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Ahead of the 2020 NBA Draft, the New York Knicks have done a great deal of homework on former Auburn Tigers forward Isaac Okoro and could target the 19-year-old with the eighth overall pick as a result.
Tigers head coach Bruce Pearl told Ian Begley of SNY that the Knicks have talked to strength coaches, trainers and assistant coaches during the pre-draft process in an attempt to gain as much intel as possible on Okoro, which isn’t uncommon ahead of the NBA Draft.
Okoro was named to the All-SEC Second Team after averaging 12.9 points, 4.4 rebounds and two assists last season. He has emerged as perhaps the top defender in the draft and is projected to be a top-10 pick but Pearl believes Okoro will be off the board when the Knicks are on the clock.
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The Knicks have been linked to quite a few prospects ahead of the NBA Draft, including LaMelo Ball, R.J. Hampton and Immanuel Quickley among others. Trying to pinpoint which direction they will go, though, has been difficult since they are also rumored into wanting to trade down.
Of course, teams often keep things close to the vest and will often create misinformation in order to not tip their hand ahead of the draft but the apparent interest in Okoro appears to be real after speaking with several personnel members at Auburn.
Okoro projects to be a great addition at the next level given his defensive ability and scoring inside of the paint. He will need to work on improving his shot but it appears as though he is he has the necessary tools to be an impact player.
The 2020 NBA Draft is scheduled to take place on Nov. 18.
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