2018 NBA Mock Draft: Who’s moving at the top?

Whew, would it be a sweet opportunity if Okogie were to fall to Indiana. He brings a perfect mix of aggressive defense and shot creation upside, a perfect two-way player to add next to Victor Oladipo.

Whereas the Thunder swallowed opponents with length and mobility on the wing with Paul George and Andre Roberson, these Pacers would be able to find similar results with brute force if they added Okogie. Alongside Oladipo, the sophomore would create a versatile unit on the perimeter for Indiana, with both players aggressive in passing lanes and capable of defending multiple positions. It would also free the franchise to add more offense at the point guard position if they knew they could trust Oladipo to defend smaller guards and Okogie to defend wings.

Okogie’s poor shot selection, evidenced by a .475 effective field goal percentage, could mean one of two things: either he has the upside to become more of scorer in the NBA, or he plays over his head and hijacks possessions. Fortunately for the Pacers, they, more than any other team in the league this year, got the most out of the strengths of their offensive talent. Darren Collison’s drive-and-kick game blossomed, Domantas Sabonis took less 3s, and the team was solid. Okogie could live his best basketball life under Nate McMillan.

The Pacers have an interesting choice to make, suddenly adding ammunition to a competitive roster rather than seeking the first piece of a rebuild. They have that in Oladipo, and now need to support him. Okogie could do that.