NBA Comparison: Daniel Ochefu

Strengths: Athletic, blue collar big… Has prototypical size and length for a center… Above average wingspan, measured at 7-2 feet… Good athlete… Has already an NBA body… Has a strong torso and upper body… Above average basketball I.Q… Plays with a good motor… Good leaper off two feet… Good, quick second jump… Runs the floor well… Very good in transition… Good screener and roller in Pick and Roll, he does good Pick and Dives, rolling hard to the basket… Had some good moments in Short Rolls, taking his time before deciding whether to pass or shoot… Good finisher around the rim, likes to finish plays strong… Fights in the post to establish position, doesn’t shy away from contact… Has above average footwork in the Post, prefers to turn on his left shoulder, but he can do an occasional Up and Under… Has shown some glimpses as a shooter from mid-range… High shooting release point in his Jump Shot makes it difficult to get blocked… Above average passer, especially when posting up… Very good offensive rebounder, giving second chance opportunities to his team… Draws a lot of fouls due to playing style, putting pressure on his opponents… Not afraid to bang bodies in the Post when defending… Above average lateral quickness… Good defender in Pick and Roll in drop, flat or hedge out coverage and above average in switches thanks to his nice lateral quickness… Good rim protector, know the low of verticality …

Weaknesses: Not an elite athlete… Needs time to gather before a jump, losing time when he tries to elevate from the floor… He is still kind of raw and needs more polishing in his game overall… Inexperienced, hasn’t had enough playing time on high level… He can’t fully control his body yet… Doesn’t have soft hands, ,which kind of limits him, since he loses control of the ball in Pick and Rolls, comitting turnovers… Extremely right hand dominant, really prefers to turn on his left shoulder when Posting Up, something that makes him predictable… Must improve finishing with his left hand at the rim… Face Up game in the post needs work, looks like he lacks confidence to attack consistently in these situations… Inconsistent shooter from mid-range… Bad free throw shooter despite the potential he has shown as a shooter from mid-range… Decision making isn’t there yet when Posting up, he might rush things or make poor passes… Doing Short Rolls in Pick and Roll situations is still a work in progress… Foul prone, he commits too many of them due to either inexperience or his over willingness to help… Surprisingly average shot blocker despite his physical profile and instincts… Lateral quickness not totally there, he could have problems guarding Stretch-Bigs …

Outlook: Khalifa Diop is an athletic, defensive minded center, with some glimpse of offensive potential… He has an NBA body and above average athleticism, is more polished than people think, can play the Pick and Roll and has the potential to become a defensive anchor… However, he is still kind of raw offensively and has problems staying on the court because of foul trouble… At the end of the day, Diop has the physical profile and the potential to become an NBA players, but for this to …

Stefanos Makris 6/23/22