Ohio State Prospects

[00:00:00] Dustin: All right, everybody. Welcome to the 294th edition of the holy Blackboard podcast. I am destined here in rip city and they got my man Sage

[00:00:09] Dillon: hill and live and direct about to talk about these Ohio state prospects. And I’m pretty excited as you, uh, told me there’s about eight more Fridays til the actual draft.

[00:00:20] So this, this, uh, this series that we’re really excited about, it’s, it’s ending sooner than we thought. It’s a good and bad thing. Cause uh, the, the real deal draft has made more fun than us projecting players. So I’m very much excited about it, but, uh, what did you think about Malakai random?

[00:00:45] Dustin: Yeah, Malikai Brannan.

[00:00:47] Let’s get into a little bit of bio before we start breaking down the game. Ohio state university shooting guard stand six, five weighs 180, uh, 18 years [00:01:00] old. Uh, we’ll be 19 at the time of the draft. His birthday is on May 12th, uh, from Columbus, Ohio attended St. Vincent St. Mary’s high school. If that sounds familiar, it should.

[00:01:12] That is the high school of the one and only LeBron James, uh, Malakai was named Ohio was Mr. Basketball in 2021 rated as a four-star recruit by rivals and the number 44 player overall. Um, the accolades this year for Malakai, he was the big 10 freshmen of the year. Was all big ten third team. Uh, he really came on as of late.

[00:01:39] He was a slow starter adapting to the, the collegiate game and it kind of came on like gangbusters over the last third of the season. He scored in double figures in Ohio state’s final 11 games. He only hit double figures eight times previously. So there was a 32 game season. [00:02:00] And he only hit double figures, 19 total times.

[00:02:02] And 11 of those were the final 11 games. So if that doesn’t tell you that he wasn’t on one towards the end of the season, then I don’t know what, what does, uh, but he really carried that Ohio state team into the NCAA. Uh, on the season average 13.7 points, a shot 49.8% from the field 41.2 from 3 41 0.6 from three.

[00:02:28] Excuse me. Uh, 83.3% from the line. Grab 3.6 rebounds handed out to assist, uh, 0.7 steals. Point three blocks did all of that in 29. Point six minutes of action, uh, at the moment, uh, he is a bit of a fast riser on the mock drafts. I’ve seen him anywhere from 10 to the end of the first round. Uh, the ringer, uh, currently has him number 21 on their big board.

[00:02:58] Uh, so what I would [00:03:00] say is what jumps out at me most was how comfortable he was. Handling the basketball. He, he almost gets down in this, this crouch, um, when he’s driving the ball in any protects it. And he just he’s, he has a, a poise about him. He’s not a finished product by, by any stretch of the means, but.

[00:03:21] I really felt like he used his biz big frame and it allowed him to finish, uh, with contact at the rim. To me, he looks bigger on tape than than six, five. I don’t know what it is. Maybe he’s going to measure out with a longer wingspan, but it seems like he played bigger than a six, five. So that’s really what, what stood out to me.

[00:03:40] I was like, oh, this is a big guard. You know, usually what we’re used to talking about. You know, we’re kind of, I don’t know if we’re coming out of the era of the combo guard, but that’s been the flavor of the month for, for quite some time. Is that, that six, two to six, four combo guard that can kind of do both things.

[00:03:58] We’ve got a few big guards in [00:04:00] this draft class, and I think Malakai, Brandon is one of the.

[00:04:03] Dillon: When you’re scouting an individual player, you’re trying to look at like the patterns of what they do on the court. To me, the number one thing he did was that pull up from mid range, like when he was, when he wasn’t apart

[00:04:18] Dustin: of the mid range in this draft class.

[00:04:20] Dillon: And it’s not, it’s not like a catch and shoot it’s up. It’s a dribble pull up, which means like, when you, when you think of. Uh, leap guards that dribble pull up game is, is legit. If he can push that back to be a three point shot, I think that makes his game a lot, a lot better, but when he was bad, he was doing the pull up shot.

[00:04:40] When he was good, he was doing the pull-up shot and making it like that was his bread and butter when he was playing against the duke or the first Indiana game. Like that was the thing that stuck out was, oh, he’s gonna, he’s gonna do his little dribble craft, which I think his handle could be tighter. It definitely could be tighter in the duke game that I watched.

[00:04:59] He [00:05:00] got stripped and transitioned by a Pollo Ben shero. And normally I don’t like to, you know, make a big deal out of one thing, but we know Paula wasn’t playing defense at all this year. So that was a little worrisome, but it’s that pull up? I mean, I believe that at least the pull-up part of his game is real.

[00:05:19] It’s sustainable. It will be a. Uh, factor in his game. I think that the number he has to shoot, he has to shoot it, shoot it, to, uh, hit in this, uh, in this league. But if he can shoot it, shoot it. And then when they close out on him, do that pull up. I think that’s where his game. That’s where all of the strengths come in is off that close out.

[00:05:44] Like if he’s playing with Damian Lillard, he’s in a attract so much passive to Malakai, he’ll take that wonderful pull up. And it’s green.

[00:05:55] Dustin: Yeah, I would say back to his handle, that’s not surprising that [00:06:00] he was getting ripped by Paolo early on in the year. It just, it seemed like it took him a while to get his footing and make that transition from high school to a college in particular, the big 10, which was arguably the best conference in all of the land.

[00:06:16] I liked what I saw later on, especially in the pick and roll, I felt like he was patient. He did that. Chris Paul tendency, where he’s able to keep the primary defender at his back while not allowing the roll defender, making that yeah. It gets them in that crab and he doesn’t allow that role defender to decide on a course of action.

[00:06:38] So he, he freezes that, that role defender just long enough. I think as he gets more practice with that, you could see some secondary Playmaker tendencies start to flourish with him, you know, year two, year three in the league. Like again, he is by far from a finished product, but if you’re projecting, which is what you have to do, uh, in the NBA draft, [00:07:00] because very few players come in young and already developed.

[00:07:04] You have to really look at what they’re doing now and say, yeah, that’s going to translate. Yeah, we can mold him into this, a certain type of player. So I really like that again, he is a big guard. I think he’s got good posts, potential too. Definitely talked about that with Johnny Davis, you know, as a 66 guard, you know, we talked about, you know, Steve Smith, Bonzie Wells as their writer in terms of blazer, former guards who were just money on the block, that’s a lost art.

[00:07:32] And if you’re able to bring that back, You can really draw out a double teams and kick it out and make your teammates better. It just throws another level and layer at the defense to make them think, think most defense does right now, aren’t trained to even think about a guard posting up, but if you can get easy buckets, You take that and you, you, you can hunt, like what that allows you to do, allows you to go and hunt a matchup that you like.

[00:07:58] I mean, just remember what the blazers did. [00:08:00] Wesley Matthews was not a good post up guard, but they wanted the hunt James harden. So they put Wesley to start games on the block in that first round series. And he got gotten. Hmm, so it can work. It is a bit of a lost art, but I love the potential there. Uh, my main concern, offensively Sage, um, with him there, there’s two things.

[00:08:20] One, I think there’s a bit of an unorthodox to Jumpshot and we have, we have seen unorthodox jump shots, work in the NBA. Look no further than, than Shawn Marion. Uh, But the ball placement, it’s a little bit out in front of his, his face. I want to know if he’s going to be able to get that shot off at the MBA level, where you’ve got bigger, faster, stronger defenders running at you.

[00:08:42] Uh, and then also is the three point shot. Is it fool’s gold or is it for real? Because you’re looking at a great three point percentage, uh, 42% damn near. But he only had nine games again, 32 games, total, only [00:09:00] nine games. He attempted four plus threes. So are we looking at another Aaron Nesmith case at Vandy when he was just bonkers, but then got.

[00:09:10] And that didn’t really roll over into the, into his NBA career or is it going to be, uh, the sign of things to come for him where he’s going to be an absolute Deadeye from downtown?

[00:09:24] Dillon: I feel like his game. It would be a dead eye for all of the other crafts that he does. One thing that I noticed was that he and EDA Ladelle had a connection, especially late in the year with the pick and roll.

[00:09:36] And then the, the, the, the, the guard Ford pick and roll. And then the forward guard pick and rolled. There were times where ETA just dotted him on a cut, and it was some easy baskets. I mean, the shooting is going to be the most important thing for Malakai, but the fact that he can do other things to put the ball in the basket.

[00:09:55] His free. He is going to go to the line a lot because he is a big guard and he [00:10:00] can show his

[00:10:00] Dustin: strength and he’s using straight line driver.

[00:10:03] Dillon: Definitely. So I think that he’s in a draw, a lot of fouls as well. So I like the dribble pull-ups and the foul, uh, getting to the line, I think are his two biggest calling cards on the offensive end.

[00:10:16] As of right now as a. 1819 year old kid, but there are things that he can do that can really, really help an NBA team. Since there’s only like 20 players in each draft class that actually hit. Would you put Malikai Branum in your 20, that would, will most likely hit. That’s

[00:10:36] Dustin: a really good question. Thank you.

[00:10:38] I am tempted to say yes. I like players who finished the year strong and you can tell that there’s a developmental growth. There’s something there. I don’t know if I would, I wouldn’t take him in the lottery. I’ve seen a couple of mock drafts having him top 10. I think there’s too much development needed, but if you’re a playoff contending [00:11:00] team picking in the twenties and you can afford to play him eight or nine on a union rotation and bring him along.

[00:11:08] Absolutely. If he goes to the right situation, like, I don’t think he’s going to be a star by any stretch of the imagination, but if you can get a solid starter out of Malakai on, on a rookie scale contract, you, you take it and run, especially picking that late in the draft. I have a pretty good feeling that he is going to end up being a solid NBA

[00:11:30] Dillon: player.

[00:11:31] I kind of feel like the nuggets or the bulls, that type of playoff team would be a good Raptors, obviously because of their, or the heat, those types of teams that are, that are good anyways. And just need somebody to play a role, I think would be the perfect spot for a Malakai to flourish. Um, I didn’t really.

[00:11:55] He didn’t stand out bad or good defensively for me. So I have really [00:12:00] no idea what he is as a defender right now. Um, do you have any insight on what he is as a defender? Cause it’s just like he didn’t make any obvious mistakes. And the fact that Isla Del was down there too. Get his three shot blocks a game and erase some mistakes.

[00:12:19] Like it could have been on Malakai, uh, letting something go by him. So I like, I, I have no, I don’t know hot takes on his defense. I just think, uh, we need to see more. And like, there really isn’t that much film later in the year for Ohio state. So, you know, you, you watch certain games and I was like, he’s not doing anything awful.

[00:12:40] He’s not doing anything bad. I’m trying to think if there’s anything. I mentioned the free throw, shooting, the getting to the line and the pull-up. I think that is really, uh, what Malakai is as a player at this level. So he, is he out of your life? Right now because he’s definitely, [00:13:00] if Dyson Daniels is 14 or 15 for me, I don’t think that he’s anywhere near Dyson as of this, this moment.

[00:13:07] Dustin: No, he’s out of the lottery, but I think he’s easily a top 25 draft pick for, for me. And you’re right about the unknown of, of his defense, because really watching him early on in the year. It seems like he’s a completely different player and nobody was really paying attention to what Ohio state, like we were, you get so many games that you can watch a week and you’re saying, okay, I’m going to watch Jayden Ivy in Purdue.

[00:13:34] Oh, Chet and Gonzaga playing late at night. I think I can catch that west coast game. And then, you know, duke was on TV ad nauseum, Malakai. Brandon was not supposed to be in this. Right. He was not considered a one and done prospect and he really came on late to make him a one and done prospect. So there wasn’t any real [00:14:00] desire or urgency to say, oh, I’ve got to watch this Ohio state game that you’ve got this young freshman.

[00:14:04] It just, it wasn’t there. And as you mentioned, all of the Ohio state full games, that’s when he wasn’t. Putting up his, his number. So unless you were able to catch him live or have access to all those clips, his defense is a bit, a bit of an unknown right now. So, um, it’s really hard to evaluate him as, as an entire prospect, because if he is the defender that Dyson Daniels is he rises up the boards be very high, but if he has his lapses, like a Benedick matters, Then you’re probably looking about where he is right now, 20 to 25.

[00:14:39] So it really depends on what type of defender he can become. And I’m sure as we get closer to the draft, um, more tape will be made available and we can make a more accurate evaluation of him. Uh, Sage w what type of players would you, when you compare him to. [00:15:00]

[00:15:00] Dillon: I know people are saying Chris Middleton, but I don’t, I don’t believe that one.

[00:15:05] That’s

[00:15:05] Dustin: the 99th. So

[00:15:08] Dillon: I feel like

[00:15:12] Reggie Bullock is his lowest. There we go. Reggie Bullock, I think it’s as low, low tier, I mean, but Reggie, like let’s be real Reggie Bullock. He made the New York Knicks life a lot easier being a guy that can hit threes and play some defense. I feel like Malakai. If he, if the defense is just average, he could be like, uh, uh, shit.

[00:15:36] What was his name again? How’d you Bullock Reggie Bullock. Ooh Lord. Hey man. I had to spend, I had to spend a lot of time with family today, so my brain is gone. Do you think that there’s any chance that he goes back to college and you know, is the, is the lead guy on a Ohio state team for another year?

[00:15:57] Dustin: Why.

[00:15:58] Dillon: Honestly, he’s not one of [00:16:00] those. When we, when we talk about our second round steals or whatever you wanted to call it, that’s when we can have a discussion of returning back to school. But you.

[00:16:09] Dustin: If you got some sides projecting you to going to the lottery, there’s already a chance. I’m not saying mock drafts are, um, to be taken as gospel, but there’s clearly some people out there who like him a lot more than others.

[00:16:22] If he can sneak into the back half of the lottery, or even in the teens, you take that guaranteed money and run. Even if you’re in just a first round pick, like that’s three to four years of guaranteed seven figure dollars. Take it w why go back, especially when you’re your forward, uh, EGA Ladelle has gone and it’s gonna, your life’s going to be tougher at Ohio state and that you’re going to have more of a spotlight on you.

[00:16:46] There’s just, there’s more things that can go wrong than can go, right. In my opinion, um,

[00:16:52] Dillon: especially after this rise of. You should, you should go back. There are plenty of dudes that we will [00:17:00] be talking about in the next few weeks. Absolutely need to go back to school. I would say

[00:17:05] Dustin: the floor, we, I discussed them earlier.

[00:17:07] Erin Smith just never really able to. Do you

[00:17:11] Dillon: think he’s more athletic than Aaron because Naismith was not athlete. Uh, like he, he was attribute Shay type of a wing

[00:17:19] Dustin: guy probably, but I, I think it all depends on that three point shot. So if the three point shot is gold, I see them has, uh, added a league in four years after his Turkey contract, middle of the road.

[00:17:32] I think it’s a will Barton type of player where four or five starters. Not the position, but level of starter, he can get you a bucket he’s aggressive and going to the basket becomes a knockdown shooter, loves the pull-up. Um, Both players are a little bit wirey in terms of, uh, their, their length. So I envisioned him a little bit as a will Barton and [00:18:00] before, if I’m saying pie in the sky, um, I could see like a 65 version of.

[00:18:07] Khris Middleton slash DeMar. DeRozen somebody who just lives in the mid range, uh, is just becomes that type of player. I mean, it’s clearly not dead. We saw DeMar. DeRozen just now go for 40 points becoming the fifth Chicago bull ever to put up 40 points in a playoff win, uh, in Milwaukee. And he was. He is in that, that area of the forest, his, and he knows what he’s doing.

[00:18:31] Um, but again, that’s the 99th, the comps that’s really, uh, a narrow chance that, that, uh, comes to fruition.

[00:18:39] Dillon: I think, I mean, I cheated, I absolutely cheated for this one and I wrote it down and didn’t label the fact that I cheated, but I remember I did, I looked and saw what players were like the best comp towards them.

[00:18:53] So for the 75th, Molly, It is it’s based on college [00:19:00] statistics and what they did on the. But, you know, Malique, if he gets hot, he’s got, he could turn a game around for his team. So I don’t think that it’s that wrong, but it’s not a creative, uh, take like you did with like Jeremy showed him so Jana and, uh, AK 47.

[00:19:19] I think my 99th is Charisse Lavert. I think

[00:19:22] Dustin: carers is like, And then I put that in my notes. I said he moves like cares. And then I saw what the ringer put him as care. So I’m like, no, I thought of that before I saw what the ringer had. So I’m going to give myself a point

[00:19:33] Dillon: for that. I think I know I like the Middleton comp.

[00:19:37] I just think it’s just too pie in the sky. I feel like Kerrison. He, if Malique Malakai can. Get his dribbling. Right. I think it’s more careful than Khris Middleton. Khris Middleton break, broke down defenders in the NBA finals when there was high leverage defenders on them. I agree.

[00:19:58] Dustin: Chris middle was a second round [00:20:00] prospect though.

[00:20:00] Like he be, he worked to get to Chris Middleton. Trousseau that? That’s, it’s not like, I don’t know in my mind, it’s not like we’re saying. Oh, he’s Brandon, Roy Brandon. Roy came up. I vacate like rookie of the year. This guy’s all MBA, dah, dah, dah, like Chris Mendelson was like relatively unknown. Got a little bit bit.

[00:20:20] And then now he’s yeah, he’s a champion and an all star. I believe he played on the Olympic team. So he did with true. Yeah. Yeah. So yes he did. Yeah. So that, to me, it’s like, oh, well, if Chris built-ins work them up that way, then Malakai could. But yes, I think that is the ultimate, um, level of achievement

[00:20:44] Dillon: that, I mean, a healthy care subverts, helping, helping a playoff team for sure.

[00:20:50] I, I. It’s tough for me to like see those pie in the sky. Things like, yeah, he’s this down. In a few years, he [00:21:00] could be, but it’s got to have over. There was like, that was the 99 percentile of the things happening. You know, life happens. I, you know, I don’t, I don’t know if Malika is gonna do what Chris Middleton did with, you know, the Gusto and just, nobody knows

[00:21:16] Dustin: any of it.

[00:21:17] Nobody knows anybody who says that they know what they’re talking about was full of shit. We’re all speculating. There’s nothing factual about talent evaluation. So some people are more right than others. There’s nothing factual about it. That’s why that’s the beauty of it. We all can just, it’s just speculation and some people are better at it, but there’s no, sometimes there’s just no rhyme or reason.

[00:21:40] It’s kind of fun. All right. So do you want to talk about the next player on Ohio state?

[00:21:47] Dillon: Yes. Let’s see if I actually wrote notes. I think I might’ve like, you know, uh, Well, let

[00:21:54] Dustin: me get into the, a little bit of the

[00:21:55] Dillon: background that I don’t have the background

[00:21:58] Dustin: whatsoever. We’re looking at [00:22:00] EGA Ladelle 21 year old prospects, uh, from Ohio state.

[00:22:04] He is a forward, uh, standing at six seven, a wingspan six eleven, two hundred and forty pounds from Bellville, Illinois. He was a four-star prospect by rivals in the class of 2019, the number 41 player overall, nationally. Um, he was first team all big 10 in 2021. And this year in 2022, um, for the season put up 19 4, 19 0.4 points did that on 49% from the field 76.5% from the line 37.4.

[00:22:43] Percent from downtown pulled down 7.9 boards, uh, had two and a half assists, 2.6 blocks. A pretty impressive number there, especially in a collegiate game. Uh, 0.6 deals, uh, did all of the damage in 33.2 minutes and had a [00:23:00] player efficiency rating of 30.5. One of the few prospects that we have evaluated that had a player efficiency rating of over 30 at the most.

[00:23:12] He is the number 20 player on the ringers draft, big board Sage. What jumped out at you, uh, when you first watched, uh, Egypt?

[00:23:23] Dillon: Well, I w I’ve been familiar with EGA for a little while because, um, you know, he is a junior. I remember him not being able to shoot. Well, like I, in my notes, it said that he was like an 18%, three point shooter as a sophomore.

[00:23:38] And the jump from his sophomore to his junior year just shows a lot of improvement. The NBA told them that he needs to shoot better and he went out and proved it. He is kind of like this flat ball shooter. But the shit goes in. So I feel like his aim is just top-notch as a [00:24:00] shooter right now. Really the shooting is the biggest part, um, of the, the offense.

[00:24:05] Like he’s going to be a pick and pop guy in the next level. Definitely going to. Just show his intelligence. Like when you watch ILA, EGA, Lidl, you see a guy that, oh, he knows where to be and where to put his body and how to get him. Or Malikai, Branom that open space to launch a three-year or get to the lane.

[00:24:26] Here’s something I want to ask you when you see a player that does really good passing, but it’s in the post spot about 50% of the time. And then at the top of the queue, What translates from that type of post entry passing to the NBA? Or is that skill just not transferred at all as a Playmaker in the next level?

[00:24:48] Because I think that he is a good passer, but location-wise, it was in the paint quite a bit, but like, what can you like, can you take that away and make him a good passer [00:25:00] in general? Even though location-wise it was in the post, but like when doubles happened, he was a willing, passer and got the ball to the person for it, like in their w uh, in their good spot to launch.

[00:25:14] So what, what do you think about the passing like of, of. Mostly I post guy.

[00:25:19] Dustin: I mean, that’s kind of the million dollar question when we’re evaluating these undersized post pro prospects, whether it was killed Swan again in 2017 Trabian Williams at Purdue currently, or, you know, EGA, Ladell both willing passers out of the post.

[00:25:34] Um, I think a lot of it is a company. That we’re comfortable with that. They’re back to the basket. They’re, they’re stationary for the most part, the game slows down for them at that, at that particular, uh, part of the floor, there’s a familiarity with it. And so the question is, can you. Can you take that and make them a dream on green type of distributor where they’re getting the ball in the middle of the floor and they have to go almost like a quarterback is use your one option, opens your [00:26:00] two optional, but if you didn’t got to move through your third read, like, can you make those split second decisions?

[00:26:05] Um, I don’t know if there is a great correlation there because I haven’t seen it. Um, I don’t, yeah, there’s only one dream on. And then if you want to go to. Centers. It works for seven feet centers who are able to score with their back to the basket because you’re actually going to be running action for them down low Joel Embiid, Nicola brokage.

[00:26:30] You want to go back to the two thousands argued as a bonus bloody D batch, uh, back to 77, but bill Walton. So when it was a primary function of an offense to dip the ball down low, it worked because it was unstoppable. If you throw the double. You know, the Houston rockets won a championship based upon the chemo as you on being unstoppable in the post, double teaming him and spreading the floor out with shooters.

[00:26:55] And he would just find the open guy. Nobody is going to be sending a double team for a [00:27:00] six, seven each.

[00:27:02] Dillon: So

[00:27:03] Dustin: the fact that he’s good at passing out of the post, I think it’s something that’s noteworthy, but I don’t think it’s anything you can really bank on because it may happen once every five games that he gets an offensive rebounds.

[00:27:14] And somehow a double team collapses around him after a missed a, missed a shot, and then he’s able to find a path. So like off of a second above a secondary offensive set is more I’m saying I could see it happen. Um, I didn’t see enough with him as a pick and roll where he’s able to be that distributor.

[00:27:33] Likewise, a lot of pick and pop, which is great, but I would just need to see more, like, I think. It’s it’s different being a Playmaker versus being able to pass out of a double team. There’s just something that makes it so much more of a valuable skillset. And then if you want even flip it and say, okay, you’re great at passing out of a double team, can we’ve run high, low action with you teams just aren’t utilizing two bigs on the court [00:28:00] as much.

[00:28:00] I know the calves are going that way a little bit, but you don’t generally see too. Bigs, and they’re definitely not running high, low action in, in today’s NBA, because again, who are you dumping the ball into? There’s two NBA teams that are dumping the ball into their center. So it’s a little bit of a lost art.

[00:28:18] So to answer your question, I don’t know if it translates with, with EGA. I think it’s great that he can pass out of a double team, but I wouldn’t say that just because he can do that, that he can become a distributor. Like a Dre monkery. Like, I wouldn’t agree to that. Like I would need to see more of him, uh, practice that action before I would say yes, I’m comfortable saying he can do that.

[00:28:41] So

[00:28:41] Dillon: IO state did run a lot of guard, setting the pick on eBay and then him finding them and finding players on the cut. Well, let’s be real. Most of the, his playmaking was from the post, but you definitely have seen him do other things. So, I mean, like, I [00:29:00] wouldn’t say that he is a non-factor as a passer. He definitely has gotten Malakai brand on a lot of easy buckets for the Ohio state Buckeyes.

[00:29:10] So I see that that is a aspect that you can build upon. Um, one thing that I really enjoyed when watching. EGA and Malakai work that two man game is Eve J would set some big body screens for Malakai to get to this spot. And, uh, so he can use that crab, dribble, or use that pull up for his own advantage. So I think that EG is one of those guys that’s just going to.

[00:29:38] Do his role as, you know, a rotation guy or as a, you know, a, a fifth starter if need be. Um, the offense is, is pretty good if he can shoot. But

[00:29:50] Dustin: I mean, I mean, offensively, I think outside of a pick and pop, there is a lot to be desired. I think he is making his money [00:30:00] on the other end of the phone. Yeah. Yeah.

[00:30:02] Dillon: The defense is absolutely positively where he shines.

[00:30:07] Dustin: I mean, cause the, the dribble is sketchy as, as shit and he likes to force, he can’t shake by as man. So he forces up a lot of tough job

[00:30:16] Dillon: shots. Do you see any of him in the triple threat?

[00:30:20] Dustin: There was a little bit, you know, if he’s able to get into the face up, that’s where he could live.

[00:30:25] Uh, especially if he’s got a slower, uh, player, uh, on him, but, but right now I would say. The pick and pop is where I would want to see him get that the expertise. And then we can work on other layers of the game, because like I said, He is going to be a solid player. I think you’re right. I think he’s a very intelligent, you kind of have to be, to be at that level of player, even in college.

[00:30:53] Um, he needs to work on continuing to be an NBA, three point shooter and an MBA just [00:31:00] knocked down space, space eater. Like you need to eat up your space, like make, make a defender, uh, be honest. Because if he’s not, then what are you doing out there?

[00:31:12] Dillon: What do you think about him as a, uh, as a vertical athlete and as an athlete in general, this is the first time that I’ve ever written these words for an African American app.

[00:31:23] But he sneaky athletic. When you look at him, he’s more he’s he looks like more of a ground bound athlete, but then he gets some crazy chase down block. Cause he just like, he measures the steps and get the chase down, blocking. How the hell did EGA Ladelle just chase down. Block me. What is the patient? I think that he has ops though, too.

[00:31:50] Yeah. He’s not ground bound. He can, he can get up when need be. I mean like the chase down and the help side walks. Think about what the [00:32:00] trouble is is do as a defense, that would be humongously important. If you know, there, there was 20 minutes of EGA, Lidl and use of NERC is playing defense with one another, with our, with our scheme being so high risk, high reward, we need somebody to do that help side block.

[00:32:16] When use of markets inevitably gets blown by, by a faster guard. To have Eagle Adele playing help side defense. That could be really super valuable to, uh, to an NBA team like him. His defense is really high level in terms of his instincts, his help side defense. The fact that he’s getting three blocks of game at six, seven is pretty, pretty amazing.

[00:32:45] Like the timing, the, the skillfulness you see a lot. And like when he gets, when he got switched on to a legitimate guard, he didn’t embarrass himself. He’s, he’s pretty fleet of foot for being a God. Yeah, [00:33:00] he he’s pretty fleet of foot for a guy that big and that strong the NBA is all about attacking a weakness.

[00:33:07] Defensively. I don’t think he’s going to embarrass himself defending a guard that like, I mean, Kyrie is going to do that to everybody, but Egypt, Waddell is going to play some good defense on the perimeter on help side on those rare post ups that happen. If you’re not playing against Philadelphia. Like, what, what are you thinking about his defense?

[00:33:31] Dustin: I mean, I think that’s where he’s, if he’s going to be a first round pick, it’s going to be on that, that end of the floor. Like he’s, he’s going to be someone that a coach can put in pretty early, even as a rookie and feel confident that the defense isn’t going to, to suffer or, or Wayne, you know, w whenever a coach.

[00:33:51] Plays a rookie that’s usually that ends the floor is where they struggle. It’s like they miscommunicate, they get backdoored. Uh, they don’t stop ball in [00:34:00] transition like that. That’s where you always see the coach on the sideline pulling their higher up it’s because a young player fucks up on the defensive end of the floor.

[00:34:07] No, this is where he is at as bad. Like you said the chase down blocks to help side defense, uh, the switch ability, the ability to guard pick and rolls. It just seems like he’s like an air traffic controller out there. Um, it’s interesting to see. I think the biggest question for me is like, is he going to be a strictly, a small ball five?

[00:34:30] And that might be difficult at, at six, seven or. Or can he play some for, so like the NBA has just adapted and changed where Jason Tatum is now a power forward, like in the nineties, he’s a small Ford and he’s probably going up against Mark Bryant and buck Williams players who aren’t going to take them off the dribble.

[00:34:52] But now you’ve got Brandon Ingram. Jason Tatum. Hell Paul. George is predominantly a powerful word right now. Like there, there’s just [00:35:00] these six, 10 freaks that are putting the ball on the floor. And I know you said that, you know, guard may not embarrass him, but those guys can embarrass you too. And it’s those

[00:35:09] Dillon: aren’t they embarrassing 90%.

[00:35:11] They

[00:35:11] Dustin: are. They absolutely are. But. You all, will you got to have someone with some size, at least to make it tough? Like I know he’s got a six 11 wingspan, but, um, it’s very rare to see an undersized defendant. Really locked down, taller players. I mean, there’s a reason. The dream on green is the name that everyone thinks of us because he’s like one of like three people in history that have been able to do that.

[00:35:38] So it’s going to be difficult for him at his size if he can work on being a little bit more laterally. Cool. Quick, um, And I, I want to see more on ball defense, um, from him because the help sites there, I mean, he can be a great defender. I think if he’s in the right scheme, I think Ladelle, if he goes to a team that knows how to play defense, like [00:36:00] Toronto, like Nick nurse is just such a magician.

[00:36:03] When it comes to defensive schemes, you go to a program like the Raptors or. Yeah, the heat would fit like a glove. I would have no qualms with, with the usual Adele. Mike. Yeah. You’re easily getting a second contract, but if you go to a team like the blazers, uh, well here we don’t play defense. Yeah. Like we’ll look what we did with Robert Covington.

[00:36:27] And he said, Robert Covington, you are great at playing free safety. Go lock down Yonis and also, uh, makeup for Damon CJ, and just, just do everything for us. Know that, well, first of all, no player can do that. But second of all, that’s asking too much of him. That’s not his strength, his strength. Isn’t going to be to say, okay, we need you to, to be a point of attack.

[00:36:51] No, he he’s a help side defender, an elite help side defenders.

[00:36:56] Dillon: I feel like he would help the team defense. Yes,

[00:36:59] Dustin: [00:37:00] he would. But I still feel like Portland as it’s currently constructed, if they’re going to trot out Damon Anthony, as the starting guards. I mean,

[00:37:10] Dillon: nobody is going to make

[00:37:11] Dustin: up for exactly. That’s why I don’t think it’s a great fit for Portland because, and we don’t have that,

[00:37:17] Dillon: that, that pick that all important.

[00:37:20] Dustin: Second, first round. Yeah. You’re, you’re setting yourself up for, for failure. Um, by, I mean, Portland mean the blazers need, need to do so many other things that they’re doing now. If they go Dane, Josh Hart, you get, maybe get like Nasir thing. You’re starting to become more. Well-balanced. Then I could see that happening, but if you’re going to go home and put out two undersized guards who don’t play defense, it’s, it’s just not going to work.

[00:37:50] I mean, you need three elite level defenders. To even be respectable. So that’s why I like the Miami. I like the Toronto, like if he can, [00:38:00] uh, golden state, like if he can go there and find one of those landing spots for team that plays with size plays with balance. Has a great scheme, multiple defensive schemes.

[00:38:11] Uh, he is really going to flourish like San Antonio would be also a, I

[00:38:15] Dillon: feel like San Antonio isn’t to take them. And one of those 2 20 15

[00:38:19] Dustin: with McKeldin plays, goody Yaka, Pirtle plays good deed. That, that system in San Antonio

[00:38:25] Dillon: I would love is one thing. You mentioned that you didn’t see enough, uh, on ball reps.

[00:38:31] So I, I took the time and watched the duke Ohio state game. ETA is one-on-one defense on Paulo. Like I th it was one of the few games where I was like, oh, Paulo’s, Paulo’s having a difficult time against a guy like EGA.

[00:38:49] Dustin: And that’s a big time matchup. Palibin Kara was going to be a top three. He

[00:38:53] Dillon: tried to do his post thing and got just stonewalled four times in a row.

[00:38:56] And then he just became a perimeter shooter. And like [00:39:00] when, when you can get an elite guy like Paulo, who there aren’t that many guys that are built like Paulo with the moves, like Paulo in the league. If you can, if you can frustrate that guy, you’re going to frustrate like 80% of potential power forwards.

[00:39:15] And if

[00:39:16] Dustin: he can do that and is able to play for. That really enhances his value. I think if his on-ball reaches the level of his off-ball, you’re, you’re going to be looking at a player that despite whatever he does on the offensive end. Teams probably should have taken him in the top 10. I mean, let, let’s be real.

[00:39:37] The defense could be that good.

[00:39:41] Dillon: So is he one of the guys that you would bet your 20 good players on in the draft class?

[00:39:46] Dustin: There’s more than 20 good players in this draft? I like

[00:39:48] Dillon: this draft. I mean, like out of the average, you know, 20 is gonna stick. Is it, would you put money on EGA, Ladelle to stick. And get that second

[00:39:57] Dustin: contract.

[00:39:58] Yeah, I think you’ll easily get a [00:40:00] second contract again. I think he’s probably a really high level reserve. Um, maybe a fifth starter. Um, you need to

[00:40:08] Dillon: have 48 minutes of competent basketball. Like that’s one of the main things in the.

[00:40:14] Dustin: What’s up over 82 games a year, players get hurt. Uh, you know,

[00:40:19] Dillon: COVID is still a thing, bro.

[00:40:21] So you need to have, you need to have competent basketball players. Like I feel like Nilo shade just looked at the five and that’s good enough. But what he probably should have looked at was that bench. Cause we only had a good bench once. And then we went to the Western conference finals because of that good bench.

[00:40:37] So to ha like if EGL Adele is the seventh or eighth man on your dry. You’re doing pretty well with your reserves. Like I, I believe in him. Uh, what is your, uh, what’s your low end outcome for ETL? The Dell.

[00:40:52] Dustin: When I saw him and I saw the underside. I immediately went to Chuck Hayes from the Houston rockets. I liked that a lot.[00:41:00]

[00:41:00] I remember distinctfully that trio of forwards in Houston in 2009, giving Portland fits it was Louis Scola. It was Carl Andrey and it was Chuck Hayes. Chuck Hayes was the best defender of the bunch, primarily on ball, but he was undersized. He was tough as shit. And he didn’t give up any ground didn’t file.

[00:41:21] Uh, completely took a taller LaMarcus Aldridge, uh, out of the game, which just was a fantastic defender. Um, now Chuck Hayes couldn’t shoot to save, uh, to save the rockets, but if EG Ladelle was able to get a jump shot, he clearly, I think goes over that, that, that floor. But if the jump shot doesn’t really ever materialize, I think he can still fall back on the defense.

[00:41:45] So that’s where my mind doing with the Chuck.

[00:41:48] Dillon: I liked that a lot. Do you do believe in the shot? Like he’s a 37%, three point shooter? Like, do you believe that it’s going to be legal? I

[00:41:56] Dustin: see a lot of, uh, Dyson Daniels in the [00:42:00] shot where he wasn’t eight, he came up short quite a bit. So I think he’s going to need to do the same type of work that, that Dyson’s going to have to do where it’s like, okay, this is the type of momentum you need to gather as you’re going into your shot.

[00:42:12] Uh, it should translate, but, but I I’ve, stranger things have, have happened.

[00:42:18] Dillon: Absolutely. I mean to go from 18% last year to 37%, that’s a really big, that’s a humongous improvement and shout out to him for taking what the Scouts said about his game and translating it to, uh, to, uh, the actual on-court, you know, who I kind of think of him.

[00:42:42] His bottom end is Katie Bates. He’s on the spurs. Now he was on the Minnesota Timberwolves, a guy that came off the bench made. Yep. Made some threes, played. Some defense was a good eighth man on a roster. [00:43:00] Like I watched him this year. He still can lock people up. I mean, pop loves them. So. I mean maybe, maybe Jayla Del takes the spot, but I mean, like I see an eighth man on a roster that if he shoots his, that’s a lot of, uh, icing on the cake of a very good player,

[00:43:19] Dustin: my middle of the road.

[00:43:20] And I focused more on the pick and pop for this one and the undersized for, but this is the player that played, I think, eight to 10 years in the league. Dante Cunningham.

[00:43:33] Dillon: I had PJ Washington. Yeah. I mean, Don Dante, I feel like you and I are very equipped to talk about Dante Cunningham, being a, a very good defender that at one point in time was a good shooter.

[00:43:48] Dustin: Yeah, he was, he was great in Portland and newest role. Again, he kept getting contract after contract. Like he was just a solid player. Uh, where do you have the EG eligible EGA [00:44:00] Ladelle topping out at?

[00:44:01] Dillon: I see Paul mill. I mean like the archetype of an undersized guy that plays defense rebounds and shoots threes.

[00:44:08] Isn’t that? Paul Millsap isn’t that

[00:44:12] Dustin: chase down block.

[00:44:14] Dillon: Maybe when he was younger. Sure. As hell, isn’t it today?

[00:44:16] Dustin: Well, I, yeah. Okay. I saw the Paul Millsap comparison too. Um, I think if he becomes the knockdown shooter, um, he, 99 percentile I think is a prime. Robert Covington,

[00:44:31] Dillon: is there some Jae Crowder to his game to maybe EDA is more.

[00:44:38] Version of J where J prime J was more of a perimeter centric guy, but couldn’t you see that as a, uh, an outcome, like a 75th percentile outcome of he’s just hitting threes and playing good defense. Do you think there’s a J Crowder outcome there somewhere?

[00:44:58] Dustin: How tall is Jay? I [00:45:00] think Jay six,

[00:45:00] Dillon: nine. Holy shit. I see.

[00:45:02] Cause I kind of thought they were the same size. You know that production, like Jay’s been

[00:45:09] Dustin: on, I am, I am really wrong. How tall is he? So I am looking at basketball reference. I believe their statistics six, six. I thought he was six, nine.

[00:45:24] Dillon: So isn’t that comp little bit more realistic since the size difference.

[00:45:28] Isn’t that much. Yeah. I’m a shit. If you could find a J Crowder in the late first round, there’s going to be a team. That’s like, you’re looking at them like, damn, they got him at pick 18

[00:45:42] Dustin: or is that okay? All J Crowder doesn’t offenses is catch and shoot. You don’t want him doing anything else. And I think that’s going to be the case with EJI, with Dell.

[00:45:51] Dillon: What are some teams did? Oh yeah, we already talked about the heat and the. The

[00:45:56] Dustin: Raptors. I think, um, the spurs and the [00:46:00] warriors are, are really good teams. Clearly the Phoenix suns already have a bunch of EGA. Let’s all type players and they’re doing just

[00:46:05] Dillon: fine. Who’s higher on your personal board, Malakai or Egypt.

[00:46:11] Dustin: Um, it just depends on where you, I haven’t gotten that far yet. It’s more of a preference. Do you want to take an upside? Do you need a shooting guard? Did you, are you willing to put in two to three extra years? Because I think the ceiling of Malakai is much higher, but I think the floor is much higher for Isla Del.

[00:46:28] And so are you a playoff contending team that is looking for. If you do need to defender off of the bench, like it just, I think at that point it becomes down to what do you need? What, what do you desire more for your rescue? So,

[00:46:42] Dillon: so they’re definitely on the same tier as prospects. Yes. I feel like, I feel like EG could be on most teams.

[00:46:51] Like he could be a good player on a rebuilding team and then he can be a good player on a competing team. I feel like EGA because of [00:47:00] that safe floor. Can make an impact on almost every team that he’s on. He’s CR he’s turned himself in to a legitimate, like he was a second round guy this year. If you looked at like mocks, like he was at 55 or 48, like now he’s 1815.

[00:47:19] Like if, if a team sees if like a competing team sees him at 16, I would not be shocked for him to go to the ed six. You have anything else you want to talk about with these Ohio state Buckeyes?

[00:47:35] Dustin: I think, uh, no, I think we bought wrap it up, uh, with the last Friday of no there’s two Fridays left April, but, but next Friday, we will be doing a, um, No, I’m, I’m sorry, my mouth is this.

[00:47:50] This will come out next Friday. This will come out on the 22nd. Yes, the final Friday of the month, we will have our April mock draft. So we will do another lottery mock draft [00:48:00] Portland. We’ll just have one pick. I think this time we will mock with Portland at six for this time. We’ll. Uh, do a little bit of a curve ball.

[00:48:08] Last time we used to tank Ethan this time. We’ll keep Portland at six and get a little bit different outcome and see how that changes things, especially with just having one pick, uh, but be on the lookout for that. And then we will also have a few second round gyms that, that we feel like you should keep an eye on Portland with two second round picks, including pick 36.

[00:48:28] And then once the lottery on May 17th take takes place. We will have our post lottery, a mock draft as.

[00:48:35] Dillon: All right, everybody. We will talk to you later. Peace out.