Okaro White

Okaro White
SF/PF - 6’8, 215lbs - 25 years old - 2 years of experience

White never played for the Cavaliers, who signed him in part due to a need to carry 14 players. He also barely played for the Miami Heat before that, managing only 80 minutes across five games all across the first three weeks of the season due to a foot fracture that cost him most of the remainder. And as for the Hawks, who traded for him at mid-season, they never tried. Quite a lot of plane flights for White, then, for very little time on the court.

In theory, White is a three-position defender and hustler with a spot-up three-point shot to boot. Mobile and keen to impress defensively, White uses decent athleticism and reads to compete across all of the three, four and five positions defensively, which is a good thing to be known for doing in the era of switch-heavy defences. That only works if healthy, of course, which is what White must now prove.

Even if healthy, it is a limited package. White is not a creator with the handle or in the post, turning the ball over at a high rate when asked to try, and his spot-up shooting threat is pretty average to boot. The rebounding rate does not carry over so well when going up against NBA calibre athletes and strongmen, and so for White to stick around, he will need to evidence this defensive versatility and make a career for himself a bit like that of Lance Thomas.

Or, hopefully, one a bit better than that.

Player Plan: Unguaranteed minimum salary contract for next season. If healthy, he should come to summer league and try to earn that spot, even though the disjointed nature of summer league is not the best audition spot for players of White’s style. If he is not healthy, he is an obvious cut.

Okaro White
SF/PF, 6’8, 204lbs, 24 years old, 1 year of experience

White won his spot on a 10-day contract and pushed out Derrick Williams, but subsequently struggled somewhat after winning the spot. In theory, White is a three-and-D power forward with occasional small forward minutes, who hustles, can drive the ball a bit against slower opponents, taking contact, disrupting on defence with his good hands, and finishing well with those same good hands. Without great strength or athleticism, that projection is favourable only if the shots go in, and if he can also rebound a bit. Work is needed on both of those aspects.

Player Plan: Unguaranteed minimum salary contract for next season, final year. Has not in my estimation done enough to stick around, but the variable guarantee dates can give him a chance to prove his worth.

Okaro White loves what he does.

White has the body of a small forward who has played more and more like a face-up power forward as his career has gone on. This has been most obvious in the development of his three point jump shot, which, although not on especially high volume, is now pretty good. Indeed, that's a description of White as a whole. In no way does he obviously exceed or excel, yet at everything, he is pretty good.

Although not a featured ball handler, White is an effective one- or two-dribbler against the slower defensive bigs he often matches up again. Although not an elite athlete himself, White has good size, a decent frame and a long wing span, and has a decent level of speed and leap that he uses to run the floor and finish when set up. Although not especially strong, White compensates by scrapping and hustling, and commits to throwing himself into contact with reckless abandon and without fear. Although not a creator with the ball in his hands or in the post, White is an accomplished finisher, an increasingly good shooter and a useful cutter. Although he cannot create jump shots, he can hit them. And although he can be clumsy with the ball, reaching in and sometimes on checking fouls, this does not stop him trying.

Defensively, White projects well. His hustle and effort are there, and he tries to be physical even when overmatched. He also has good hands to go with that relentless energy, closes out well, and could in theory match up on bigger threes along with opposing fours. If he can stick the jumpers with more frequency at a similar efficiency, then his useful and committed all-around game could take him to the NBA level.

[...] The offense hasn't been as bad as expected, however, and has improved during the season, in part due to the contributions of the freshman James, Ian Miller and Okaro White. Miller has missed some time with injury, yet when he's been healthy, he's been Florda State's best backcourt scorer, the best guard shooter, the best guard at creating in isolation. He is an athletic combo-guard, great transition player, and, predictably, a player with good defensive potential as well. Meanwhile, White is an athletic and versatile 6'8, vaunted initially for his defense (obviously) yet proving effective as a mid-range-and-in offensive player, too. He can score in the post, and is good enough of a ball handler to be effective at throwing himself wildly towards the rim, albeit with high turnover numbers as an inevitable by-product. The incoming class of White, Kreft, Miller and White have supplemented the defense, given then enough of a talent infusion to overcome the offensive flaws, and pushed the Seminoles back into the tournament.