Detroit Pistons' rookie Ebuka Okorie has had an up and down Summer League that has showcased his promise but also the things he needs to work on.
Okorie has been impressive at times, particularly his poise and ability to get to the rim, but that poise has abandoned him at times, as he has turned the ball over a ton in the last two games and failed to finish in the paint.
You expect this from Summer League, where the games are sloppy and players are running with teammates they've never met.
But Okorie is also discovering something that all rookies eventually do, which is the things that worked in college won't be as effective in the NBA.
Ebuka Okorie needs to get stronger with the ball
Possibly the most difficult part of the transition from college to the NBA is the speed and strength of the competition at the next level.
Things that worked in college won't work in the NBA, so there is always an adjustment period, especially for smaller players like Okorie. Everything is a tick faster and every decision is sped up because of it.
He's going through that now, as he struggled to shoot the ball in the last two games, especially in the paint, where he kept dribbling into walls of defenders.
Okorie is used to being the fastest man on the floor and being able to use that speed to get wherever he wants. He's also used to being able to take contact at the rim and still finish creatively, which won't be as easy at this level where the players are all bigger and stronger.
Jaden Ivey struggled with the same thing when he first entered the league and was getting knocked all over the place. Okorie will have to find ways to adjust as he gets stronger and better able to absorb the contact.
Small players find a way...or they don't
The good news is that Okorie has been small his entire career and always found a way to assert himself and he will at the NBA level as well.
There will have to be a mental adjustment to go along with the physical, as shot selection and decision making become more important with better defenders circling and waiting to pounce on any lazy pass or picked up dribble.
The great players find ways to navigate this, leveling up each time the competition gets better. We've seen players like Tyrese Maxey for example, get stronger and figure out new ways to use their physical advantages amidst bigger and stronger players.
If Okorie is going to be a good player in the NBA, he'll have to get stronger, but he'll also have to adjust to the idea that you can't just physically overwhelm your opponents anymore.
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