THE FLATS – Josh Okogie player review with the Suns and what might be next … James Banks III named recipient of Legends of the Community Award in Texas … Ja’von Franklin reportedly added to Miami Heat summer league team … more in this week’s #ProJackets Report.
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SUNS PLAYER REVIEW: OKOGIE BROUGHT THE HUSTLE
Josh Okogie brings some great attributes to the table. He can guard three positions, plays relentless defense, and is a ferocious offensive rebounder for his size. The downside is that his offensive efficiency is low. He shot only 39.1% from the field during the regular season, and 33.5% from deep. In the playoffs, teams left him alone in the corner and he could only convert at a 14.3% rate. As a result, he was a massive net negative in the playoffs, with a horrific -12.9 net plus minus per 48. Coach Williams generally couldn’t afford to keep him on the floor and cannot be relied upon as a regular rotation player in the playoffs. Regardless, some team is likely to offer him more than the vet minimum. His return looks dubious because of that.
Okogie got very little burn early in the season, and was one of the last men up in the Suns’ rotation. In the first two months of the campaign, he was checking into almost every game, but was typically playing anywhere from one minute to ten minutes, rarely exceeding that.
But after that he worked his way into regular heavy minutes, and by the last 30 or so games of the season he had clearly become one of Monty Williams’ favorite Suns, displacing Ish Wainwright who had been the go-to hustle player in the lineup. Okogie started the last 25 games for the Suns, which was an outcome nobody could have predicted when the Suns signed him.
Okogie was only on a one-year, $1.8 million contract with the Suns. He is now an unrestricted free agent.
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BANKS EARNS LEGEND IN THE COMMUNITY AWARD
Texas Legends center James Banks III has been named the winner of the first ever Legend in the Community Award, presented by Thrivent. The award honors a Legends player who has the biggest impact on the community through both team and individual initiatives.
Banks is a native of Atlanta, Ga., where he works with local recreation centers to host free youth basketball clinics. In his second season with the Legends, Banks participated in more than 50 community events, impacting over 35 different organizations with his outreach efforts.
“This award speaks to who James is as a person,” said Legends President Malcolm Farmer. “He cares about making a difference far beyond the court, and we could not have selected a better honoree. We’re proud of all he’s done and continues to do in this community and back home in Georgia.”
The award was presented Wednesday night at the first annual “JB’s Family Game Night” at Eladio Martinez Learning Center in West Dallas. Banks received a custom ball showcasing some of his community efforts across the season and signed by students at Martinez. Thrivent presented a check for $5,000 to the foundation of Banks’ choosing to further his impact.
“It’s an honor to receive this award,” said Banks. “My personal mission is to use my platform to help as many people as possible, and it’s great to have a team of supporters who not only recognize and celebrate that but help me accomplish it. To get the award in such a special environment with my Martinez family made it even more memorable and I’m grateful to them for being a part of the night.”
JB’s first annual Game Night is in the books!📚
Families were able to learn about the extracurricular activities held at the school & hang with JB!JB was presented with the first ever Legend in the Community Award and given a $5K check to the charity of his choice by @Thrivent pic.twitter.com/m9CHJorG3l
— Texas Legends (@TexasLegends) June 15, 2023
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REPORT: FRANKLIN TO JOIN MIAMI HEAT SUMMER LEAGUE TEAM
While he did not get drafted, former Georgia Tech Yellow Jacket Ja’von Franklin will find himself in a favorable situation to start his NBA career.
Franklin is going to be playing for the Miami Heat in the NBA’s Summer League this year. The Heat made their second NBA Finals appearance in four years and lost in five games to the Denver Nuggets.
After transferring to Georgia Tech last season, Franklin was arguably the best player on the Yellow Jackets. In 32 games, Franklin averaged 9.7 PPG, 8.1 RPG, 2.2 assists per game. 1.4 steals per game, and 1. 6 blocks per game. He was the third leading scorer on Georgia Tech last season.
Undrafted Georgia Tech wing Ja’von Franklin (6-7, 214 pounds) has committed to join the Heat’s summer league roster, according to a source.
— Anthony Chiang (@Anthony_Chiang) June 23, 2023
