.
Okorie has shown his potential whenever he gets the chance
It's been a huge struggle for Okorie to get any minutes, even though the Pistons clearly need another creator in the backcourt next to Cade Cunningham. For now, that role is being filled by Daniss Jenkins but he doesn't have the same handle or burst as Okorie to get al the way to the rim and break down defenses. Okorie appears to have a much higher ceiling, but he won't be able to reach it any time soon if he's just rotting away on the bench.
Against the Wizards, Okorie showed great touch on both of his made baskets. His first was an acrobatic reverse layup on a runout with a defender coming down hard on him. Okorie was able to get around both the defender and the rim for a dazzling finish. His other score came on a nice floater in the lane off a pick-and-roll.
Both of Okorie's made shots offer enticing promise if the Pistons can get them consistently from anyone other than Cunningham. Okorie probably isn't ready to produce at that level for 20+ minutes per night yet, but he could get there as early as this season with the right development.
He seemed surprisingly poised against the Wizards, although he almost seemed to hold back out of fear that he might get benched for a mistake. That environment is not conducive to proper development, and it should be correct for blowout wins or losses. In moments where the game is out of reach either way, the Pistons can get the most value by focusing on Okorie's development over anything else.
Jenkins is a roadblock for Okorie
Heading into this season, Pistons fans speculated that Okorie would quickly replace Jenkins as the team's backup point guard. However, Jenkins has proven that notion wrong with his recent performances and even worked his way further up the rotation.
Right now, Jenkins seems locked in not only as the backup point guard but also a potential spot starter, depending on injuries and matchups. With him and Cunningham entrenched as big-minute players, it's even harder to find opportunities for Okorie. That's why it's so important to get Okorie in the game when blowouts happen, and progress him to the NBA game that way.
Add us as a preferred source on Google