Minnesota Timberwolves: 5 draft prospects to upgrade perimeter defense

Minnesota Timberwolves: 5 draft prospects to upgrade perimeter defense

Isaac Okoro

Isaac Okoro is an exceptional defender who can guard any spot on the floor.

At 6-foot-6 and 225 pounds with a 6-foot-9 wingspan, Okoro has the size and athleticism to defend any position on the floor. His knack for switching from wings to big men to guards withing the same possession is incredibly valuable in a league that demands defensive versatility.

From day one, Okoro will be a top-tier wing defender. His balletic footwork allows him to stay with guards, his strength allows him to switch in the post, and his instincts make life difficult for everyone. Adding Okoro to a lineup with Josh Okogie and Jarrett Culver would nearly eliminate the possibility for defensive mismatches while also having three players who are a threat to pick off any pass.

The below clip is the epitome of Okoro’s defense. The play starts with Okoro covering a substantial amount of ground for the chase-down block. After his momentum carries Okoro off the court, he quickly recovers to cutoff the baseline drive. Okoro then rotates to cutoff a second baseline drive, which forces a kick out to the top of the arc.

After cutting off both drives, Okoro swiftly rotates back to the corner shooter to contest what should have been an open three.

Seeing that type of effort from any college player on defense is rare. Okoro takes pride in his defensive dominance and is a unique prospect on that end of the floor. Many strong wing defenders can defend up in position, but not all can easily switch to guards.

With great lateral quickness and footwork, Okoro has no issues switching onto quicker guards, as we can see below. As the screen comes, Okoro is more than happy to switch onto the ball-handler. Thinking he has a mismatch to exploit against the larger defender, the ball-handler shows off some flashy dribble moves that do nothing and tries to drive on Okoro.

Okoro plays it perfectly. By staying in a low defensive stance and sliding his feet, Okoro doesn’t allow the ball-handler to turn the corner before sending his shot the other way.

By drafting Isaac Okoro, the Timberwolves would immediately raise their defensive ceiling with a versatile, dominant wing defender.