Josh Okogie to hire agent and stay in NBA Draft

CuseJacket

CuseJacket

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Gold1 said:
You cannot tell me honestly if you watched the majority of GT games the last 2 years that you think Okogie is really all that great. I would guess half the games he just disappeared. My original point tho was that a bunch of teams are getting their star guys back but of course ours leaves. Just seems we have some bad luck
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In your original comment, you said "An average player that decides to leave".

"Great" is a different barometer than "average".

I don't think anyone would disagree if you said JO had/has his warts. If you had chosen slightly different words i.e., he's not elite, then there might not have been as much of an uproar. Even then though, a player who is considered one of 60 best amateurs in the world (i.e., drafted in round 1 or 2) is probably elite. He was projected a 2nd round pick before the combine. And clearly he played well in college and got recognition per my previous post.
 
LargeFO

LargeFO

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Gold1 said:
You cannot tell me honestly if you watched the majority of GT games the last 2 years that you think Okogie is really all that great. I would guess half the games he just disappeared. My original point tho was that a bunch of teams are getting their star guys back but of course ours leaves. Just seems we have some bad luck
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I get your point about the luck, but do feel like you're shorting him a tad on how good he is.
 
JacketFromUGA

JacketFromUGA

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my point was if we consider Lammers slightly above average and he didn't get invited that means average players (Lammers or lower) definitely don't get invited.
 

YlJacket

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CuseJacket said:
In your original comment, you said "An average player that decides to leave".

"Great" is a different barometer than "average".

I don't think anyone would disagree if you said JO had/has his warts. If you had chosen slightly different words i.e., he's not elite, then there might not have been as much of an uproar. Even then though, a player who is considered one of 60 best amateurs in the world (i.e., drafted in round 1 or 2) is probably elite. He was projected a 2nd round pick before the combine. And clearly he played well in college and got recognition per my previous post.
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I am one who thought he had enough flaws in his game that he would test the waters, be told those flaws were enough to keep him in the second round or potentially undrafted - and come back to the fold. So I didn't think he was "elite". But no way do I think you look at him either just by the eyeball test or regular/expanded stats and label him "average". All that does is sound like sour grapes from an entitled fanbase.

His loss is going to hurt next year and we will be back to a first year player needing to be "a" or likely "the" key contributor on the offensive end. I was hoping we were beyond that as a team/program. But regardless, all we should do is congratulate JO on his seemingly likely first round pick and speak highly of him out the door. Congrats.
 

gtwcf

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I'll take more average please.

He may have been a little passive at times for my liking, but he was capable of exciting plays/explosive days. I think he's slightly underrated as a shooter, and he's got great work ethic. This likely means he'll just get better.

He'll benefit from less minutes, and be a good 6-8 guy on a team that comes in and provides instant offense and plus defense.

We'll miss him next year, but I'm thinking Mike Devoe will fill some of that role for us. And I think another year under the belt for Jose will help the overall offense flow.
 

brandon_cox

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Latest ESPN evaluation. They have him climbing in the first round:

Josh Okogie | SG | Age: 19.7 | Georgia Tech

  • Strengths
    • Outstanding combination of age and physical tools. Powerful athlete in space. Plays above the rim. Excellent in transition. Stud frame with a proportionate upper and lower body. Younger than a handful of freshmen projected in the top 10.

    • Has the physical profile to guard at least three positions in the modern NBA. Motor dips a little more than you'd expect given his reputation as a "defender" (partially due to offensive responsibility at Georgia Tech) but he's tough overall; 1.9 steals and 1.1 blocks per 40 minutes. Covers ground on closeouts. Wingspan a major factor on the defensive end. Has shown a willingness to embrace the role of defender in the past. Rebounds his position. Has made tremendous strides since we first evaluated him at the 2015 Nike Global Challenge.

    • Improved standstill shooter who made 38 percent of his 3s and 82.1 percent of his free throws; 93rd percentile on 62 catch-and-shoot jumpers. Was tasked with the role of primary shot-creator on an underwhelming Georgia Tech team, which played a big part in his inefficiencies offensively.
Improvement areas

  • Extremely rigid ball handler. Shouldn't be tasked with shot-creation duties in the half court. Struggles to change speeds and directions. Feel for the game is still a work in progress. Unable to execute simple passes. Partially a function of developed bad habits given his role in college but settles for low-percentage shots in the half court. Head down to the rim. Career 119 assists to 134 turnovers.

  • Still has questions to answer as a shooter, especially off the dribble. Shoots a set shot on the move. Doesn't get much lift. Needs time and space.

  • Not the finisher his tools suggest. Career 45.4 percent from 2 on 768 attempts. Shot 43.2 percent from 2 as a sophomore. Shot 44.6 percent at the rim in the half court and 0-for-10 on floaters.
Projected role: 3-and-D wing

http://www.espn.com/nba/insider/sto...spects-comps-projections-strengths-weaknesses
 
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