NBA Comparison: Al Thornton

Strengths: This man is strong. Long bodied forward who throws it down with authority, plays ferocious, tenacious defense, and is an interested and developing outside shooter … Excellent length, strength, and versatility. 7’1″ wingspan in a 6’8″ frame … When Prosper puts the ball on the floor it’s not the most fluid looking thing in the world. But he is able to impose his will (and strength) on the other team and get to the hole … Can reasonably be expected to defend positions 2-4 on ball, at minimum … The 3p shot is a relatively recent addition to his arsenal, but it is there, and continues to develop (34% this past season at Marquette) … At Marquette he was roughly a 76% FT shooter, proving he does have some shooting touch … Don’t let his basic box score stats fool you: A cornerstone of Prosper’s game is his defensive impact. He averaged a mind-bogglingly low 0.1 blocks per game across his entire college career, and less than 1 steal per game. However, his reputation is deserved — he is a dog on the defensive end … Very powerful, moves his feet well, applies constant pressure… About 1/3 of his rebounds were offensive rebounds…

Weaknesses: Maybe we list blocks and steals as an area for improvement … They don’t tell the full defensive story, but they do at least play some part. And Prosper’s numbers in both were remarkably low in college … The 3-point shot is a relatively recent addition to his arsenal, and he is not yet a reliable outside shooter … While he is fairly accurate from mid-range, he will need to continue developing here and from outside to reach a level close to a Siakam type …
Shot mechanics can improve … Often catches without his feet set, slowing his release … Takes a while to transfer the catch into the shot … Has not displayed much passing or playmaking ability … Turns the ball over at too high a rate … Has decent, but developing touch after a jump stop into a hook shot / floater in the lane … NOT overly quick. He is quite methodical in his movements … Rebounding numbers were underwhelming for a long athletic post player …

Overall: Had standout measurements and athletic performance at the combine. Finished top-5 in nearly every athletic test (such as max vert). The 7’1″ wingspan in the 6’8″ frame is a big positive. Stylistically, he’s not the most fluid mover … He is a little harsh with his steps and change of direction. But also extremely powerful for his size, you rarely see him get knocked off balance — more likely he’s abusing his defender with his strength. A menace as an on ball defender and can be expected to guard most positions on the floor … Gives great effort. Despite not passing the eye test as a fluid mover, he does get to his spots, and is an effective finisher from 2-point range … As he develops his mid-range and 3-point shooting, he can turn into a viable option on the offensive end… His calling card, especially initially and probably always, will be his impact defensively …

Notes: Measured 6′ 6.75” barefoot, 8′ 8” standing reach, 212.4 lbs and a 7′ 1” wingspan and a 35 inch standing vertical and a 40.5′ inch max vertical at the 2023 NBA Draft Combine … From Montreal, Canada …  Played one year at Clemson before transferring to Marquette, where he played two seasons … Sister, Cassandre, is one of top-ranked basketball prospects in Canada  … Both parents played at Concordia University in Montreal … Mom played for Team Canada … There is some precedent of hard nosed players “over achieving” in the pros from Marquette, let’s see if Prosper will follow suit.

Drew Wolin 6/18/23