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Zhaire Smith | Robert Williams | Keita Bates-Diop | Miles Bridges | Josh Okogie | Chandler Hutchison
Summary
The Big 10 player of the year offers a strong set of tools on the defensive end, with the experience and versatility to be a positive contributor on offense. He’s projected to go between 14 and 30 — perhaps the Nuggets could trade back and acquire him in the 20s.
Measurables
All these figures are courtesy of the NBA.
Age: 22
Height with shoes: 6’8.5”
Weight: 223.8 lbs
Wingspan: 7’3.25”
Standing Reach: 8’10.5”
Body fat %: 5.35
Hand size: 9” x 8.5”
Standing Vertical: 30.5”
Max Vertical: 35”
Lane Agility Time: 11.2
Shuttle Run Time: 3.28
Three Quarter Sprint: 3.17
Max Bench Press Repetitions: 11
Stats
| Season | G | MP | FG | FGA | FG% | 3P | 3PA | 3P% | FT | FTA | FT% | ORB | TRB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | PF | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014-15 | 33 | 9.9 | 1.3 | 2.8 | .473 | 0.5 | 1.2 | .462 | 0.6 | 0.8 | .679 | 0.4 | 2.1 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 0.7 | 3.8 |
| 2015-16 | 33 | 31.5 | 4.3 | 9.4 | .453 | 1.1 | 3.4 | .324 | 2.1 | 2.7 | .787 | 1.4 | 6.4 | 1.1 | 0.7 | 1.2 | 1.4 | 1.8 | 11.8 |
| 2016-17 | 9 | 23.3 | 4.1 | 8.2 | .500 | 0.3 | 1.7 | .200 | 1.1 | 1.6 | .714 | 1.3 | 5.2 | 1.3 | 0.2 | 1.3 | 1.6 | 1.4 | 9.7 |
| 2017-18 | 34 | 33.1 | 7.3 | 15.1 | .480 | 1.9 | 5.4 | .359 | 3.3 | 4.1 | .794 | 1.5 | 8.7 | 1.6 | 0.9 | 1.6 | 1.8 | 1.7 | 19.8 |
| Career | 109 | 24.8 | 4.3 | 9.1 | .472 | 1.1 | 3.2 | .352 | 1.9 | 2.5 | .776 | 1.1 | 5.7 | 1.1 | 0.6 | 1.2 | 1.2 | 1.4 | 11.7 |
Strengths
Defense. KBD is the kind of defender that was able to switch 1-4 in college. With his standing reach and height, he’s able to defend forwards, and with his agility, he’s able to defend guards. He’s adept at closing out on shooters, disrupting passing lanes, and denying space for shooters to get the ball up.
Wilson Chandler offense. Nuggets fans know what kind of offense Chandler has — he’s not nicknamed “The Juggernaut” for nothing. Bates-Diop is able to put his shoulder down and barrel his way to the rim, utilizing change of speed and physicality to knock his defender off balance for shot attempts. He has a a read and react pace on the perimeter, where he catches the ball, decides what he’s going to do, ponders life and the mysteries of the universe, and then acts. He’s a capable 3-point shooter, but he’s not going to burn the house down and catch fire.
Weaknesses
Isolation offense. A lot of his points came from isolation plays at Ohio State, and he wasn’t efficient there, which casts doubt on his ability to do so in the NBA. He’ll have to adapt to a new role, as a tertiary or quaternary option.
Injury history. His junior season ended early when he suffered a stress fracture in his leg. While a break is more preferable to a tear, especially regarding the leg, it’s something teams will be wary of. At 22, he’s an older prospect too — he’s older than Jamal Murray, but about the same age as Gary Harris and Nikola Jokic.
Fit with the Nuggets
The Nuggets need a small forward. They already know that Wilson Chandler fits with this roster, but injuries and age have pushed Chandler into more of a power forward role. Bates-Diop is a younger, healthier version of Chandler.
