Charlotte Hornets 2019 NBA Mock Draft Vol. 3: Full Two-Round Projections
SF. 34. Pick Analysis. AUBURN. Chuma Okeke. 25. player. Scouting Report
If Chuma Okeke didn’t tear his ACL during the NCAA Tournament, then he would likely be going higher than 25th overall. The injury may hurt his stock, but a playoff team would be smart to grab him late into the first round and be prepared to potentially redshirt him during his first season.
Okeke is a really talented player that was improving his draft stock prior to going down with the devastating knee injury. He’s proven to be a very good shooter and defender, which makes him a potential “3&D” guy at the next level.
Before going down with the knee injury, Okeke was averaging 12.0 points and 6.8 rebounds for Auburn. He shot nearly 50 percent from the floor overall and was 39 percent from deep. Auburn ended up getting all the way to the Final Four, and Okeke was a major piece to that run.
Portland is a playoff team that wants to win right now, so they would be willing to take a guy like Okeke in the first round. He’s someone that they can develop for a year and see what he can do next season. They do lack wings, so maybe when he gets healthy, he can play right away for them.