3. Isaac Okoro, Small Forward
The Auburn Tigers have done well over the course of the last two years in terms of producing talent at the wing/forward positions. Last year, it was forward Chuma Okeke that fell 16th overall in the first round of the draft to the Orlando Magic. Okeke has dealt with injury troubles in recent year, but he certainly brings a lot of promise as a two-way wing to the table.
Somewhat similar to the value that Okeke brings to the table out of the Auburn basketball program, the former standout freshman 6-foot-6 and 225 pound small forward Isaac Okoro is going to have a lot of potential once he gets a chance in the NBA. In fact, Okoro should not only have a higher ceiling than Okeke, but a higher floor given his cleaner track record of injuries.
The former five-star recruit and Powder Springs, GA, native Okoro had a pretty stellar freshman campaign playing for Auburn. He was named to the All-SEC Second-Team, All-SEC Freshman Team, and All-SEC Defensive Team too. In 28 games played in his freshman season in college (all of which he started), Okoro averaged 12.9 points per game, 4.4 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 0.9 steals, and 0.9 blocks.
He did that while shooting 51.4 percent from the field, 28.6 percent from beyond the arc, and 67.2 percent from the free-throw line. That amounted to a 6.2 box plus/minus rating, .156 win shares per 40 minutes, and a 58.7 true shooting percentage.
The two-way nature of Okoro’s game along with his gifted physical tools make him a good fit at a positional need in the rotation for the Bulls. He should definitely be at least a consideration for the Bulls if he’s still on the board no matter where they pick (as long as it’s outside of the top two).