He remembers playing NBA2K, going to Carl's Jr. down the street, taking a nap, wondering where his brother was. Because he knows how quickly life can change. I feel like I can provide some of those same things.”. Has done so ever since he was nine years old when he came out of nowhere to smack a boy's shot so hard that the ball torpedoed into the seventh row. Any team with three top-10 picks should at least be a playoff team, and Cleveland was a long way away from that last year. Just like he did as a kid, when Nnamdi taught Onyeka how to do the move that has become Onyeka's signature at USC: spin, turn baseline, dunk two-handed. In his first year as a starter, the former Wichita State star thrived, averaging 17.6 points, 6.6 assists, 3.8 rebounds and 1.9 steals while shooting 39.0 percent from 3-point range. For that reason, I think they should either take Okongwu with the fifth pick or trade back and take Okoro. Former Hopkins HS star and PAC-12 Freshman of the Year Zeke Nnaji will interview with the Sacramento #Kings early next week. He gives Darius Garland and Collin Sexton an easy target in the paint as he can finish above and around the rim with ease. It’s hard for people approaching 7-feet in height to be nimble. Fred VanVleet isn’t messing around. He has a good understanding of the game and can be a difference-maker for the Cavs playing in the middle of the floor and dishing to shooters/cutters. It's true. She takes her customary seat behind the backboard and watches how he sprints down the court, notices how much he looks like his brother from the side. Onyeka can feel it. Then he always made it. "Even the night before game days," says forward Isaiah Mobley, his roommate. On the bright side, those few who are playable can have an enormous impact. Over the three years that followed, he developed post moves. Chino Hills High held a candlelight vigil. Will Cunningham is a sophomore studying journalism at Ohio University. The next time they matched up? "If 'O' wasn't there, we don't even come close to having that dream season. They'd do Mikan drills, drop steps, spin moves, jabs. Want to talk to Will? Latimore knew it bothered Okongwu deep down, but the coach was impressed at how mature, how wise, he was. Each team has its own needs and brings its own questions, but, http://twitter.com/DWolfsonKSTP/status/1299398806606360576. Still, Onyeka and his mother don't really believe the hype yet. Okongwu had a chance to become involved in the offense, to become more than a shot-blocker. He could easily not be here, at all, tomorrow. brian_sternberg. Except on the court. So that meeting may eventually take place presumably in Miami where James is training. Said he models his game off of Joe Harris because of his sharpshooting and complete offensive game, Guard prospect/sharp shooter Desmond Bane says he spoke to the Celtics very early on. He could easily not be on the draft boards tomorrow. New York also has spoken to American point guard LaMelo Ball, French point guard Killian Hayes and former Iowa State point guard Tyrese Haliburton over Zoom calls. He shot only 25.0 percent from the 3-point line and has a ways to go before being a trustworthy shooter from the mid-range. "We all went up to him and told him, 'We're your brothers,'" says Andre Ball, a Pepperdine guard and cousin of Lonzo and LaMelo. And now it's not.' Then they go home and watch his highlights together. Toppin is an extremely exciting player and I would also be happy if the Cavs traded back and took him. His life was right here. Enjoy how far he has come. They pick 10th, right after the Wizards at 9, Tyrell Terry said he has interviewed with the Phoenix Suns, Oklahoma City Thunder, Philadelphia 76ers, Toronto Raptors, New York Knicks, Brooklyn Nets, Golden State Warriors, Minnesota Timberwolves and Chicago Bulls among others, LaMelo Ball says he interviewed with the Knicks — which is noteworthy because they’re out of his draft range — and after the conversation he’s unsure if the Knicks are willing to trade up for him, LaMelo Ball, on a Zoom call with reporters said “I don’t know. Onyeka Okongwu walks into USC's locker room and finds his cubby in the far corner. They think they can repair whatever needs to be repaired, and enter next season with both of these guys on the team, and hopefully get off to a strong start, The ball’s not in their court. Tillie had a good interview with the Boston Celtics back in the spring, per a source. The 6’9″ forward has drawn comparisons to Bam Adebayo and the similarities are obvious. Hayes: "Playing with them would be real fun. Anthony Davis and Bam Adebayo were headliners of the 2020 NBA Finals, two athletic bigs who can punish the right matchup on offense while patrolling on defense. Onyeka smiles, remembering how Nnamdi used to brag to friends about him. He plans to talk to the Pistons next week. 34 and No. Not even close.". Given that he was sharing a court with the famed Ball brothers, he rarely touched the ball on offense, except for dunks in transition. Never get to watch their favorite movies, like the Rush Hour series. He had to accept that—that every sentence he uttered about his brother would now be in past tense. Every time he felt down, he'd tell himself: You'll be all right. Now, he's working on his three-point range. He said his dream was to be an NBA lottery pick. "I think about him every day," says Onyeka, now 19. Let’s start by assuming that the top three picks will be (in any order) LaMelo Ball, James Wiseman and Anthony Edwards. Okongwu and LiAngelo Ball defend De La Salle's Colby Orr in the 2016 state title game. Okongwu is agile, coordinated—can juggle three tennis balls at once (he used to play tennis)—and has magnificent touch around the basket, scoring with a variety of low-post moves as one of the top big men in the nation. Onyeka remembers arriving at the hospital, his mom crying. Okoro would be a great pick if the Cavs can get a solid offensive piece in the trade, or if they think the rest of the young guys can pick up the slack on that end. Mock Draft 4.0: Is LaMelo Ball sliding down the rankings? Smiling. A week later, that was it," Onyeka says. He'd walk past Nnamdi's room and think: 'His room is right here. That has allowed him to settle in and be more comfortable in the setting, after he said he was nervous in his first interview with the Atlanta Hawks. One executive spoke with a prospect who said he got caught with counterfeit money while trying to buy something at a store. A bad pre-draft interview with an executive can hurt a prospect’s stock as much as an underwhelming game or workout for a team. He thought of him as a warrior. That gives him a lot of potential suitors on draft night. The most arrogant guy he had ever met. Does that make sense?' Phoenix Suns had a second Zoom interview with Alabama PG Kira Lewis Jr. earlier this week. Some questioned whether he would be good enough at the college level. Collin Sexton and Cedi Osman, two of the team’s best prospects, averaged over 60 minutes per game combined last year and were two of the worst defenders in the NBA. "I think he would be very, very proud of you.". He's always been able to block shots, and he's only gotten better over the years.