USC Hoops: Onyeka Okongwu Set To Make His Debut Friday Night Against The Utah Jazz

Onyeka Okongwu will be tested right away against one of the best defensive players in all of basketball in Rudy Gobert.

After not playing a basketball game since March 7, 2020, No. 6 overall pick Onyeka Okongwu is scheduled to make his long awaited debut Friday night against the Utah Jazz, according to reports.

The former Trojan has been out since he was diagnosed with inflammation of the sesamoid bone on Nov. 20, which means he never even got a chance to play in any preseason games. He’s been ramping up his basketball activities over the past week, participating in 5-on-5 drills for the first time last Friday.

The Atlanta Hawks will certainly ease Okongwu into their rotation, but he should still see some decent minutes backing up Clint Capela with Danilo Gallinari out due to a sprained ankle.

A matchup against the Utah Jazz can provide a minuscule glimpse into the kind of player Okongwu can one day be. His first minutes will likely be against the Jazz backup big Derrick Favors. Favors has always been a plus defender on the basketball court, but Okongwu has the skillset to exploit his weaknesses.

Favors has never been known as the most athletic guy, and it’s not getting any better as he enters his thirties. Okongwu is a springy 20-year-old player, just oozing with athleticism. He’ll have opportunities to show that off by killing Favors on the offensive glass and outrunning him in transition.

If Okongwu gets to match up against Rudy Gobert, he’ll have a chance to show off his defensive ability against a $205 million player. Gobert is one of the most physically imposing players when it comes to interior defense, but not known much for his touch on the offensive end. 

Okongwu can certainly limit whatever bag of tricks Gobert thinks he has, despite giving up a few inches of height. Reading and reacting correctly to picks set by the ‘screen assist king’ will be Okongwu’s toughest challenge. All Gobert wants to do is get others open, but Okongwu’s incredible defensive ability allows him to switch onto smaller players if needed or recover in time to swat any attempt by Gobert at the rim.

The Hawks have been struggling recently, winning only one of their last five games. Adding someone who set USC’s freshman record for blocks in a season (76) could be the difference in making or missing the playoffs in a deep Eastern Conference.

We won’t see the full arsenal Friday night, but by the end of the season Okongwu will be near the top of all our Rookie of the Year ballots.

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