Earn a consistent spot in the rotation
Okpala is likely going to be a very solid player in the NBA. His collegiate statistics stack up nicely against the likes of Paul George and Kawhi Leonard, and so does his frame. However, it might be hard for the 6’9” rookie from Stanford to earn a huge chunk of playing time this summer.
The Heat can play Okpala at either forward position, though it is believed that the Heat favor his usefulness at the four spot. If Okpala does play the four, ahead of him in the assumed rotation are Kelly Olynyk, James Johnson and Derrick Jones Jr. On top of this, he will be battling Yante Maten and potentially whoever fills out the 15th spot on the roster, if anybody.
If Okpala plays at the three, ahead of him are Butler, Jones Jr., Duncan Robinson and potentially Justise Winslow, depending on where he is played. Robinson would likely earn the nod in the rotation due to his unmatched sharpshooting ability off the bench.
This is not to say this is an impossible task for Okpala though. Okpala might see himself in the G-League early in the season, but once the inevitable injury bug hits, Okpala’s physique and grit have him in front of the line in terms of replacement players. In this way, Okpala could follow a similar path to that of Josh Richardson, who earned his way up with strong play in the G-League, and became a valuable player in the 2016 playoffs with his strong 3-and-D abilities.
While Okpala does not play anything like Richardson, aside from a couple of skills, Okpala could stand to learn something from how Richardson earned a hefty contract and the reigns to the offense in 2018. If Okpala can crack the rotation at any point in the season consistently, it will mean that he is that much closer to reaching his full potential. Okpala’s potential is definitely something to keep an eye on for Heat fans, as again his collegiate stats and physique are similar to the likes of Paul George, Kawhi Leonard and even Giannis Antetokounmpo. In fact his measurements are somewhat close to Antetokounmpo. Okpala has just 1.25 inches less of a wingspan than Antetokounmpo despite being about two inches shorter, his wingspan (like Antetokounmpo) is four inches taller than he is, he has a 9.25 hand length which is the same as LeBron James and he weighs less than Antetokounmpo all while being one inch away from being able to be hand-level with the rim.
On top of all of this the Heat had Okpala ranked as their tenth prospect on their draft board with Herro at nine. The sky’s the limit for the 20-year-old forward.