[2016 NBA Draft/2-37] Chinanu Onuaku

Houston79Astro · Jun 23, 2016

What if I told you we picked up Noah?.... but he changed his name to Onuaku. How would you feel about the pick?

rezdawg · Jun 23, 2016

Dopamine said: ↑

Great another project player... we have no assets that other teams want for a trade, couldn't even move up in the draft, plus Morey's drafting ability is mediocre at best, if we strike out in free agency... it will be another disaster of a season with D'antoni leading the charge. Future not looking too bright TBH.
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Did you expect to grab a franchise player at #37? Did you expect to trade #37 and #43 to trade into the top 5 picks? What exactly did you expect going into the draft?

Noob Cake · Jun 23, 2016

The dude is aiming for Dwight's minutes lmao...

I'll take this pick. 19 year old. Career rebound and D garbage man best case. Not going to be terrible if he can play 5-10 minutes a game behind Capela.

kwakmeister · Jun 23, 2016

rezdawg said: ↑

Did you expect to grab a franchise player at #37? Did you expect to trade #37 and #43 to trade into the top 5 picks? What exactly did you expect going into the draft?
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Money into Le$ pocket... and I was right. #ZhouQi

Lightsnowaction · Jun 23, 2016

Noob Cake said: ↑

The dude is aiming for Dwight's minutes lmao...

I'll take this pick. 19 year old. Career rebound and D garbage man best case. Not going to be terrible if he can play 5-10 minutes a game behind Capela.
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Not so sure D'Antoni will play the rookie. Still get another C in free agency.

Haymitch · Jun 23, 2016

Has Montrezl or any of the Louisville "working women" chimed in on this pick yet?

YaoMing#1 · Jun 23, 2016

I like this pick he's a really good passer for a big and had an NBA body.

He actually attempts the mid rang jumper too and can hit it so maybe he can become a decent shooter when left open.

This was actually one of DMs better picks in a while imo. This kid could be a real player in a year or two.

If everything pans out and we do somehow sign KD/horford having young bigs like capela dmo and this guy off the bench is intersting. All those guys can switch and besides dmo can blk and rebound at a high level especally offesnive rebounding.

To beat GS you have to have Bigs who can switch and rebound the ball and capela and our new rookie can do that.

Cashmoney · Jun 23, 2016

rezdawg said: ↑

Did you expect to grab a franchise player at #37? Did you expect to trade #37 and #43 to trade into the top 5 picks? What exactly did you expect going into the draft?
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His point was there was plenty of players available that could contribute in areas we sorely need. I am annoyed about Onaku but he could be good, I like his passing. But shooting free throws underhanded? WTF.

The point is we just bought in D'Antoni and we have some of the ****tiest offensive players in the league.

We could have picked up these guys:

Isaiah Whitehead (massive sleeper)
Demetrius Jackson (a PG who was supposed to go at 21. Again, WTF.)
Wayne Selden (prototypical 3 and D who can actually make jumpers off the dribble too)
Joel Bolomboy (Very athletic power forward who can facilitate, handle the ball and SHOOT).

Yet, we fail to pick up one of these guys with one of the picks we had. All of these guys above would be making contributions this year on our team and most definitely next season.

Again, a nice rebounder and shot blocker who shoots free throws underhanded and a nice 'prospect' who is built like a piece of linguini. Unreal man.

jump shooter · Jun 23, 2016

I like this pick. Hard to teach rebounding.

desi tmac91 · Jun 23, 2016

According to Draftexpress, he's 2nd among centers for assists per 40 minutes. Very interesting. He'll rebound, defend and make smart passes offensively. Sounds like the ideal center for Mike D'Antoni.

don grahamleone · Jun 23, 2016

BossHogg713 said: ↑

lmao. Capela & Harrell will make sure he doesn't make the team.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Onuaku just said on a call that he knows Dwight Howard opted out so he has an opportunity here to take that position.</p>— ClutchFans (@clutchfans) <a href="https://twitter.com/clutchfans/status/746192049200738308">June 24, 2016</a></blockquote>
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BamBam · Jun 23, 2016

Thefabman said: ↑

It's happening isnt it?
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.......
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zeeshan2 · Jun 23, 2016

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Rockets?src=hash">#Rockets</a> had been in touch with Chinanu Onuaku: "They called the other night. We had a FaceTime interview."</p>— Mark Berman (@MarkBermanFox26) <a href="https://twitter.com/MarkBermanFox26/status/746196098100822016">June 24, 2016</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Center Chinanu Onuaku on when he heard his name called when drafted by <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Rockets?src=hash">#Rockets</a>: "It was unbelievable.I didn't know what to do.I just cried"</p>— Mark Berman (@MarkBermanFox26) <a href="https://twitter.com/MarkBermanFox26/status/746193636866437121">June 24, 2016</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">C Chinanu Onuaku on minor heart procedure n May: "I'm great. It's no problem at all. I feel like I have more energy on the basketball court"</p>— Mark Berman (@MarkBermanFox26) <a href="https://twitter.com/MarkBermanFox26/status/746194394722643972">June 24, 2016</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Rockets2nd?src=hash">#Rockets2nd</a>-round pick Chinanu Onuaku: "I know I'm coming into a great situation."</p>— Mark Berman (@MarkBermanFox26) <a href="https://twitter.com/MarkBermanFox26/status/746195536709988352">June 24, 2016</a></blockquote>
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spark06 · Jun 23, 2016

Wish it would've been Whitehead instead. I hate the Nets so much right now.

J.R. · Jun 23, 2016

After a strong showing at the U19 World Championship last summer, helping USA win gold, Chinanu Onuaku came back to Louisville looking to establish himself as a leader with the departure of Montrezl Harrell to the NBA. Unfortunately his season ended at the conclusion of the ACC conference slate, as his school elected to self-impose a postseason ban due to accusations that a former assistant coach paid prostitutes to entertain potential recruits, putting a damper on his sophomore campaign.

Nevertheless, Onuaku improved his productivity considerably, emerging as one of the most efficient all-around big men in the NCAA. He went from averaging a meager 6.6 points per-40 minutes as a freshman to a far more respectable 16.7, while increasing his 2P% to an excellent 62% and his free throw percentage from 47% to 59%. He also improved as a rebounder, upping his per-40 averages from 10.2 to 14.3, mainly thanks to an increased effort on the defensive glass, as well as blocking 3.4 shots and getting 1.3 steals per-40.

Onuaku is an inch or so undersized for an NBA center at 6'9 without shoes, but compensates for that with a near 7'3 wingspan, a 9'1 standing reach, and a chiseled 245 pound frame. He is fairly mobile, doing a good job of getting up and down the floor when motivated, and has nimble feet which allow him to move in an agile fashion, despite not being the quickest or most explosive big man around on first glance.

Offensively, Onuaku does all of his damage in the direct vicinity of the basket. He can use his strong frame to seal off opponents and carve out deep post position at the college level, but will need to develop his footwork and counter moves to translate some of his effectiveness as a back to the basket scorer to the pro ranks.

Nevertheless, Onuaku does a great job of setting wide screens and rolling with purpose to the basket, and has outstanding hands that allow him to catch virtually everything thrown his way. He proved to be a very reliable option for his guards to throw the ball to as a pick and roll finisher and cutter, as he throws down dunks emphatically and shows some craftiness with his touch around the rim when unable to play above the rim. Onuaku converted 64% of his attempts around the basket this past season, despite the fact that he's not a high flyer and may need to continue to develop his skill level to continue to have success finishing over length.

With Onuaku's role expanding, he was given more opportunities to show off his passing ability, which looked much improved as a sophomore. He sees the floor much better than you might expect for someone in his mold, as he's able to find cutters diving to the baskets and shooters spotting up on the wing, showing some creativity with his passing that suggests he can continue to develop this part of his game in time.

Still, Onuaku struggles with his decision making, posting a sky-high 27% turnover percentage at the college level. He doesn't always know his limitations, and his shot-selection isn't always stellar, as it seemed towards the end of the year that he was trying to show off parts of his game that simply aren't currently in his repertoire.

Onuaku can be somewhat predictable, as he doesn't have much in the way of a face-up game, struggling to put the ball on the floor or knock down a jump-shot outside the paint. His shooting mechanics are very rigid, and his career 55% free throw percentage doesn't suggest he has a great deal of room for improvement in this area. Not someone who is going to create much offensive on his own, NBA teams will likely want to see Onuaku develop some more versatility, skill and feel as his career progresses.

Where Onuaku is likely to make a living early on in his career as a rebounder, an area where he shows excellent timing and can do a lot of damage with his strong frame, extremely long arms and reliable hands. His 4.9 offensive rebounds per-40 is one of the better rates in this draft, as he boxes out other big men very aggressively, and pursues loose balls coming off the glass with great purpose.

Defensively, Onuaku also shows some promise. He has a knack for contesting shots around the basket as well as on the perimeter, covering ground nicely and being relatively quick off his feet. He shows good timing as a shot-blocker, as evidenced by the 3.4 rejections he averaged per-40 this season, using verticality well and not even needing to jump sometimes to send back shots thanks to his long reach. He uses his strong frame to his advantage inside the paint in man to man situations, and isn't one to get pushed around on the interior despite being only 19 years old.

On the perimeter, Onuaku is somewhat of a mixed bag. On one hand, he covers ground fairly well and has quick feet he can use to stay in front of smaller players and make plays at the rim with his long arms even if he's initially beat. On the other hand, Onuaku's lack of experience can be very evident at times, as he doesn't always look dialed in enough on this end of the floor. He'll sometimes look extremely upright in his stance and show very poor discipline and intensity with his approach, one of the reasons he had a difficult time staying out of foul trouble at times this year.

Onuaku came into college with a reputation for being somewhat immature, and can still be very emotional and reactive on the floor at times, while looking like he's just going through the motions in others, operating at half speed. He lacked consistency in his two years at Louisville, particularly in many of their biggest games, but did improve in this area as a sophomore, getting in better shape and playing with a more stable motor.

A strong showing at the NBA Combine convinced Onuaku to keep his name in this year's draft after initially testing the waters, despite being diagnosed with a minor heart issue in his medical examination that is reportedly unlikely to affect his draft stock.

Not turning 20 until November, Onuaku is significantly younger than almost any player in his class, as he easily could have been a member of the freshman class based on when he was born, being even younger than half a dozen of the one and done prospects who are expected to be drafted. He's not going to blow you away with his size, skill-level, athleticism or basketball IQ, but has some very intriguing characteristics that could help him develop into a very strong role player if he continues to progress.

http://www.draftexpress.com/article...aft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-5527/
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Strengths

With a measured 7-2.5 wingspan and 9-1.5 standing reach (per DraftExpress), he should have solid -- if unspectacular -- size to play center in the NBA. His overall frame is also pretty stout already, as he weighs in at 245 pounds and has solid physical strength. In his two years at Louisville, he's done a good job of transforming his body into a more muscular frame. That frame translates best on defense, as Onuaku is a really solid rim-protector. He does a good job of moving throughout the paint and contesting shots, as well as blocking his fair share of them as his 9.7 block rate shows.

Here's a good example of him coming over from the weak side to protect the rim for a big block to seal Louisville's game against Georgia Tech earlier this season.

<iframe width="670" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/bSJohm2RPto" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

He's also a tremendous rebounder on the defensive side of the floor. Onuaku posted a 25.8 defensive rebounding rate on the season, which actually improved in the ACC to a 27.2 rate -- good for second in the conference. He does a good job of clearing out space with his big frame and then using his length to grab the ball at its highest point when coming off of the glass.

Offensively, Onuaku also has done some interesting things this season and shown a lot of improvement. He's at his best crashing the offensive glass and finishing put-back attempts. The big man posted a stellar 13.8 offensive rebounding rate this season and also finished put-backs at a 1.3 points-per-possession clip, good for the 87th percentile among 387 players who had at least 50 put-back attempts.

But more importantly than that, he's shown off a bit of an improvement in his range and touch this season, which is surprising for a guy that was so ineffectual last season in this regard. Here's a look at his shot chart from last season (on the left) compared to this season (on the right) courtesy of ShotAnalytics.com.

As you can see, last year he was more of just a simple threat around the basket. Now though, he has the touch to score of off post-up hook shots, as well as occassionally step away and shoot a 15-footer. These aren't weapons that NBA teams will want to use immediately, but they do go to show his continual development curve at this stage offensively. There is room for growth in his offensive game.

Weaknesses

That room for growth is important, because the problem is that he's not a particularly good offensive player overall at this stage. Right now, Onuaku just doesn't quite have enough game, so to speak, to be a consistent weapon offensively at the next level.

Everything he does to score is at the most rudimentary level, and a lot of works at the college level because he's simply so much bigger than everyone else. His footwork in the post and in pick-and-roll situations is average at best. His passing has improved a lot this year in that he's now able to find outlets when he gets into trouble, but he's also not going to be someone who will create a look for a shooter consistently. Finally, turnovers are an issue, as he can get the ball ripped from him by smaller players pretty regularly.

Defensively, there is a bit of a concern regarding his ability to play in space without fouling. It's fair to say that Onuaku is nimble for a player his size, but he also defends a lot with his hands and body due to -- again -- lacking footwork here. That can help him force steals more often than a player you'd expect at his height, but it's also a reason why he's averaged five fouls per-40 minutes over the course of his career. He might be able to become an adequate defender in space in time, but you're not talking about a player that's going to be a plus in switch situations or in the pick-and-roll either.

Overall

There are a lot of things to like, and some to dislike, about where Onuaku is as a prospect. But one thing that I haven't mentioned yet that's important to note is his age. Onuaku is a sophomore that has yet to turn 20 years of age (in November). For reference, that makes him younger than freshmen Skal Labissiere, Ben Simmons, Jaylen Brown, Stephen Zimmerman and Cheick Diallo. The growth curve that he showed this year was extremely impressive, and to do it at such a young age portends well for his future.

That could also be a factor in making Onuaku decide to stay. The center prospect status as a first round pick is currently very much in doubt, but with further growth in many of the areas that he developed in this season, he could get to that level next year. Without knowing his personal situation in regard to money or finances, I think you can reasonably make an argument both ways toward him staying or going at the present hour.

That's going to make the pre-draft process extremely important for the big man. Can he make an impression on teams in workouts and in interviews and convince them to take a chance on him?

Only time will tell, but it's clear that new NCAA rule on the NBA Draft is already having a profound impact in the way players make their professional decisions.

http://www.cbssports.com/college-ba...aku-to-test-nba-draft-waters-scouting-report/
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Chad Ford's Top 100 ranking -- No. 35: "Onuaku might not be the most polished prospect in the draft, but he's got an awesome NBA body and plays physically. He rebounds, alters shots and is still just 19 years old."

Scouting report -- positives:

Good, strong NBA body

Excellent rebounder and shot-blocker

Scouting report -- negatives:

Very raw offensively

ESPN Analytics projection (within his first five seasons):

Chances he'll be an All-Star: 5 percent

Chances he'll be a starter: 20 percent

Chances he'll be a bench player: 43 percent

Chances he'll be a bust: 31 percent

http://espn.go.com/nba/draft2016/st...hinanu-onuaku-louisville-center-no-37-overall
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NickKent · Jun 23, 2016

Looks like he has some good skills, some of y'all are straight haters.

hvic · Jun 23, 2016

Not bad so far

J Hard · Jun 23, 2016

Houston79Astro said: ↑

What if I told you we picked up Noah?.... but he changed his name to Onuaku. How would you feel about the pick?
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Oh man hust su

J Hard · Jun 23, 2016

rezdawg said: ↑

Did you expect to grab a franchise player at #37? Did you expect to trade #37 and #43 to trade into the top 5 picks? What exactly did you expect going into the draft?
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I expect a better gm and organization. Keep rationalizing garbage, exactly why maury knows he has this city in his palm.

BackdoorHarden · Jun 23, 2016

I hope LES realize this dude isn't CHINESE just because his name is CHINA

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[2016 NBA Draft/2-37] Chinanu Onuaku

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