NBA Draft 2018 Prospect Watch: Keita Bates-Diop
What the experts say
(as of 5/17/18)
ESPN (Jonathan Givony): 18th
The Ringer (Kevin O’Connor, Jonathan Tjarks, Danny Chau): 17th
Sporting News (Chris Stone): 20th
The Athletic (Sam Vecenie): 20th
The Stepien (Cole Zwicker): 36th
The Step Back (Brandon Kleen): 19th
Quotes:
In assessing the underclassmen that have declared for this year’s draft at this point, The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie shed light on how polarizing Bates-Diop is as a prospect to teams and scouts around the league:
"“Bates-Diop is a polarizing prospect around the league. Some believe he is a prototypical modern day forward, possessing the ability to face up and knock down shots with his tremendous length and shot creation ability. He’ll allow teams to stay relatively big while playing with skilled players on the floor. Where the concerns come in are his defensive ability and athleticism combination. Bates-Diop is a smart, instinctive defender who knows where to be and also provides a bit of rim protection with his 7-foot-plus wingspan. But he’s slow-footed, and some executives are worried about him in the switching scenarios that many coaches now employ. I’m more willing to take a flier on a guy like Bates-Diop in the middle of the first round, given that his overall skill set is becoming more important daily in the pace-and-space NBA. He’ll be a guy that some executives really like, and that others won’t touch.”"
Jeremy Woo of Sports Illustrated took a more critical eye on Bates-Diop’s skills translating to the NBA in his most recent Big Board and he acknowledged that his role on the next level could hinge on how viable his three-point shot is:
"“It’s tough to ignore Bates-Diop’s production, as the Big Ten’s player of the year and a central figure in Ohio State’s resurgence. He has a deft scoring touch and has been a tough matchup for college defenders. However, his lack of explosiveness may limit him at the next level, and he’s not quite big or strong enough to play the four (despite a 7’2″ wingspan) nor is he an ideal ball-handler to play the three. It’s good to consider what elements of his scoring will translate—Ohio State ran a lot of isolation plays for him in the mid-range, touches he likely won’t warrant at the next level when he no longer has a mismatch advantage. If Bates-Diop continues to shoot at a great clip from outside he’ll have a chance at an NBA role, but his skills will have to cover for his athletic ability.”"