All Star Weekend 2019 Stadiums (Stanchion)

• We see time and time again what a strong individual run in the NCAA Tournament can do for a player looking to make the next step by entering the NBA Draft.\nThat certainly looked to be the case for one Chuma Okeke, a versatile forward out of Auburn University, until tragedy struck midway through their run to this year\u2019s Final Four.\n\t\tMore from Draft\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tGrading Milwaukee Bucks 2022 Draft Picks Beauchamp and Besson\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tMilwaukee Bucks: 5 options for No. 17 pick in 2017 NBA redraft\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tMilwaukee Bucks: 5 options for No. 10 selection in 2016 NBA redraft\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tMilwaukee Bucks: 5 options for No. 17 selection in 2015 NBA redraft\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tMilwaukee Bucks: 5 options for No. 2 selection in the 2014 NBA redraft\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\nThe sophomore was a vital contributor all throughout Auburn\u2019s strong season, a year that ended in the Tigers winning the SEC Tournament to bolster their bid for the NCAA Tournament even further.\nSo much so that his star as a prospect was glowing already heading into the tournament and Okeke\u2019s play under the brighter spotlight didn\u2019t disappoint as the Tigers set the stage for their eventual tourney run.\nBut as the Tigers were crafting their Sweet 16 upset on the University of North Carolina, Okeke went down near the stanchion following a drive to the bucket and it proved to be the worst-case scenario: a torn ACL. Even after such a monumental win, the loss left Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl visibly distraught and he later explained what he was feeling to ESPN after the game:\n\u201cIt\u2019s a bittersweet accomplishment because of Chuma getting hurt late in the game. Nobody works harder, nobody gives us more courage,\u201d Pearl said after the win.\nNow, even with plenty of uncertainty in the wake of his injury and in terms of where he\u2019ll fall in the draft, Okeke\u2019s going forward with taking the next step of his career and will certainly be eager to show that this is just a mere bump in the road in his basketball journey.\nSo without further ado, let\u2019s break down Chuma Okeke\u2019s game by looking at his strengths, the skills and areas he needs to work, how draft experts evaluate him and look at his potential fit with the Milwaukee Bucks.\n\n \n Next:\u00a0Strengths\n \n"},"title":"NBA Draft 2019 Prospect Watch: Chuma Okeke","permalink":"https:\/\/behindthebuckpass.com\/2019\/06\/01\/nba-draft-2019-prospect-watch-chuma-okeke\/2\/","shortCodeTitle":null,"content":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\tNASHVILLE, TENNESSEE \u2013 MARCH 17: (Photo by Andy Lyons\/Getty Images)\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\nStrengths\nOkeke offers up a very versatile skill set, all of which starts with his great size (6\u20198\u2033) and measurables (seven-foot wingspan, 230 pounds).\nOf the most appealing skills Okeke possesses, the Atlanta native can really fill it up from deep as he hit 38.9 percent of his 229 three-point tries over his two years with the Tigers. Okeke\u2019s free throw efficiency (70.3 percent for his collegiate career) may call his shooting mechanics into question and it\u2019ll certainly be interesting whether he can maintain his potency on a higher volume of attempts and from the NBA three-point line.\n\nBut Okeke stands as more than just a lethal spot up shooter as he\u2019s shown to be a capable driver when attacking closeouts, can take care of mismatches in the post by utilizing his size to punish opponents and routinely finds daylight to cut to the rack off the ball.\nMoving on from his scoring viability, Okeke has proven to be an adequate passer, thanks to his vision, sound decision making and willingness to keep the ball moving rather than have it stick and let the opposing defense settle in.\nAnd of course, Okeke\u2019s frame and physical tools all lend to his standing on the defensive end and he excels in doing the little things, such as chasing down loose balls and being on alert when defending in the construct of his team\u2019s defensive scheme.\n\n \n Next:\u00a0Weaknesses\n \n","title":"NBA Draft 2019 Prospect Watch: Chuma Okeke","permalink":"https:\/\/behindthebuckpass.com\/2019\/06\/01\/nba-draft-2019-prospect-watch-chuma-okeke\/3\/","shortCodeTitle":null,"content":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\tKANSAS CITY, MISSOURI \u2013 MARCH 29: (Photo by Jamie Squire\/Getty Images)\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\nWeaknesses\nUnfortunately for Okeke, the biggest red flag facing him is the ACL tear he suffered late into Auburn\u2019s run in this year\u2019s NCAA Tournament.\nAlready a player who\u2019s not brimming with explosiveness, there may be long-term concerns about his knee as Kevin O\u2019Connor of The Ringer reported in his scouting report of the 20-year-old that Okeke suffered a bone bruise in the same knee during the summer of 2017.\nHow that affects his defensive abilities will be on the minds of front office personnel around the league, especially with the jump in athleticism and Okeke\u2019s occasional struggles staying in front of his assignment.\nBeyond that, Okeke\u2019s quite limited when it comes to creating jump shots off the dribble. That can be directly tied to his rudimentary ball handling, which will certainly have to be refined on the next level.\n\n \n Next:\u00a0What the experts say\n \n","title":"NBA Draft 2019 Prospect Watch: Chuma Okeke","permalink":"https:\/\/behindthebuckpass.com\/2019\/06\/01\/nba-draft-2019-prospect-watch-chuma-okeke\/4\/","shortCodeTitle":null,"content":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\tAUBURN, ALABAMA \u2013 DECEMBER 22: (Photo by Kevin C. Cox\/Getty Images)\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\nWhat the experts say\n(as of 5\/30\/19)\nESPN\u00a0[$] (Jonathan Givony): 42nd\nThe Ringer\u00a0(Kevin O\u2019Connor): 23rd\nSports Illustrated\u00a0(Jeremy Woo): 35th\nSporting News\u00a0(Chris Stone): N\/A\nThe Athletic\u00a0[$] (Sam Vecenie): 41st\nThe Stepien\u00a0(Composite Rank): 33rd\nThe Step Back\u00a0(Brandon Kleen): N\/A\nQuotes:\nDespite the injury setback he suffered late into this year\u2019s NCAA Tournament, Jeremy Woo of Sports Illustrated offered up why Okeke may be an interesting gamble for an NBA team to take, considering his skill set:\n\u201cWhere he might have once been something of a tweener, Okeke is an interesting fit from a positionless standpoint given his ability to knock down shots, rebound and defend both forward spots. He\u2019s light on his feet, has great hands and racks up blocks and steals. If he continues to improve as a shooter and expand his perimeter game, Okeke could blossom as a low-usage role player at the NBA level. He fits a useful mold as a combo forward, and the fact he\u2019s injured may not preclude teams from taking a chance.\u201d\nOn the flip side, The Athletic\u2019s Sam Vecenie noted how much Okeke\u2019s injury has disrupted his draft stock and how teams around the league viewed him prior to that in his latest mock draft:\n\u201cNBA teams had Okeke marked down as a potential late first round pick after a terrific season at Auburn where he played high-level defense, knocked down shots, and was the glue for an eventual Final Four team. But his torn ACL in the Sweet 16 threw all of that for a loop.\u201d\n\n \n Next:\u00a0Fit with the Bucks\n \n","title":"NBA Draft 2019 Prospect Watch: Chuma Okeke","permalink":"https:\/\/behindthebuckpass.com\/2019\/06\/01\/nba-draft-2019-prospect-watch-chuma-okeke\/5\/","shortCodeTitle":null,"content":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\tKANSAS CITY, MO \u2013 MARCH 29: (Photo by Ben Solomon\/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\nFit with the Bucks\nWith his injury setting his draft stock back quite a bit, there\u2019s a very good possibility Okeke will be available by the time the Bucks are on the clock with the 30th overall pick.\n \t\n \t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tgoogletag.cmd.push(function () \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tgoogletag.defineSlot(\"\/175840252\/fansided.com\/BehindtheBuckPass\/mpu\",[300, 250], \"minutemedia_slideshow_inline_300x250__desktop__tablet\")\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t.addService(googletag.pubads());\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tgoogletag.enableServices();\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tgoogletag.display(\"minutemedia_slideshow_inline_300x250__desktop__tablet\");\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t);\t\t\t\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t\t\n \t\n \t\n \nAnd if it wasn\u2019t for that injury hanging over him, it would be very easy to see the appeal of the Bucks picking Okeke. That arguably still holds even with the concerns over the long-term stability of Okeke\u2019s knee considered.\nThe blend of shooting, physical qualities and intangibles that Okeke possesses all checks the boxes the Bucks are looking for to fill out their roster around their core group of players, superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo being the crown jewel of the bunch.\nThe key question will be whether Okeke\u2019s versatility can hold up at the next level because his ability to play on the wing will be tested to some degree when he\u2019s back to full health.\nThat will likely be a key question the Bucks are asking as they have shown to have solid interchangeable forwards behind Antetokounmpo who can slot up to playing the role of center nominally, between Ersan Ilyasova and D.J. Wilson.\n\n \n \n Next:\u00a0NBA Draft 2019 Prospect Watch: Talen Horton-Tucker\n \n \n\n\nAgain, it\u2019s hard to ignore the cold reality of Okeke\u2019s current health status. But he\u2019s shown to be the quintessential role player and provided he can return to the player he was before his injury, he\u2019ll be a player teams such as the Bucks will covet to build out their roster."],"useSlideSources":true,"themeType":"classic","prevPost":"https:\/\/behindthebuckpass.com\/2019\/06\/01\/milwaukee-bucks-analyzing-three-point-issues-nba-playoffs\/","nextPost":"https:\/\/behindthebuckpass.com\/2019\/06\/02\/milwaukee-bucks-daily-recounting-best-player-performances-regular-season\/","prevText":"Prev","nextText":"Next","buttonWidth":0,"buttonWidth_post":0,"postUrl":"https:\/\/behindthebuckpass.com\/2019\/06\/01\/nba-draft-2019-prospect-watch-chuma-okeke\/","postId":97377,"refreshAds":true,"refreshAdsEveryNSlides":1,"adRefreshingMechanism":"javascript","siteUrl":"https:\/\/behindthebuckpass.com","prevText_post":"Prev post","nextText_post":"Next post"}; (function ($) $(document).ready(function () try tpsInstance = new tps.createSlideshow(tpsOptions); catch(e) ); (jQuery)); (function () // create the elements and set all attributes:var conversationScript = document.createElement('script');conversationScript.setAttribute('async', 'true');conversationScript.setAttribute('src', ' _u4ubcbNW');conversationScript.setAttribute('data-spotim-module', 'spotim-launcher');conversationScript.setAttribute('data-post-url', ' -draft-2019-prospect-watch-chuma-okeke/');conversationScript.setAttribute('data-post-id', '97377');conversationScript.setAttribute('data-spotim-multi-instance', true);conversationScript.setAttribute('data-article-tags', 'Milwaukee Bucks');conversationScript.setAttribute('data-disqus-url', ' -draft-2019-prospect-watch-chuma-okeke/#!');conversationScript.setAttribute('data-disqus-identifier', '97377 =97377');// append the elements to the container:var container = document.querySelector('#comments-wrapper-97377');container.appendChild(conversationScript);)(); Top StoriesBehind the Buck Pass 3 yearsNBA Draft 2019 Prospect Watch: Mfiondu Kabengele

Bleacher Report 3 yearsVideo: Andre Iguodala Discusses His Love for Stephen Curry After Warriors WinBehind the Buck Pass 3 yearsMilwaukee Bucks 2018-19 Season Review: Pat ConnaughtonBehind the Buck Pass 3 yearsMilwaukee Bucks Roundtable: Reflecting on the Conference Finals lossBehind the Buck Pass 3 yearsMilwaukee Bucks Daily: Recounting best player performances from regular season Newsletter Milwaukee Bucks news from FanSided Daily Your Milwaukee Bucks. Your Inbox. Every Day. Build your custom FanSided Daily email newsletter with news and analysis on Milwaukee Bucks and all your favorite sports teams, TV shows, and more.

All Star Weekend 2019 Stadiums (Stanchion)

041b061a72