Keita Bates-Diop complied by Leif Thulin

Age: 22
Position: SF
College: Ohio State
Measurables
Height w/o Shoes:6’7.25”
Height w/ Shoes: 6’8.5”
Weight: 223.8
Wingspan: 7’3.25”
Standing Reach: 8’10.5”
Max Vertical: 35”

College Statistics (2017/2018)
MPG: 33.1
PPG: 19.8
RPG: 8.7
ASTPG:1.6
BLKPG: 1.6
FT%: 79.4 %
2-PT FG%: 54.7%
3-PT FG%: 35.9%

Comparisons: Jonas Jerebko, Brian Scalabrine, Bobby Simmons from the Ringer

3 Things to Know
Won Big Ten Player of The Year
A 4 year contributor with a mature game and excellent intangibles.
He’s a combo forward with the size and shooting ability to play the stretch 4 and capacity defend a few positions
Strengths:
Good shooter with a high release.
Ambidextrous finisher around the rim with excellent touch.
Skilled offensive player with versatility, possessing an advanced post game and face up game.
Knows how to move without the ball actively.
Can defend guards on the perimeter similarly to his level of defending the bigs he’s tasked with defending.
Good instincts on defense and rebounding.
Can protect the rim with his length and reads passing lanes very well.

Weaknesses:
Lacks the toughness to play the 4 or 5 but lacks speed for the 2 or 3.
Underwent surgery on his left leg in 2017.
Doesn’t always fight for the ball when rebounding.
Doesn’t possess the speed or ball handling to be a shot creator at next level.
His motor isn’t relentless as it must be for someone of his mediocre athletic ability.

Summary:
Keita Bates-Diop is a mature, intelligent basketball with excellent intangibles, highlighted by his 3 point shooting ability and nearly 20 points per game average. This skill-set led to his becoming the Player of the year in the Big 10. Bates-Diop’s main attribute is the mix of length and shooting ability, lending him the opportunity to fit the mold of a modern day 4. The seemingly tailor made position of a stretch 4 for him comes with the question of does he have the speed to stick with guards on switches or the girth to consistently battle bigs for boards. The team that selects him
will receive a high character, very skilled player, solely lacking top notch speed and elite strength, taking a gamble on his defensive acumen, and how it will transition to the NBA. In conclusion, what Bates-Diop lacks in physical strength or speed, he makes up for it with his unique combination of height, length, and versatility and prowess of his offensive game. Any team would inherit a skilled offensive player, fitting the mold of a current day stretch 4, with the length to be a defensive attribute, and his future seems to hinge on his ability to defend multiple positions going forward.

Locke’s take: Bates-Diop can score it. He has a nice dribble game. He is a good trail big in transition for a three. He can play catch and shoot as a stretch. Not clear what position he will play in the NBA, 3 or a 4. He is not athletic but has an incredibly long reach which will make up for lack of athleticism. Doesn’t move fluidly. He lacks lift around the rim. In head to head with Jaren Jackson of Michigan State showed his age and experience and held his own.