Rookie Ebuka Okorie got his first action for the Detroit Pistons when he subbed into their opening preseason game with around 10 minutes left.
Okorie checked in for Chaz Lanier, and it may be the last time, as the rookie may have already passed Lanier on the depth chart after just 10 minutes in the league.
Could Ebuka Okorie play for the Pistons as a rookie?
I have maintained that Okorie is a longshot to make the rotation this season, and that hasn’t changed after one preseason game, even though he did provide some exciting moments.
Okorie immediately knocked down a three-pointer, got to the rim several times for buckets and once to set up a teammate for a dunk.
If he is going to make the rotation this season, this is how he’ll do it, as he can get buckets in a hurry and is one of the only guys on the team who can get his own shot off the bounce.
That may not be enough for him to overtake Daniss Jenkins, who didn’t shoot the ball well last night but did rack up four assists and looked comfortable running the offense.
But it should be enough to earn Okorie some third guard minutes, especially when the Pistons seemingly have a superfluous guard on the team.
Ebuka Okorie and the Detroit Pistons’ depth chart
Okorie and Lanier do not play the same position, so are not in direct competition with each other, but in a way, they are, as both will likely be relegated to deep bench duty and not appear unless it’s a blowout, or someone is in foul trouble.
But if a choice does have to be made, Okorie has already shown far more as a player than Lanier, who is a one-dimensional shooter who does literally nothing else. Most of the time Lanier is on the floor, he’s invisible.
Okorie showed exactly how he can contribute last night, which is by weaving through defenders and getting to the rim, using his long arms to split defenses in a way that is reminiscent of Rajon Rondo.
After adding Isaiah Joe and Taurean Prince, the Pistons have enough guys who can shoot the 3-ball, so Okorie’s creation and ability to break down a defense are far more important at this stage than Lanier’s spot-up shooting.
Given the Pistons’ lack of ball handling and creation, there is a world in which Okorie gets minutes at some point this season, especially if he keeps showing that he can be a spark plug off the bench who gets buckets in a hurry as he did last night.
You can’t get too excited about preseason, but it was good to see Okorie look comfortable in his first outing, and it may have been enough for him to surpass a player or two on the depth chart.
Add us as a preferred source on Google