Cleveland Cavaliers NBA Draft: Onyeka Okongwu emerging as best option

The Cleveland Cavaliers should be looking at Onyeka Okongwu as the prospect with the highest potential to help them in the 2020 NBA Draft.

The 2020 NBA Draft is just a few weeks away and there is no clear consensus on who the Cleveland Cavaliers are most interested in. Names such as Isaac Okoro, Devin Vassell and Obi Toppin have all been considered – but Onyeka Okongwu should be the prospect rising above everyone else.

Okongwu is a versatile big man with high-level athleticism and defensive capabilities. He averaged 16.2 points, 8.6 rebounds 2.7 assists and 2.7 blocks (second-most in the PAC-12) as a freshman – reaching the First Team All-PAC-12 and pushing USC to a 22-9 record. He also led the PAC-12 in field goal percentage at over 60 percent from the floor.

The 6’9″ forward has drawn comparisons to Bam Adebayo and the similarities are obvious. They have nearly identical builds, only Okongwu has a longer wingspan and more agility on the perimeter. Both are high-IQ players that take quality shots and display great timing when leaping for rejections.

Adebayo showed how valuable a player like him can be in the NBA Playoffs this year by thrusting the Miami Heat to the NBA Finals behind his versatility on both sides of the ball. It’s possible Okongwu can replicate this productivity and transform the Cavaliers as we know them.

Cleveland has been the bottom-ranked defensive team for two straight years and this isn’t going to change anytime soon unless they bring in a prospect such as Okongwu. Even the presence of Andre Drummond didn’t help them improve as their Defensive Rating actually dipped with him on the floor. This just shows how important it is for players to be able to defend more than just the paint in the modern NBA.

Okongwu can be a fluid small-ball center to play alongside the Cavs core. He gives Darius Garland and Collin Sexton an easy target in the paint as he can finish above and around the rim with ease. He has enough speed to run in transition and will learn how to rebound behind players like Drummond, Kevin Love and potentially Tristan Thompson.

Not to mention, Okongwu has shown flare as a playmaker. He has a good understanding of the game and can be a difference-maker for the Cavs playing in the middle of the floor and dishing to shooters/cutters. Above all else, his wide frame makes him a brick wall that can set screens and roll quickly to the rim.

The only thing holding back Okongwu is his shooting stroke. He shot only 25.0 percent from the 3-point line and has a ways to go before being a trustworthy shooter from the mid-range. However, this is a concern for other defensive prospects like Isaac Okoro and Devin Vassell as well. While Toppin will likely be a sniper from deep, he is a way bigger liability on defense than any other prospect the Cavs can consider.

These factors should push Okongwu over the top and make him the Cleveland Cavaliers’ main target in the NBA draft at No. 5. He will help improve their league-worst defense and add an interesting wrinkle to their offensive attack that is desperate for an athletic center that can run the floor.