When the Atlanta Hawks drafted Onyeka Okongwu with the sixth pick in the 2020 NBA draft, they knew that they had a good one. He was slow out of the blocks in his rookie season through injury and this cost him a place in the rotations under Lloyd Pierce.
The Hawks missed countless opportunities under Pierce to develop the rookie but as soon as Nate McMillan took over, he wasted no time in developing Okongwu. The then rookie responded and also formed a connection with veteran Lou Williams which also helped his offense.
Then, prior to the season starting, the Hawks received the news that Okongwu was going to miss at least the first three months of the season. Fortunately for the Hawks, Okongwu came back a little earlier than expected, but he was determined to miss as little basketball as possible.
The Atlanta Hawks have benefitted from Onyeka Okongwu’s leap
Last season Okongwu was only able to average 4.6 points, 3.3 rebounds, 0.7 blocks, 0.5 steals, and 0.4 assists in 12.0 minutes per game. He spent the season learning from John Collins and Clint Capela which means that he worked on defense while bringing the energy.
This season, Okongwu has been a force. He has started six games due to the absence of Capela compared to four for the entire season in his rookie year. He has shown that he has grown defensively, providing tremendous help defense with such energy that it is flowing to the rest of the team. Blocking 1.8 shots per game certainly helps there.
However, it is not just his defense which has improved, Okongwu is a greater threat on offense. He is averaging 9.2 points per game which is double what he averaged last season. He is also incredibly effcient shooting the ball at 74.3 percent from the floor. This is showing that he has a much better underrstanding of where he needs to be on the floor and has the confidence to make the shots.
However, one of the most exciting numbers which signifies that Okongwu has taken the leap is his 1.1 assists per game. He is most effective in the pick and roll, but instead of taking the ball to the hoop no matter what, if he sees a player who has a better shot, Okongwu is passing the ball out to them.
This is making the second-year player dangerous on offense. When you find the maturity to know when to pass or shoot, you add a whole new element to the teams offense. While Okongwu may not have the shooting ability to space the floor, by adding this element to his game, as well as his improved positioning at the dunkers spot means that Okongwu’s offense has taken a huge leap.