NBA Draft 2020: Shakeup among frontcourt players in January mock draft

LOS ANGELES, CA - DECEMBER 21: Trendon Watford #2 and Emmitt Williams #5 of the LSU Tigers defend Onyeka Okongwu #21 of the USC Trojans as he grabs a rebound in the second half of the game at Staples Center on December 21, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images) /

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NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JUNE 20: PJ Washington poses with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images) /

No. 5 Charlotte Hornets – Onyeka Okungwu, 6’9″ 230lbs, C, USC

As Okungwu continues to pop at USC, he’s surpassed James Wiseman for the right of first big man off the board as the Hornets fill their void in the middle.

As the college hoops season has gone, Onyeka Okungwu has continued to impress for USC. With James Wiseman out of the picture in terms of playing competitive basketball for the rest of this season, Okungwu is making a legit run at being the first big man to have his name called in the NBA draft.

Okungwu’s most enticing aspect of his game is on the defensive end where his length and athleticism should allow him to block a ton of shots while also coming up with steals. As a bonus, his scoring now looks legit. Averaging 16.9 points and 8.7 boards per game this deep into a season is a reassuring sight.

The Hornets have found something in their backcourt with Devonte’ Graham and Terry Rozier has been solid. Miles Bridges and P.J. Washington looks to be the combo wings of the future, so that leaves one hole to plug-in the paint and Okugwu can do that better than anyone in this draft class as of right now.

His presence on defense would be a welcome sight for Charlotte and on offense, he can be a rim runner and an above the rim finisher. It remains to be seen if he can beat out Wiseman, but right now Okungwu looks like a promising prospect.

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