Okongwu vs Stewart

[returnofjakedog]

Maybe someone with a bit more specific knowledge can help me here:

I didn't watch a lot of college bball this year but I did check out a few UW Husky and Zags games and was very impressed with Isaiah Stewart from the UW. He was a man among boys on the college level at 18 years old, and faced constant double and triple teams as the UW ran the offense through him in the post.

One of the games I did watch was UW against USC and Onyeka Okongwu. In many ways Okongwu and Stewart are virtual clones of each other. Both are 6'9 and weigh a muscular 245 to 250. Both rely on a dominant post game where they use their core strength become an immovable object on the blocks. Even their stats are very similar with Stewart holding a slight edge in scoring, rebounding while Okungu has a slight advantage in steals, assists, and blocks. There seems to be very few differences in their games.
Additionally, when they played head to head I watched Stewart push Okongwu around and greatly out perform him in virtually every aspect of the game. Despite this all of the mocks have Okungu going top 5 while Stewart goes from about #25 to out of the first round range.
In all fairness, I do think Okungu has slightly better athleticism (certainly not a lot more, and certainly not enough to justify the differences in the mock draft position predictions).

So what am I missing here? The levels of competition were similar. The players themselves have many similarities. Why is Okungu rated so much higher than Stewart?

 

[mr.hockey4242]

I mean the simple answer would be the NBA is a different game than college basketball.

It's all about how their games are expected to translate to the pro level. I haven't really looked it up much and only saw them both play a handful of times in bulk but I am pretty sure the advanced metrics loved Okongwu on both ends of the floor and hes got a lot of ability to guard the perimeter.

 

[jontaejones]

Maybe someone with a bit more specific knowledge can help me here:

I didn't watch a lot of college bball this year but I did check out a few UW Husky and Zags games and was very impressed with Isaiah Stewart from the UW. He was a man among boys on the college level at 18 years old, and faced constant double and triple teams as the UW ran the offense through him in the post.

One of the games I did watch was UW against USC and Onyeka Okongwu. In many ways Okongwu and Stewart are virtual clones of each other. Both are 6'9 and weigh a muscular 245 to 250. Both rely on a dominant post game where they use their core strength become an immovable object on the blocks. Even their stats are very similar with Stewart holding a slight edge in scoring, rebounding while Okungu has a slight advantage in steals, assists, and blocks. There seems to be very few differences in their games.
Additionally, when they played head to head I watched Stewart push Okongwu around and greatly out perform him in virtually every aspect of the game. Despite this all of the mocks have Okungu going top 5 while Stewart goes from about #25 to out of the first round range.
In all fairness, I do think Okungu has slightly better athleticism (certainly not a lot more, and certainly not enough to justify the differences in the mock draft position predictions).

So what am I missing here? The levels of competition were similar. The players themselves have many similarities. Why is Okungu rated so much higher than Stewart?

Basically because the top draft picks spend only a year or two at most in college, the NBA drafts 80% on potential. They think Okongwu will be a better player after they get a hold of him and give him the skills he needs.

Honestly, it's a total crapshoot these days and a lot of all-stars in the NBA, and key NBA starters were never even drafted. It's almost like the MLB draft. You just have no clue what you're gonna get.

 

[returnofjakedog]

I mean the simple answer would be the NBA is a different game than college basketball.

It's all about how their games are expected to translate to the pro level. I haven't really looked it up much and only saw them both play a handful of times in bulk but I am pretty sure the advanced metrics loved Okongwu on both ends of the floor and hes got a lot of ability to guard the perimeter.

An ability to guard the perimeter would be a significant difference but in my observation, admitably limited, I didn't see Okungwu do this in college at all. But if the scouts can project this despite him not really having done it before, then that could account for the difference in predicted draft position.
Thanks for the response!

 

[returnofjakedog]

Basically because the top draft picks spend only a year or two at most in college, the NBA drafts 80% on potential. They think Okongwu will be a better player after they get a hold of him and give him the skills he needs.

Honestly, it's a total crapshoot these days and a lot of all-stars in the NBA, and key NBA starters were never even drafted. It's almost like the MLB draft. You just have no clue what you're gonna get.

Fair enough. Watching Stewart relatively dominate Okungwu would indicate otherwise. I suppose that Okungwu have slightly more potential but I didn't really see that in head to head.

 

[rmilia1]

There are guys in the G league and Europe right now who would be 15/8 all day long in the NBA if given a shot but the NBA values perceived potential over production in most instances.

Personally i think neither guy is going to amount to much at the next level until they expand their games on the offensive end. The NBA right now is about offense and more expressly being multi-dimensional

 

[jontaejones]

There are guys in the G league and Europe right now who would be 15/8 all day long in the NBA if given a shot but the NBA values perceived potential over production in most instances.

Personally i think neither guy is going to amount to much at the next level until they expand their games on the offensive end. The NBA right now is about offense and more expressly being multi-dimensional

Well, Garza is the perfect example isn't he?

I think he can play in the NBA and will make a team eventually, but they want guys like Okongwu and Jaren Jackson. Long, athletic, finish quick pick and roll plays at the rim, rim protection.

They'll be role players at the next level, so that's the thinking.

 

[jontaejones]

Fair enough. Watching Stewart relatively dominate Okungwu would indicate otherwise. I suppose that Okungwu have slightly more potential but I didn't really see that in head to head.

Yea, that happens a lot.

You'll have a guy like Jalen Brunson who was the best player in college basketball who was the clear leader and best player on his team, and then was the last player drafted out of everybody on that team.

Sometimes the guys like Brunson and Stewart will end up being the better NBA player for sure.