South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Sunday)
Okpala getting 2nd chance with Kings
SACRAMENTO — From the start, KZ Okpala stood as a Miami Heat outlier, the Heat trading three second-round picks to acquire his rights in the second round of the 2019 NBA draft. Typically, the Heat bide their time, then pounce on such prospects after the draft, with Duncan Robinson part of such a delayed harvest.
From there, injuries and offensive limitations derailed the project, Okpala dealt at last February’s NBA trading deadline as a means of freeing salary cap space to sign Caleb Martin to a standard contract and add Haywood Highsmith. Okpala then immediately was waived by the Oklahoma City Thunder, out of the league the balance of the season.
But with the Heat completing their three-game western swing Saturday against the Sacramento Kings at Golden1 Center, there was a familiar face on the opposing bench, Okpala not only making the Kings’ roster, but playing as an opening-night starter.
“He got an opportunity, he took advantage of it and he seems to be having some success there,” Heat guard Gabe Vincent said of his former teammate. “So I’m happy for him.”
The question, though, is whether, as with the Heat, it is a fleeting success, going from that opening-night start to miniscule ensuing minutes.
For Okpala and Vincent there is another common bond on the Kings bench, with the two guided by new Sacramento coach Mike Brown with the Nigerian national team at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.
It was out of that experience that Brown took note of Okpala’s defensive disposition, Okpala arguably thriving to a greater degree with the Nigerian national team than during his tenure with the Heat.
“A lot of the league is opportunity,” Vincent said. “A lot of the guys are talented. Outside some of the top premier talent, the gap is not very vast. Some of it is opportunity and situation. And hopefully this one is a better fit for him.”
Ultimately, Okpala was merely an opening-night placeholder for coveted Kings No. 4 first-round pick Keegan Murray. But the opportunity still is there.
“KZ’s a very capable and good defender,” Vincent said. “And I know Mike’s high on him with that. So hopefully he’ll find some opportunity and find a niche and go from there.”
As with the Heat, Okpala, still just 23, has been encouraged to stick to the basics.
“Cutting, offensive rebound, spot-up shots, 3-and-D, defensively really get up,” said the No. 32 pick out of Stanford in that 2019 draft.
To Heat coach Erik Spoelstra, Okpala has already somewhat beaten the odds.
“Just look at the stats of second rounders,” Spoelstra said. “The overwhelming majority of them don’t make it. And he’s fighting for his career right now and really creating a nice niche. And I think his years with us, yes, there were some injuries that he had to overcome, but I think in terms of really finding what his identity would have to be in this league, I think he took great strides in that area.
“His player development and his work capacity got better each year with us. I saw improvement on his overall skill set offensively.”
As was the case with the Heat, the 6-foot-8 forward said he embraces the role of defensive stopper.
“I like guys who try to score on me one on one,” he said. “I like that one on one, no help, it’s just me and another person. I like that.”
Together, Vincent and Okpala had their moments with the Nigerian national team, particularly in defeating Bam Adebayo and Team USA in a pre-Olympic exhibition.
Now it’s about the former Heat second rounder trying to maximize this second chance under Brown, after appearing in 70 games for the Heat over three seasons and starting nine.
“We’re rooting for him,” Spoelstra said, “because he really put in a lot of time with us and we saw improvement, and that’s a tough thing to do in this league is to carve out a niche, where you can see a vision of where you can make an impact.
“You also have to have the right fit and a coaching staff that values what you bring, and that’s clearly what he has there with Mike.”