NBA Draft 2017 Prospect Watch: Ike Anigbogu
By Adam Coffman
Strengths
Two factors combine to bless Anigbogu with impressive upside. For one, his physical profile is already imposing, as he stands 6’10” and a stout 252 pounds, with an incredible 7’6″ wingspan.
When combined with his youth (he won’t turn 19 until October 22), Anigbogu looks to have boundless upside if his tools can be applied in the right direction.
He uses his length and leaping ability to garner boards on both ends, drawing in 12.4 rebounds per 40 minutes and posting a stellar 13.2 offensive rebounding percentage.
He’s powerful enough to absorb contact and finish anyway, moving and cutting well to receive passes around the hoop.
He also projects favorably as a roll man in the screen game, able to get up quickly for lob passes and dunk with two hands in traffic.
Anigbogu also proved extremely proficient in transition as part of the fast-paced philosophy UCLA adopted last season, scoring 1.44 points per possession according to DraftExpress.
He’s very quick and fluid for his size and runs the floor well, which should sound attractive to the Bucks, who rode the open-court games of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jabari Parker, and others to the NBA’s fourth-best transition offense.
In terms of defense, Anigbogu’s main strength is unsurprisingly his shot-blocking, as he rejected 3.7 shots per 40 minutes. This threat, as well as his ability to shade ball-handlers coming off of screens, should make him a force on defense if only due to his activity.
Anigbogu’s main strengths are those that can flourish or be improved simply through effort, as Bucks fans saw lat year with Thon Maker. He fits well as a modern, defensive-focused center with the ability to perform multiple functions without demanding touches.