A look at the work Heat rookie KZ Okpala is putting in behind scenes: ‘I’m always ready’
KZ Okpala’s approach to his first NBA season has been simple.
“I was always taught from an early age by my parents to just control the things you can control, and that’s what I’ve been trying to dial in on,” Okpala said during a phone interview from the NBA’s Disney bubble.
It’s a simple-but-effective approach for an unpredictable rookie season that has included more court time in the G League than in the NBA for the 21-year-old forward.
Okpala’s rookie experience began with a draft-night trade that landed him with the Miami Heat, but kept him from participating in summer league because it took weeks for the deal to become official. It continued with a strained left Achilles that kept Okpala out for 19 consecutive games early in the season. And then came the four-month NBA shutdown amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Okpala is now battling right Achilles tendinitis that has limited him in recent practices and scrimmages at Walt Disney World, with the Heat set to resume its season Saturday afternoon against the Denver Nuggets. Okpala, a 6-8 forward, is one of 17 players with the Heat at Disney for the restart and he’s one of two players, along with 40-year-old forward Udonis Haslem, who did not play in any of Miami’s three scrimmages during the past week.
“I will never say I’m behind or I was put to a disadvantage because everybody in this world goes through things,” Okpala said. “Everybody on the court is battling things on and off the court. I can’t tell myself, ‘Oh, I’m at a disadvantage from everybody else on the floor.’ I definitely would not say I was at a disadvantage. I just go out there and control the things I can control.”
That approach has helped Okpala make it a season year despite the bumps along the way.
Okpala, who was drafted with the second pick in the second round (No. 32 overall) last year following two seasons at Stanford, has worked hard to add weight to his frame. After entering the Heat’s strength and conditioning program at 210 pounds, Okpala said he’s currently at 220 pounds and doesn’t intend on stopping there.
“It’s just me adding good weight, making sure my lower body is strong, my core,” Okpala said. “Making sure it’s just helping me move better, withstand the pounding and all that. ... I still want to gain more weight. I think I can still fill out my build for sure. But I think it’s about doing it gradually and in a safe manner, where I’m not losing any mobility or quickness or anything like that.”
On the court, Okpala said he feels more comfortable in practices and has eliminated some bad habits that were built in the past.
“He’s learning the game,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said of Okpala, “but he’s learning how to compete and do things at a more intense level with detail, and I like it.”
That’s something that Okpala struggled with early in the season.
“It’s something that I think has totally clicked now,” Okpala said. “Never too cool on the court, so I think that was the biggest thing. Definitely coming in, I wasn’t sure. Maybe it was just past training, but I wasn’t sure how to always go 100 percent on each rep.”
But there haven’t been many reps for Okpala in NBA games yet, though. He has logged 26 minutes of playing time in five games with the Heat this season, with 21 of those minutes coming in a Feb. 7 loss to the Sacramento Kings when he totaled seven points, four rebounds, one assist and two steals.
Most of Okpala’s playing time this season has come in the G League, where he has played in 20 games with the Sioux Falls Skyforce in South Dakota. He averaged 11.7 points on 36.8 percent shooting, seven rebounds, two assists, 1.4 steals and 1.1 blocks in 28.6 minutes with the Skyforce.
“The game experience and the accountability and the coaching that he received from [Skyforce coach Eric Glass] and the coaching staff there was the most important thing,” Spoelstra said. “He was really starting to make some strides, particularly defensively. And he had some big offensive games, as well. But defensively he has the potential to be extremely unique, if not special.”
What makes Okpala such an intriguing defensive player?
“I think my instincts, that’s one,” Okpala said. “Second is I can slide well. I can move well. I think that’s the biggest thing.” And he feels “100 percent” comfortable switching onto nearly every position on the court, especially after adding some weight.
On offense, Okpala is skilled enough to play with the ball in his hands and create for himself and others off the dribble. But among the areas he has room to improve in is his outside shooting, as he made 11 of 39 threes (28.2 percent) during his 20 games in the G League.
“I think I can definitely get into the lane off the dribble,” Okpala said when asked to describe his offensive game. “I think my handle is very good for my size. I can definitely push the ball off a defensive rebound. Slash with a quick first step. Catch and shoot. The corner three, I think I can definitely hit that. It’s really just being active. I think I can do a lot offensively. I’m 100 percent sure of that.”
Okpala said Heat coaches have given him film edits of athletic two-way forwards such as Kawhi Leonard, Shawn Marion and Scottie Pippen “to study different things from their games that they believe I can do as well.”
This developmental season continues for Okpala at Disney. He’s not expected to be a part of Miami’s rotation when the season resumes, but he’s ready to contribute if called upon.
“I think they drafted me for a reason,” Okpala said. “Every time I step on the court for practice, I believe that my time is around the corner. It might not be, but it might as well.
“Every day I imagine myself, what would it be like if I was playing against these players or playing in the last five seconds? That’s just how I grew up. I’m always thinking like, ‘Man, I want to make this play, I want to make that play when I get in the game.’ I’m always ready.”
This story was originally published July 31, 2020 at 10:34 AM.
