Experts Lists Ex-Trojans Big Man as Likely NBA Breakout Candidate Next Year

He has all the tools!

It's crazy to say this but not many current NBA stars can say they were playing in front of a national audience since their high school days as many times as Onyeka Okongwu did. Okongwu, also known as 'Big O', played for the infamous Chino Hills squad that went undefeated with the Ball Brothers and took home multiple state championships.

Everybody wanted to tune in during those historic seasons to see how Lonzo, LaMelo and LiAngelo somehow took a public high school team and propelled them to one of the most must-watch shows in the country. However, Okongwu was ultra-important to their success with his rim protection and low post presence and the USC Trojans noticed that and brought him aboard.

He averaged around 16 points and eight boards in his lone seasons with the Trojans and went to be selected by the Atlanta Hawks in the 2020 draft. Big O has waited patiently to be fully unleashed by his professional squad ever since he touched down in the league and even though he still has room for improvement on offense, he remains one of the more underrated big men in the NBA.

Therefore, Forbes' own Morten Stig Jensen believes that he is a prime candidate to really break out in the 2023-2024 season.

"Okongwu has great instincts on the floor, he's quick to spot and react to patterns, and it isn't inconceivable to imagine him as a starting big man in the NBA, playing 30-plus minutes per night. He's already up for an extension this summer, but if he's to back up Clint Capela for another year, odds are good he'll find himself in restricted free agency next summer. That's not a situation the Hawks should want, as there definitely should be teams out there willing to make a major bet on the 22-year-old, particularly is he is to make yet another series of improvements in 2023-2024."

(Via Forbes)

We certainly do hope to see Big O shine this coming year and he'll always have the support of USC's community!