Detroit Pistons: 3 options with the No. 7 pick in the NBA draft

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Detroit Pistons NBA draft option No. 2: Onyeka Okongwu

Rim protection is the name of the game on defense in the NBA, and Onyeka Okongwu could provide the Detroit Pistons with that in spades. On Kevin O’Connor’s big board, his most compelling comparison is Bam Adebayo, and that’s a player every NBA team could use.

Especially on a team without a lot of stellar defenders, Okongwu could be a difference-maker right off the bat in a way that prospective guards and wings might not be able to. In addition to the rim-protection element that he can bring from Adebayo’s toolbag, he’s also a strong passer considering his youth (he’s 19) and relative inexperience.

He can handle the ball a bit and score in the post effectively. While he’s doing this against collegiate opposition, he scored 1.127 points per possession in the post last season, placing him in the 94th percentile. It’s worth remembering that while college defenders are much worse than NBA defenders, he will have more room to operate in the NBA thanks to modern spacing.

Okongwu is undersized for a center at 6’9″, but he has a 7’1″ wingspan. Ideally, he’ll get stronger when he’s able to get into an NBA strength and conditioning program, and that will serve him well on the defensive end against bigger and stronger opponents.

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