James Wiseman looks the part of an elite big-man prospect and potential No. 1 pick in the 2020 NBA draft. He's 7 feet tall with a 7-5 wingspan, broad shoulders, long strides, nimble feet and a massive standing reach, while displaying a handle and glimpses of a shooting touch rare for a player his size.
But USC's Onyeka Okongwu has entered the best big conversation, sparking a debate among NBA teams about who will wind up as this class' top center, especially given Wiseman's abbreviated resume at Memphis.
"I feel like I'm higher than all of them," the 6-10 Okongwu told ESPN after a recent workout in Los Angeles. "I just do all the little things well. I just play basketball. I know how to win ... I just want to be impactful and have an essential role in helping a team win."
Wiseman might be the more intriguing talent, but a deep dive into Okongwu's film, numbers and approach suggests that he could very well end up having more impact than any other big man in his class.
Rare productivity
Okongwu was incredibly productive as a freshman, especially considering he wasn't a McDonald's All American and never had any experience at the FIBA level despite being ranked as the No. 20 RSCI (Recruiting Services Consensus Index) recruit.
He was the best player on a 22-9 USC team that finished third in the Pac-12 and is the only player in our extensive database with at least 20 points, 10 rebounds, 1.5 steals and 3.5 blocks per 40 minutes with a true shooting percentage over 65% before reaching age 20. (Some of the bigs who would have qualified with better efficiency include Shaquille O'Neal, Hakeem Olajuwon, Joe Smith, Elden Campbell and Oliver Miller.)
USC wasn't always able to run offense through Okongwu -- he ranks in the bottom 25 of our top 100 in usage -- yet he was still able to finish eighth in the Pac-12 in points and fourth in offensive win shares. He ranked 10th in the NCAA in player efficiency rating and found a way to impact the game on both ends.
A 'natural' defender
Okongwu has the type of defensive versatility coveted by every title contender and playoff team, starting with his pick-and-roll defense. He's excellent in drop situations, already showing the ability to play the cat-and-mouse game seen from so many of the best bigs -- bluffing at the ball handler, yet making sure the roller doesn't get behind him for lobs. He's agile enough to contest pull-up 3s at the level of the screen and yet keep the ball contained. Every team wants to concede non-paint 2s, which is why having a big who can be an asset in drop situations -- both containing penetration and protecting the rim -- is so important.
"It's natural," Okongwu, whose steal percentage ranks second among centers in our top 100, said of his defensive instincts. "My AAU coach used to tell me, 'You can have a bad day on offense but never a bad day on defense.' When he told me that, it always stuck with me the rest of my life and now it shows."
Okongwu is also comfortable stepping out and switching onto guards. He's not quite at the level of Miami Heat All-Star Bam Adebayo, after whom he models his game, but he's quick-footed enough to slide and he understands player tendencies, forcing guards into contested pull-ups or recovering at the rim for blocks. His perimeter defense could allow him to fit in some two-big lineups, especially alongside a stretch-five.
He's at his best around the rim, altering shots with tremendous timing. Okongwu is exceptionally quick off his feet, which also allows him to snatch defensive rebounds in a crowd. But he still has room to improve his physicality. Weighing around 245 pounds, Okongwu struggled against the Pac-12's most physical bigs, notably Isaiah Stewart, and he'll admit that he coasted through a few games last season, which certainly triggered some of his naysayers given his projected role as an energy center.
But Okongwu has the smarts and above-average competitiveness to hold his own against the league's best post-up bigs, and scouts love that he should eventually be able to play against both small-ball and jumbo lineups.
"I'll be able to bring defense to a team," Okongwu said. "I bring a lot of energy to the game."
Efficient offensively with low volume
On offense, Okongwu's game is fairly simple. His soft hands, quick leaping and excellent touch made him the fifth-best finisher in college basketball at 66.4% among players with at least 140 attempts around the rim, according to Synergy Sports Technology data. In addition to being a lob threat and vertical spacer, he has the touch shots and floaters to remain effective against NBA centers like Rudy Gobert.
While his offense likely won't consist of more than 25% post-ups like in college, if a small does switch onto him, he's comfortable punishing him. He has great touch on jump hooks over either shoulder, sharp footwork and the ability to inside pivot, face up, rip through and spin into touch shots in either direction. That Okongwu is happy to function as a diver and offensive rebounder (4.3 per 40 minutes) makes him an easy fit at the next level.
For him to reach Adebayo's status, he'll have to continue progressing as a ball handler and passer, which has been part of his focus. He has a sound feel for the game and generally plays within himself. That should help him adjust to playing out of handoffs and short rolls, which has become imperative for bigs in his mold.
While he took only 35 jump shots in 28 games, according to Synergy Sports, Okongwu is a little further ahead of Adebayo as a shooter (72% at the free throw line). Even if his only 3-point make of the year was a half-court heave against Arizona, he showed a nice touch from the elbows and stepped into standstill 3s comfortably when I watched him work out in L.A.
But no team is drafting Okongwu to maybe knock down spot 3s. They want his pick-and-roll defense, rim protection, finishing and winning mentality. He might not have the traditional upside of Wiseman, who is likely to be selected in the top three, but Okongwu is certainly the more NBA-ready of the two.
Scouting more 2020 big men
Because I was at workouts on the West Coast, I wasn't able to see Wiseman or bigs such as Obi Toppin, Jalen Smith, Isaiah Stewart or Vernon Carey Jr. But I was able to check on co-SEC Player of the Year Reggie Perry, Pac-12 Freshman of the Year Zeke Nnaji and potential first-round pick Daniel Oturu.
Daniel Oturu's shooting and handle make him a modern fit
It's clear that Oturu's going to be a legitimate floor spacer in the NBA, especially after watching Oturu go through an hour-plus workout with Ross McMains in Santa Barbara, California. Not only is he reliable from the corners, but he's excellent above the break with great rotation, soft touch and excellent mechanics, even if he doesn't have the quickest release.
Oturu showed signs of shooting growth during his breakout sophomore season, as he knocked down 36.5% of 52 3-point attempts. But to watch it up close after months in the gym was significant, especially when pairing Oturu's shooting ability with his agility as a ball handler. The Minnesota native has wing-like fluidity at 6-10 and noted how much he's been working on playing out of short rolls and creating in space, citing Adebayo as a model.
"I had a role on the team to abide by playing in the post," said Oturu, who spent 30% of the time in the post for the Golden Gophers, according to Synergy Sports Tech data. "But now I feel like being able to expand my game and show teams and show other people that I can actually do more things than post up."
Already one of the most productive bigs in the draft (20.1 points, 11.3 rebounds, 2.7 blocks), an All-Defense selection in the Big Ten and an excellent finisher, Oturu's passing ability is the missing piece -- he finished with just 33 assists to 88 turnovers under head coach Richard Pitino last season. He'll show glimpses but can still fine-tune his decision-making and ability to find the open man once he's in motion.
If he can sharpen his floor game, there's no reason Oturu can't carve out a consistent role at the NBA level.
Zeke Nnaji is all about the work
Nnaji is a hard-playing, highly mobile big who ranked sixth in our top 100 in true shooting percentage and captured Pac-12 Freshman of the Year honors over Okongwu and Isaiah Stewart, showing the impact he had at Arizona. And the 19-year-old potential first-round pick continued to show progress from the perimeter as a shooter in Vegas.
While he was more of an interior scorer and midrange shooter at Arizona, Nnaji has continued to expand his range, working specifically on his balance and arc.
Now almost 248 pounds, the 6-11 Nnaji said he has been lifting every day to prepare for NBA physicality while still working to maintain his quickness. He's light on his feet as a rim runner, quick to the ball on the offensive glass and has shown the ability to hedge and recover in collegiate schemes.
"My versatility is what I think is the biggest thing for me," he said. "I think I'm one of the most mobile bigs in this draft, being able to switch onto guards, being able to take advantage of mismatches and take advantage of what I'm given."
He's still working on the nuances of stonewalling guards in one-on-one situations, but he recognizes the importance of switching pick-and-rolls in today's NBA.
"Having people trust in the fact that I can be on an island against a guard and that I'm going to be able to lock them down, I think that's going to be huge for me," Nnaji told ESPN.
But perhaps what scouts like most about Nnaji is his maturity and disciplined approach to the game.
"I think my work ethic is better than anyone in this draft," he said.
Reggie Perry shows his game has evolved
Perry has been on the radar since debuting at USA Basketball in 2014 as a 14-year-old, and at one point, it was easy to label him a throwback big. But Perry's game has been trending more toward today's style of play. And during 3-on-3 action at Impact Basketball, the 20-year-old was excellent, displaying a more modern game than we saw at the collegiate level.
Perry put up big numbers during his sophomore season at Mississippi State, averaging 17.4 points, 10.1 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.2 blocks per game in 31 minutes, but he did a lot of his damage in the paint and was spotty with decision-making and defensive impact. But watching him in Vegas, Perry shot the ball comfortably from 3, made plays out of handoffs and short rolls as a driver and passer, played above the rim and showed the agility to defend away from the basket.
"It has [changed] a lot over the past few years," said Perry, who is studying Adebayo and Paul Millsap to continue modernizing his game. "I've worked a lot on it. Like I said, being around basketball my entire life, just seeing the changes in the game, it's easy for me to adjust. I feel like I'm a very versatile player."
He knocked down 32% of his 3s (71 attempts) and 79% of his free throws in 31 games last season and nearly doubled his assist-to-turnover ratio from his freshman to sophomore year. He has also started to "take a lot more pride" in his defense, a focal point.
Perry is still only 20 and ranked 15th in our top 100 in player efficiency rating. He has put up big numbers everywhere he has gone and won MVP of the U19 World Cup championship team that also featured Tyrese Haliburton and 2021 projected top-five picks Cade Cunningham, Jalen Green, Evan Mobley and Ziaire Williams. At 6-9 and 245 pounds, Perry could slide up to the small-five spot, but if he continues to progress on the perimeter, he could play some four in bigger lineups.
If there were a more traditional pre-draft process, he is a prospect who could have risen up draft boards in combine scrimmages. Regardless of where he's picked, if he continues to rev up his defensive motor, sharpen his decision-making and knock down catch-and-shoot 3s, Perry will have a role at the next level.