Phoenix Suns: 3 goals for Elie Okobo’s rookie season

3. Fully transition to PG spot

All the talk about the four-way battle for the starting point guard job makes this easy to forget, but Okobo actually hasn’t been playing the 1-spot for very long. Winning the starting gig would be impressive, but if that’s not feasible, simply learning how to be an effective point guard should be step one.

"“The main thing for me is just to prove that I’m ready to play in the NBA and be ready to bring something to the team and help them win games,” he explained."

Okobo is a score-first guard used to playing the 2-guard position, which would explain his 3.7 turnovers per 36 minutes in France last year. Most of those amounted to the kinds of mistakes that come with unfamiliarity playing the 1, but on a more promising note, he also posted 6.6 assists per 36.

As a rookie, Okobo should try to focus on minimizing turnovers, facilitating (like he showed brief flashes of during NBA Summer League) and running the offense. Any scoring and 3-point shooting he provides will hint at his ceiling as a dynamic score-first guard, but for the time being, his initial focus should be adjusting to life as a floor general in the NBA.