KZ Okpala: “I Feel Good in my Development”

KZ Okpala got to speak with media this morning and it was clearly different from other players.

For one, there’s still uncertainty about his style of play or strengths since he hasn’t played much for Miami.

He did say though that he feels good in his development, and that he “learned a lot.”

When talking about his development, his body seems to be the thing that he is trying to take care of the most. After mentioning that he’s been gaining muscle and is at 5.5% body fat, he said “I think the main thing for me is to be in great shape.”

One of the main things that helped him learn was the young guys, including Tyler Herro, Kendrick Nunn, and Duncan Robinson. After he saw them get the opportunities that they got this past season, it gave him a different perspective, which he said, “Seeing how they work really inspired me.”

He has also taken a lot from Jimmy Butler, especially after his bubble run. KZ said, “It was nothing I’ve ever seen…I truly believe he’s the best.” He then elaborated about his leadership on the team, since Jimmy can yell at him and he doesn’t take offense.

When discussing his exact strengths on the court, he spoke about his defensive abilities mostly, since that is where he strives. But he also mentioned his offensive skill-set, which he said, “With the play-makers we have, I feel I can score off cuts.”

He doesn’t believe his offensive package ends there though, since he also said “I’m confident with my three ball.”

Most importantly, he just seems very ready to get out on that court and perform. The confidence the organization and team has given him has been essential, since he said, “The way they are pushing me means they care.”

And that is obvious, since they’ve been very reluctant to include him in any trade packages this off-season. It is going to be interesting to see how Erik Spoelstra utilizes him, since he has the attributes to make an immediate impact for this team.