Atlanta Hawks: Good and bad things for Onyeka Okongwu so far
Atlanta Hawks rookie Onyeka Okongwu) The good.
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There is plenty to like from the play of Okongwu. One quality that he has shown is that he has plenty of energy every time that he hits the court. The first evidence of this is in his rebounding stats.
Okongwu has collected 11 rebounds in just two games. While he is a center and that is expected of him, he has managed to collect five rebounds against the strong Utah Jazz frontcourt. This is a solid number in just 14 minutes of game time.
However, what is even more impressive is the four offensive rebounds he has collected in the two games. The first one he collected was a thing of beauty. Okongwu managed to avoid the Jazz player trying to box him out, judged the bounce of the ball off the rim, time the leap, and put the ball back home.
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The other good quality Okongwu has shown in his first two games is his ability to protect the rim. In the Pistons game, Okongwu blocked three shots and altered many others. If he can develop into a solid backup center who protects the rim, then this will be a weakness of the Hawks that has been rectified.