Ebuka Okorie turned heads in the Detroit Pistons’ last win when he racked up five points in six minutes and got to the free-throw line, two things he’s shown he can do, and now might be the perfect time to get him some regular run.
JB Bickerstaff has had a tough balancing act of trying to get Okorie some spot minutes but needing to prioritize other players.
Some of the fanfare behind Okorie has been a bit much, especially when it comes at the expense of Daniss Jenkins, who has been great this season and is making a case for the starting five. I want to see Okorie as well, but it doesn't have to cost Jenkins minutes.
With the Pistons trying to get more creation and ballhandling on the floor, there should be room for both Jenkins and Okorie, especially right now when the Pistons are down two players.
The Pistons rotation is going to get even harder for Ebuka Okorie to crack
Okorie has looked the part in the limited action he’s gotten this season, as he’s scored 11 points and added three assists in 20 minutes total. It’s a tiny sample size, but Okorie has shown that he can get to the rack and has a crafty bag once he gets there.
I’m sure JB Bickerstaff would love to get the rookie a few minutes per game, and now is the time to do it, as Isaiah Joe is still out, so there are a few guard minutes up for grabs.
So far, that’s just meant extra minutes for Daniss Jenkins and Kevin Huerter, but with the Pistons prioritizing ball handling and going small more often, we could see Okorie take a few minutes from Ron Holland, so that they could at least get him 6-10 minutes per game.
Once Joe returns, Okorie’s chances of cracking the rotation are even lower, so the Pistons may as well look for a silver lining in Joe’s injury that allows them to get some developmental minutes for Okorie.
I’d love to see Okorie in some spot minutes when both Cade Cunningham and Daniss Jenkins are on the bench, as he’s the type of self-creator who can come in and provide some instant offense. If Jenkins continues to start, now is as good a time as any.
Okorie’s development is not a priority this season, as the Pistons are trying to make a deep playoff run, but they have a chance right now to get him some crucial reps while they are down a bench guard and looking to inject more ball handling into the rotation.
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