June 29, 2018

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.

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June 29, 2017

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.

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June 20, 2014

Okaro White loves what he does.

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March 15, 2011

[...] 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.

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