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22 - Walter Tavares

7-3, 260 Center
Spain International
Birthday
03/22/92 (32 yrs)
Hometown
Maio, Sotovento, Cape Verde
International Team
Gran Canaria
Statistics
LEB Silver Statistics
Athleticism
7
Size
10
Defense
7
Strength
8
Quickness
7
Leadership
7
Jump Shot
8
NBA Ready
6
Rebounding
8
Potential
7
Post Skills
6
Intangibles
7

NBA Comparison: Peter John Ramos

Strengths: Standing 7-3, with an astonishing wingspan of 7-9 he has tremendous size, combined with excellent mobility for a big man with his dimensions … He’s always active on the floor, showing great progresses from a conditioning standpoint, compared to when he arrived on the Canary Islands … Offensively he’s really effective in pick and roll situations, showing the ability to finish above the rim after the cut with aggressiveness, furthermore his mobility and coordination make him an effective contributor in creating space for his teammates with solid screens, playing a key role in Gran Canarias offense .. Most of his offensive repertoire is based on dunks and put backs after an offensive rebound, but he has shown significant improvements on his hook shot using his right hand … He has a soft touch and he’s a solid free throw shooter … Defensively he’s a great pick and roll defender, being able to recover in the painted area after helping on the screen … Plus with his great size and wingspan he’s definitely a great rim protector. According to those with knowledge of him, he’s a nice, humble guy with a great work ethic …

Weaknesses: He lacks explosiveness and elite athleticism, furthermore as per all the big man of comparable size, the physical and muscular improvement must be developed carefully, in order to avoid back and structural problems … Offensively he’s still rather raw, he lacks post moves and struggles to effectively take position in the painted area … Furthermore his lack of solid ball handling skills makes it difficult for him to create his own shot, often relying on offensive rebounds and assists from teammates … Despite his size he’s not yet an elite rebounder, since he lacks effective positioning and a natural understanding of the game … These shortcomings also affect his defensive effectiveness: he jumps on shot fakes too often, committing unnecessary fouls … 

Notes: He was discovered by a German citizen who was on vacation in Cape Verde in 2009. This person reported to his connections in Gran Canaria and the following season he started playing with the youth teams … Tavares has improved significantly over the last 2 years, from being the last player in the rotation on a second division team, to playing as starting C on playoff team in Spain’s first division .. Most of his improvements are attributed to coach Pedro Martinez, who helped Fran Vasquez and Marc Gasol to blossom in the past … There’s a strong likelihood he’ll be selected, since this type of big and mobile centers could provide some solid intimidation even in the worst case scenario. He’s averaging 6 points and 7 rebounds in ACB …

Davide Bortoluzzi 4/5/14

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