It's not hard for Ebuka Okorie to envision his role with the Pistons.
"I feel like alongside Cade, I’ll just be another playmaker on the floor, another shot-creator, able to create for myself and others," Okorie said after the Pistons drafted him 17th overall Tuesday night.
When Okorie had his pre-draft visit with the Pistons, that's exactly how Trajan Langdon and Co. saw him fitting in. Langdon entered this offseason wanting to add more shooting and ball-handling around Cade Cunningham, and Okorie helps them check those boxes. It doesn't mean they're done in said areas -- "We'll continue to be aggressive looking to get better," said Langdon -- but Okorie is a good start.
"A weapon that can get paint touches at will," Langdon said. "Can help not only score for us in the half court and the full court, but also help distribute and have a little more creation all over the court."
Okorie is on the smaller end at 6'2 (on a good day), but he has a stout frame, a sticky handle and a craftiness to score at the rim. His playmaking skills weren't as evident in his lone season at Stanford, but he led the ACC in scoring and took care of the ball while carrying a huge load for the Cardinal.
"He just exploded onto the scene," said Langdon. "High-character young man who loves the game of basketball. He’s very, very serious about the game. I think he’ll come in here and fit with this culture, this environment."
One of the big questions here is whether Okorie will be a natural fit next to Cunningham, if both are ball-dominant guards. Langdon pointed out that Okorie can play off-ball, too, add that he'll "make things easier" for Cunningham when they share the floor because he can "push the pace" while also being a "really smart, high-level processor."
The Pistons were also thought to be eyeing Iowa sharpshooter Bennett Stirtz on Tuesday night. When the Thunder traded up to take him No. 16, the Pistons made a swift move to grab Okorie at No. 17, sending three second rounders to the Grizzlies to move up from No. 21.
"We wanted to go get the guy we wanted," said Langdon. "He’s a guy that we targeted in this process. Watched a lot of film on him, and the whole second half of the season he was a guy that we liked. Thought he would fit what we’re trying to do here in terms of playing faster and having another guy that can be on the floor handling the ball and not only scoring but creating for the guys on the floor with him."
Stanford was picked to finish second to last in the 18-team ACC last season. Thanks mostly to Okorie, they wound up finishing ninth: "They won more games in conference than anybody thought they would, and the main reason was him," said Langdon.
Now Okorie gets to join a team coming off a 60-win season.
"The whole goal playing basketball is to win as much as you can," he said. "To be able to already go to an organization that’s doing that at a high level is awesome."
