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Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo took a tremendous leap last season in just his third year in the NBA. He was named an All-Star for the first time and helped lead the Heat to the NBA Finals. So, it shouldn’t be a surprise, then, to hear that Onyeka Okongwu wants to be just like Adebayo.
The former USC center shared his NBA goals with reporters during his media availability on Friday and said that he wants to develop just like Adebayo did with the Heat. He has a similar body type and skill set as Adebayo, which has drawn comparisons during the pre-draft process.
“I just want to be a player like Bam,” Okongwu said. “Bam’s my size, same athleticism. It took him a while to really be that All-Star player that he is in year three. I could definitely do that whole development process and be the type of player like Bam is.”
Okongwu earned First Team All-Pac 12 honors last season after averaging 16.2 points, 8.6 rebounds, 2.7 blocks and 1.2 steals. He emerged as perhaps the top defensive center in the country last season and has been touted for his potential to develop into a strong two-way player.
The 19-year-old is most commonly projected to be selected in the top 10, and some even believe he could be taken in the 4-6 range. He has drawn interest from several teams near the top of the draft and some, like the Boston Celtics, have even been rumored into wanting to trade up to take him.
Of course, whether Okongwu can be as good as Adebayo remains to be seen but he certainly has the tools and potential to reach that point and that may be good enough for a team to take him high in the draft.
The NBA draft is scheduled to begin Wednesday at 8 p.m. EST on ESPN.
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