The Miami Heat have a very unique situation on their hands, one that some might actually refer to as a problem. While beauty is in the eye of the beholder, it is a fair question to wonder exactly what it is that’s being seen.
That would be one… KZ Okpala. A very unique specimen, from a physically built and basketball skills perspective, there was a ton of excitement when the Heat landed the do-everything forward from Stanford in the 2019 NBA Draft.
That buzz and excitement has now faded though, as fans are eager to see a major leap in the offensive department from the third-year forward. That leads to a question.
What will his rotational role be with the Miami Heat in this upcoming season. And there is one for him.
While there are still a few things yet to be seen about Okpala and his continued development, there are conclusions that can be drawn right now. However, the questions about him on the offensive end are, again, still more than fair.
Miami Heat: Defining KZ Okpala’s Role In The Rotation… Skeleton Key & Enigma
When you look at Offensive side of the ball, Okpala is a very interesting case study. While he hasn’t seen a ton of action on the floor in his two seasons with the team, he hasn’t been stellar in the area of most concern for him on that side of the ball when he has.
Shooting just 24 percent on 1.4 per attempts across 37 games played last season, Okpala didn’t light it up in any capacity across his 12 or so minutes. To highlight just how crucial of a skill this is for him though, here is a thought that seems to emanate from the Miami Heat, themselves.
It comes from a piece by Barry Jackson Of The Miami Herald.
"The Heat believes Okpala can be a rotation player if he ever develops his corner three (a big if). Okpala is just 12 for 51 (23.5 percent) on three-pointers in his career and struggled with three-point shooting during most of summer league."
It’s as simple as that for Okpala. He probably could stay on the court if he could get to around 33 percent or so, which is one for every three he takes. While you would love him to climb even higher than that and as high as he can, that’s the requirement.
While the 33 percent isn’t great, there is a reason you want him on the court though. All of it can be described with one word, versatility, but it’s a bit more complex than that.
Miami Heat: Have To See More In Regular Season From Him… More Time & 3s
The reason you want a Okpala on the court for you if you are the Miami Heat is because of his versatility and that’s on both sides of the floor. Even though he has to shoot the deep ball better to help maintain spacing, if and when he is on the court, that could open up so much more for him, his game, and his teammates.
Okpala is a guy capable of handling the ball in the open spaces of the full court or the tight windows of the half court. He is also capable of finding his guys off of those handles and drives, a skill he has highlighted throughout his career thus far in college and the pros.
He’s also a great athlete and a good finisher when he’s on his way towards the rim and especially with momentum, he just has to get more of those looks and opportunities with the regular guys around him.
Some guys play better with better talent around them, especially guys like KZ Okpala and Duncan Robinson, but for different reasons.
For Duncan and with Kyle Lowry in example, he will afford him more space and less harrassment. While there will still be multiple sets of eyes on him on every play, the extra guy that could sag off of whomever may have manned that spot or another in past seasons won’t be able to do that with Lowry, who can get it done from all three levels on offense.
For KZ, there are guys to help get him open looks in his spots, help to provide space for a struggling shooter like him, and also to finish the creating that he contributes. KZ is still a work in progress on offense, but he offers enough good stuff on that side of the ball to continue to work with him to shoot the ball.
Well, there’s also this other thing.
Miami Heat: He Has Value And If Anyone Can See It… It Should Be Spo
KZ Okpala still has the potential to become a consistent lockdown defender in the NBA. He has shown flashes of such and just needs to find the offense to stay on the floor in order to continue to display it.
That doesn’t mean that he hasn’t had chances to do so already though. Although it’s been beaten in the head as an example, his performance in Team Nigeria’s win over Team USA in preparation for this past Olympics was stellar, regardless.
Pacing his team in minutes, he was tasked with being the defensive anchor of the team from wherever he was on the floor, as he was in the Summer League situations for the Miami Heat (but his poor shooting drew the most attention and rightfully so… perhaps).
Guarding almost everyone on Team USA, it seems, he would find himself having to plaster to guys like Kevin Durant, Bradley Beal, and most impressively, Damian Lillard, for the amount of time he spent on him and the situations in which they occurred.
He also showed it in the regular season last year, guarding guys like DeMar DeRozan, John Wall, and James Harden successfully, for as successful as one can be at it. He can help them defensively and from positions 1-5, as shown by his guarding of Bol Bol in the Summer League at times.
He has to fix the offense to stay on the floor though. That’s why KZ Okpala’s role should be a defensive skeleton key, capable of guarding anyone and manning any role on defense, while the enigma of his offensive misfires will be something to hope that he figures out.