Miami Heat: 3 goals for KZ Okpala’s 2021-22 season
By Jack Simone
The Miami Heat are always looking for more defense. KZ Okpala should look to clean up his defensive game and make use of his physical gifts.
If the Miami Heat value two things in terms of their rotational players, it’s shooting and defense. Okpala has the potential to be great at both but needs to improve a ton in both areas. Potential is the keyword being used.
Okpala has the perfect NBA body. He’s 6-8 and has roughly a 7-2 wingspan. This should add up to a great defender at the NBA level.
Despite this, multiple scouting reports noted his low defensive IQ coming out of college. They all mentioned the defensive potential he has, but also said that he failed to make use of his amazing physical tools.
Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer ranked him as the 25th best prospect in the 2019 draft class and listed his defense as a weakness of his. His exact words were that Okpala’s “defensive fundamentals are lacking.”
He continued on to state that Okpala has poor reaction speed on that end of the floor and tends to get lost due to poor footwork. For a player with his physical traits, having poor awareness is a real letdown.
If Okpala can learn to utilize his long arms and crazy athletic ability, he could turn into a solid defensive option off the bench for the Miami Heat. It’s just a matter of improving his shooting and defense this offseason.
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Hopefully, the young wing can make the necessary changes this offseason and next year in order to become a staple in Erik Spoelstra’s rotation. Big things could be in store if he learns to tap into his full potential on both ends of the floor.