Adetokunbo stands out first and foremost thanks to the tremendous physical profile he brings to the table, reminding somewhat of a
Nicolas Batumor
Thabo Sefoloshaon first glance. He has great size at 6-9, 196 pounds, to go along with a developed upper body and an overall terrific frame that should fill out considerably in time. His wingspan has reportedly been measured at 7-3, but perhaps most interesting is the size of his hands, as he's able to palm the ball like a grapefruit which helps him out considerably as a passer, ball-handler and finisher.
Exceptionally smooth and fluid, Adetokunbo still hasn't reached his full potential as an athlete, which makes sense if you consider he turned 18 three months ago and has grown 8 cm (a little over three inches) in the past ten months—and still might not be done growing. He's still working on his balance on the defensive end, and isn't an incredibly explosive leaper—something that could change as his lower body strength improves.
It's popular to say that a prospect--particularly an obscure one-- “plays every position on the floor,” but in the game we watched in Greece, that was indeed the case. The competition level, as you can see in the video scouting report above, is indeed nothing to write home about, but it's difficult not to be taken aback by the incredibly versatile skill-set Adetokunbo brings to the table at 6-9.
The tallest player on his team, Adetokunbo started the game off at the power forward position, but played on the perimeter almost exclusively. Similar to the way
Kyle Andersonis used at UCLA, he initiates a lot of his team's offense in the half-court and regularly rebounds the ball and takes it coast to coast, showing fantastic body control. He's an extremely smooth ball-handler and a surprisingly adept passer, looking extremely unselfish and very focused on getting his teammates involved. He's capable of driving left or right and reads defenses far better than you'd expect considering his age and size, as he shows great sparks of creativity and smarts that make it easy to envision him developing into a point forward type as his career progresses.
Adetokunbo's long strides and great length allow him to finish his moves in a variety of ways around the basket. He's largely right-hand dependent, though, and will need to continue to improve his strength and explosiveness to finish over the top of better defenses than he's facing at the moment.
Adetokunbo's perimeter shooting ability is not as refined as his passing and ball-handling skills. While his shooting mechanics are relatively consistent, and he's capable of making shots with both his feet set and off the dribble, he sports a low release point and is not a knock down shooter when left open. He's making 34% of his 3-pointers on the season in A2 thus far and 70% of his free throw attempts, so there's definitely something to build off here.
Defensively is where Adetokunbo might have the best potential considering the superior size and length he brings to the table at his position—likely small forward. He's not very consistent in this area yet, as he lacks significant experience, is not physical enough keeping a body on opponents and fighting through screens, and plays too upright on the perimeter. The instincts he displays here are very intriguing though, as he shows good anticipation on the defensive glass and is capable of making his presence felt in the passing lanes and as a shot-blocker.
The biggest thing holding Adetokunbo back at the moment is his lack of experience. He's a late bloomer who did not have the benefit of growing up playing against other top international talents his age in the various FIBA competitions over the years. Similar to many young prospects still growing into their frames, he's not incredibly physical at the moment, and is not immune from showing questionable decision making in the half-court. He is at times so focused on getting his teammates involved that he can be appear to lack somewhat of a killer instinct, and his average perimeter shooting ability and defensive prowess could surely become more of an issue against higher level competition if he does not improve in these areas.
Additionally, there are some question marks about his true position and ideal role on the floor against senior players. While the concept of a 6-9 point guard sounds great in theory, there are very few teams and coaches that actually play that way, which means he will have to continue to improve his ability to operate off the ball as well.