Recent RotoWire Articles Featuring KZ Okpala
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Okpala has never been a reliable asset, either from a fantasy or a reality standpoint. He is yet to play more than 12 minutes per game and while he is in a somewhat favorable situation, his path to minutes remains full of obstacles. Given he may not even play regularly, there is no need to consider him, even in deeper formats.
Okpala saw sporadic minutes with the Heat last season, appearing in 37 games and averaging 2.5 points and 1.8 rebounds in 12.1 minutes. He decided to join the Heat's Summer League team during the 2021 offseason, but he struggled to make a meaningful impact, posting just 8.4 points on 31.1 percent shooting, 6.2 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 27.3 minutes. Heading into 2021-22, he figures to be a depth option at forward for Miami, and he'll be competing for minutes with P.J. Tucker, Markieff Morris and Max Strus. It's possible Okpala is able to see a marginally bigger role, but it would be a shock if he was relevant in fantasy.
Okpala joins Miami as the 32nd overall pick in the 2019 Draft. He spent two seasons at Stanford, starting 50 of his 52 appearances. Last season, he was selected to the All-Pac-12 First Team on the back of 16.8 points (46.3 FG%, 36.8 3P%, 67.1 FT%), 5.7 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.0 steal in 32.7 minutes. While his free-throw percentage is a bit of a concern, he did a good job of getting to the line, taking 6.0 freebies per contest. Minutes won't be easy to come by on the wing for Okpala, as he'll be competing for a backup role with the likes of Derrick Jones, Justise Winslow, James Johnson and Tyler Herro. It seems unlikely Okpala will have standard fantasy league relevance.