Milwaukee Bucks rookies AJ Johnson and Tyler Smith may be taking most of the attention on the Wisconsin Herd, but there are other players on the G-League roster who have been impressive this season.
The Herd are currently ninth in the Eastern Conference with a 7-7 record, boasting former NBA first-round picks Henry Ellenson and Justise Winslow to join the rookies and two-way players. One player that has gone under the radar is seven-foot center Ibou Badji. The big man has been locking it down in the paint and has been a real asset for the Herd to anchor the defense.
Badji's story is phenomenal, and at just 22, there is plenty further that he can go as he embarks on his basketball career.
Wisconsin Herd big man Ibou Badji is a menacing shot blocker
In 2017, Badji began training with the NBA Academy Africa in Saly, Senegal, as he progressed to be one of the best prospects in the program. His talent led him to sign with FC Barcelona in 2018 at just 16 years of age, where he played for their under-18 team and showed off his shot-blocking ability. He stayed with the Spanish giants until 2021 before spending a season as part of the Forca Lleida team in Spain, then taking his shot at declaring for the 2022 NBA Draft.
Badji is no stranger to Wisconsin, as he actually signed an Exhibition 10 contract with the Herd after going undrafted. Yet, didn't stick around long as he signed a two-way deal with the Portland Trail Blazers in November 2022. He returned to the Herd in September before being waived, then rejoining the squad in October of last year.
The seven-footer is very much a raw prospect still, but his size and athleticism are great assets that can easily be a foundation to build a really good basketball player on. In the G-League this season he currently averages 5.6 points, 4.9 rebounds and a staggering 3.7 blocks per game. He leads the G-League in blocks per game by 0.7 per game, which shows what he brings to the table.
A 112.6 defensive rating at the center position gives the Herd something that not many other players at the G-League level can bring, and Badji's presence is enough to put players off. If any are brave enough to try to score on him, then he will continue to show how much of a menace he is at protecting the basket.
Badji still has some way to go with adding to his offensive game but averaging 3.7 blocks per game cannot go amiss. Brook Lopez continues to get older and is a free agent this offseason, so there could be potential for Badji to find his way into contention for making the Bucks roster next season.
Tyler Smith is, of course, impressive in the G-League, but he is the polar opposite of Badji as a big man. How the Senegalese center and Giannis Antetokounmpo would fit together would be difficult due to the lack of spacing, but he is still only 22 and has so much room to grow.
We won't see Badji in the NBA this season, but he could very well become a part of the Milwaukee Bucks roster in the coming years.
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