Okogie to the T-Wolves at #20 overall

GT_05

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Did anyone else think of Christian Laettner when you heard the news?


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The Doddfather

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I was celebrating when his name was called and may have missed it, but I’m pretty sure he was one of 2 players in the first round that didn’t get much chatter from the talking heads, and no “player comparison” from Chauncey which was a kinda dumb feature all night anyway. Glad he went over a few of the other sg’s from the acc (Allen, brown jr, Trent) that were all in the mix. The wolves aren’t a great destination, but they have a strong young nucleus that could contend in the next few years. Congrats Josh, hard work paid off.
 

The Doddfather

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Also, the comment that “he was a reach” at #20 will serve as more motivation if he even needs it. I saw this write up from cbs sports that gave the wolves a B+ in the pick and said he was hidden in a mediocre college team, wowed at the combine but had one of the best upsides left in the draft. I’ve said all along that his upside is incredible given his progression. Can’t wait until we are off the list of mediocre college teams and back in the national spotlight.
 

The Doddfather

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Sb nation grade compared to the “tripper”
 

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FightWinDrink

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Idk how they couldn’t have something prepared. He got picked around where he’s been mocked since the end of the combine so that’s like a month. He wasn’t a big shocking 1st rounder. Many people had him somewhere in the 20s so you think he would be a name they would have like a few sentences of research on
 

Peacone36

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I was celebrating when his name was called and may have missed it, but I’m pretty sure he was one of 2 players in the first round that didn’t get much chatter from the talking heads, and no “player comparison” from Chauncey which was a kinda dumb feature all night anyway. Glad he went over a few of the other sg’s from the acc (Allen, brown jr, Trent) that were all in the mix. The wolves aren’t a great destination, but they have a strong young nucleus that could contend in the next few years. Congrats Josh, hard work paid off.

Chauncey Billups has been discussed for front office positions in the past, he probably talked himself out of any of those last night. He was absolutely atrocious.
 

kg01

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Big congrats to Josh O on busting his *** & betting on himself. Too anyone who doubted him working his way in to this opportunity, probably because you're a clueless wonder who doesn't know how the modern NBA works. I'll politely dedicate this to you, even though I really think you deserve what comes up when you search YouTube for "Shaq hoy my taste".



When I said this would happen, most (including some of the well-respected among us) laughed. I said just as you said, this about 2018 NBA and Josh fits just fine as a 1st rnder.

Now eggscuse me. I may have torn something patting myself on the back.

Chauncey Billups has been discussed for front office positions in the past, he probably talked himself out of any of those last night. He was absolutely atrocious.

Agreed. It's laughable he was considered a GM candidate.
 

gtg970g

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From the NY Times:
20: Minnesota Timberwolves: Josh Okogie, SG, Georgia Tech
6 feet 4 inches, 211 pounds

A breakout sophomore season in which he averaged 16.1 points and 5.4 rebounds a game wasn’t enough to get the kind of draft assurances that Okogie wanted, but then the draft combine rolled around and his performance got people to pay attention. He may have been the best pure athlete among all of the wings who agreed to be evaluated. He’s fast, strong, agile and could be a huge steal in the draft, as he has not garnered nearly as much attention as players who he could run circles around athletically.

How he fits: This pick was acquired in the Ricky Rubio trade last season, and the Timberwolves, who did fine without Rubio, have added a player who can add a lot without stepping on the toes of any of the team’s stars. The potential is there for Tom Thibodeau to coach him into something special if he’s willing to work.
 

CuseJacket

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The Fit
Okogie’s fit appears like it could be great. The Wolves desperately need shooting, a perimeter defender, and they need it cheap. Okogie could potentially check all three of these boxes some day. It seems that the Wolves have at least taken a quick glance at the rest of the league and seen what they lack.

The big concern is how much Thibodeau will play him or any young player. Whether Thibodeau didn’t trust the bench or they struggled, the bench didn’t play very much. A big determinant of how much Okogie will play will be what they do in free agency.
 

CuseJacket

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In middle school, he woke at 5 a.m. to work on his skills with a trainer before going to school. During holiday breaks, he worked out twice a day.

“He loved basketball,” Pius said. “Apart from school, the next thing is basketball.”
Okogie, calm as ever, needed no such prompting. He was asked if he felt weird that this was actually happening.

“No,” he said. “I was planning this in high school.”
 

CuseJacket

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Okogie, who watched the draft with family, friends and teammates at a lounge in Atlanta, had trouble composing himself when Thibodeau called.

''When he said, `Josh,' to be honest, I blacked out,'' Okogie said. ''I was just like, `This is surreal.' Everything happened so fast. They called my name. Everybody's screaming. I'm getting tackled. Crying.''
 
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