Atlanta Hawks: Onyeka Okongwu’s fouling is not a problem
When the Atlanta Hawks selected Onyeka Okongwu with pick No. 6 in the 2020 NBA draft, they knew they were getting a defensive-minded big man who was also excellent in the pick-and-roll. It took the trade which netted Lou Williams to bring him out of his shell on offense.
The main reason Okongwu is not more of an offensive weapon is his lack of range. Okongwu has shot the ball at greater than 62.0 percent from the field. He has taken almost 90 percent of his shots from within ten feet of the basket.
His defense has been solid, he is blocking 0.6 shots per game, playing only 11.3 minutes every night. As a rookie, Okongwu has an offensive rating of 109 points per 100 possessions. This is solid given the Hawks’ injury issues this season meaning that he has had a different group he is playing with each night.
The Atlanta Hawks need Onyeka Okongwu to continue his defensive stand.
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The Hawks have started to rely on Okongwu’s defense to spell Clint Capela, especially since he took that hard fall against the New York Knicks. One measure of how is challenging shots is fouls per game. Okongwu has averaged 2.0 fouls per game which does not seem like many.
However, in the 25 games where Okongwu has played ten minutes or more, he has fouled four or more times on seven different occasions. Interestingly, despite picking up five fouls on three separate occasions, Okongwu has never fouled out, despite coach Nate McMillan leaving him on the floor during these times.
This shows that Okongwu has the basketball IQ to not pick up the final foul. He is still challenging shots when he is deep into his personal foul count but just not quite at the same intensity as when he is fresh on the floor.
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The Hawks need Okongwu to keep pushing the defensive envelope, challenging shots when Capela is off the floor. It is this activity that has helped the second unit compete with their opposition. He is able to keep from fouling if required and if he does foul out he will have given Capela a good rest anyway.