After being drafted by the Magic last year with the 16th pick, Chuma Okeke is finally ready to get on an NBA court. The 6’8 forward spent 2 years at Auburn, and tore his ACL, in the Sweet 16 of March Madness vs North Carolina, and was a key contributor on the team. Okeke was also 1st team All-SEC in 2019. He missed the 2019-20 NBA Season to rehab from his injury. He signed his rookie contract this offseason, which is worth around 15 million over 4 years. So what will Chuma bring to the Magic?
Overview
In his Sophomore year at Auburn, Okeke averaged 12 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 1.9 APG, 1.8 SPG, and 1.2 BPG, along with his defending ability. He also shot 49.6% from the field and 38.7% from 3. He’s showed promise of being a special player, and Coach Steve Clifford has talked about how quickly he can pick things up in practice. Okeke was the first Auburn player drafted in the 1st round in 19 years, and will look to make a name for himself this season. He’s shown the traits to be effective, and now he’s got to do it in the NBA. He will be one of the two rookies on the team this year along with Cole Anthony. He can do a variety of things well, and has drawn comparisons to Trail Blazers F Robert Covington. His projected role is a good 3 and D wing.
Okeke’s Role
Coach Clifford has implied that Okeke won’t get a big workload to start out, but that could change with Johnathan Isaac to miss the entire season with a torn ACL. Al-Farouq Aminu is also out indefinitely. Chuma Okeke could end up playing meaningful minutes with not much forward depth. Okeke has a good NBA frame 6’8, 230 pounds, and a 7’0 wingspan. He can shoot over most players, and is good as a spot up shooter. The Magic hope Okeke can become apart of their youth movement, and be a good piece for the future. Also, he will only be 22 for the entire 2020-21 season, so he has time to develop his game. The Magic saw enough in him to take a flier even with injury, so it’s safe to say he will likely get a fair shot to prove his worth in the NBA.