NBA Draft: Onyeka Okongwu could be an unstoppable force at the next level

USC freshman Onyeka Okongwu could be the most talented player in the 2020 NBA Draft class

The 2020 NBA Draft could be one of the most unpredictable in years, with scouts having a tough time really getting a feel for prospects due to the cancellation of conference tournaments and March Madness.

But despite all of the disarray surrounding the draft because of COVID-19, there are still many intriguing talents that will hear their names called this summer. One player who has the potential to be one of the best players to come out of the 2020 class is USC’s standout freshman Onyeka Okongwu.

The 19-year-old starred at Chino Hills high school in Southern California, the same school where all three of the Ball brothers played. Because of the hype surrounding the trio, Okongwu was quickly noticed as a young high school player and started on the varsity team as a freshman.

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This past season at USC, Okongwu rose to national prominence, emerging as one of the most talented bigs in College Basketball. He was named to the All-Pac 12 first team and All-Freshman team while leading the Trojans in scoring, rebounds, and blocks per contest. Okongwu averaged 16.2 points, 8.2 boards, and 2.7 blocks per night for USC.

Why Okongwu is special

Having impressive numbers at the collegiate level is obviously going to attract the interest of NBA scouts, but you also need to have the necessary skill-set and physical attributes that can translate over to the next level. Okongwu has it all.

At 6-foot-9, he can play both the power forward and center position but is slightly undersized for the latter. However, his 7-foot-2 wingspan and muscular 245-pound body make up for it.

Offensively, Okongwu is an absolute monster inside the paint, using his strong frame to bully oppositions around the rim. He’s an elite athlete who can finish above the hoop with either hand thanks to his tremendous hops. The youngster is also very difficult to guard because of the array of moves he possesses in the paint. Okongwu loves the spin move but he can also square up an opponent and beat him with his quickness and dribbling abilities.

The USC star is also tremendous at playing off the ball, particularly on the pick and roll. He’s great at finding open space in order to receive passes from teammates. Okongwu is also an efficient free throw shooter, sinking 74 percent of his shots from the charity stripe this season. He doesn’t shoot the ball much from mid-range or long-range, which could be a category to improve on in order to make his offensive game that much better in the NBA.

Okongwu’s ability to rebound the basketball is one of the main traits that separate him in this draft class. Offensively and defensively, his length and leap ability allow him to rise above and grab a ton of boards while also registering a fair amount of blocks. Pair his size and athleticism with Okongwu’s sheer strength as a 19-year-old and you have one very gifted player who could be a star at the next level.

A star in the making

His basketball IQ at such a young age is brilliant, even collecting 1.2 steals per game this season by reading bad passes and anticipating. That’s an unheard-of statistic for a big. There is no doubt that he will need to improve his shooting in order to be the full package in the association, but the current tools that Okongwu has are very promising.

I could see Okongwu starting as a rookie in the NBA because of his impressive skills across the board. Some youngsters take substantial time to adjust to life at the next level, but I believe that Onyeka Okongwu is going to be a force to be reckoned with in his first year.

Whoever ends up drafting the USC star should be ecstatic because they will have one of the best up and coming bigs in the league.