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#6 – Onekya Okungwu – Atlanta Hawks
With the sixth overall pick, the Atlanta Hawks have selected
With the sixth pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, the Atlanta Hawks select Onekya Okungwu from USC.
With Okungwu, the Hawks get the defensive help that they desperately need. Yes, between John Collins and Clint Capela, the Atlanta already has a glut of talented big-men. But Okungwu brings a certain versatility to the lineup that those two don’t, particularly on the defensive end.
Okungwu has long been lauded for his defense. He was a strong rim-protector for the Trojans – Okungwu averaged 2.7 blocks a game – and more than held his own in the pick-and-roll.
Even if he’s offensively raw, Okungwu is another step in the right direction for Atlanta.
The Dallas Mavericks set out to fortify their defense around Luka Doncic and their historic scoring attack this offseason.
Yet here the Mavericks stand, ninth in the Western Conference, ranking 27th in overall defense, and Kristaps Porzingis’ steady decline on that end of the floor appears to be the biggest dilemma this front office is now facing.
In fact, Dallas has quietly gauged the trade market for Porzingis, according to league sources, as the Mavericks have begun reevaluating whether the 25-year-old center can truly support Doncic as the second option on a contender. “They’ve kicked the tires on everybody on their roster that’s not named Luka,” one person with knowledge of Dallas’ thinking said. “You know [president of basketball operations] Donnie [Nelson]; they’re always tinkering.”
“They’ve definitely sniffed around on him,” an assistant general manager told B/R. “They’re taking the temperature, because they know at some point it’s gonna come around.”
Source: Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report
The Minnesota Timberwolves have dismissed coach Ryan Saunders, sources tell ESPN.
The Minnesota Timberwolves have dismissed coach Ryan Saunders, sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 22, 2021
Source: Adrian Wojnarowski on Twitter
The Houston Rockets and center DeMarcus Cousins are planning to part ways in coming days, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. Houston wants to go smaller, younger in frontcourt when Christian Wood returns and this allows Cousins to find an opportunity elsewhere.
The Houston Rockets and center DeMarcus Cousins are planning to part ways in coming days, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. Houston wants to go smaller, younger in frontcourt when Christian Wood returns and this allows Cousins to find an opportunity elsewhere.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 20, 2021
Source: Shams Charania on Twitter
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