NBA Comparison: Ian Mahinmi

Strengths: Athletic big… Has good size for his position… Has above average length, with a wingspan measured at 7-3 feet… Very good athlete… Nice coordination for his size… Very good leaper off two feet… Light on his feet on jumps, he can elevate from the floor really quick… Makes a lot of plays above the rim on both ends of the floor… Runs the floor well for a big… Has a nice frame, with a body that shows that it can fill up nicely… Solid screener and mobile roll-man in Pick and Roll situations… A playmaker’s dream when it comes to alley oops in Pick and Roll situations… Moves well without the ball, knows where to go to take a pass and finish a play… Likes to finish plays strong at the rim, wants to dunk everything… Has a basic Post Up game, preferring to turn on his left shoulder… Solid shooting mechanics when he shoots uncontested shots from mid-range, has shown some potential as a mid-range shooter… Has shown some flashes as a short roller in Pick and Roll situations… Good rebounder, especially on the offensive end… Had some good moments as a passer… Rim protector… Very good shot blocker, with nice timing… Knows how to take advantage of his physical tools on defense… Has been good in Drop coverage in defensive Pick and Rolls… Has enough mobility on his hips to stay in front of some guards in switches in Pick and Rolls, has made some blocks in these situations… Has shown good speed recovering to a player when he is getting crossed, making some blocks… Willing weakside defender, can come out of nowhere to block a shot

Weaknesses: Has a really thin frame for now, he needs to gain some weight… Must add some muscle on his upper body to be able to be competitive on the next level… Basketball I.Q still a work in progress… He is still pretty limited on the offensive end of the floor… Doesn’t always set good screens in Pick and Roll situations, since he sets them too quick or too late… His frame hurts him at times when he tries to set a screen against an energetic perimeter defender… Still has some things to learn when it comes to Pick and Rolls, whether is the timing of the pick, or him rolling quicker to the basket… Hasn’t really been asked to try short-rolls after setting a pick… Passing is still a work in progress… Post Up game is pretty basic and predictable despite his good intentions… Doesn’t always establish position in the Post, he can be pushed around because of his lack of strength… Has the tendency to rush things on offense at times… Changes shooting mechanics from mid-range when pressured… Needs work when it comes to handoffs, which could be a game changer for him… Jumps to pump fakes on the perimeter too often… Bigger centers can establish position easily on him in the Post and score through force… Not totally capable of staying in front of explosive guards in switches, feet at times have wrong orientation when defending…

Outlook: Ismael Kamagate is a really interesting prospect… A true center with a nice level of athleticism and length, who has the potential to be Rim Runner/Rim protector kind of big… Kamagate is still raw around the edges, but he has made strides the last couple of years, which is a sign of a good worker… He has the potential to be a defensive anchor… If he manages to add some strength on his body and improve his basketball I.Q, he could become a really good player …

Stefanos Makris 6/19/22