Tankathon: 39th
Wasserman, B/R: Unranked (top-50 cutoff)
Hollinger: Unranked (top-75 cutoff)
ESPN: 32nd
Diop made his senior team debut with Gran Canaria in a Euroleague game nearly three years ago as a then-17 year old, but hasn't fully entrenched himself in the rotation of one of Spain's top teams until this season, which is understandable considering the level at which he competes.
Still the same age as some college freshmen, Diop is playing some of the best basketball of his career as of late, starting many of his team's recent games and establishing himself as one of the most versatile defensive big men in the European game.
Diop is as mobile and energetic a big man as you'll find in this class, tasked with putting out fires all over the floor for Gran Canaria, whether trapping opponents at half-court, switching or hedging ball-screens well beyond the 3-point line, helping off his man to double the post or protect the rim, and making some tremendous plays recovering from the perimeter to meet opponents at the summit. He generates quite a few more turnovers than the boxs core gives him credit for on a nightly basis, and his versatility as a 7-foot, 250 pound big man already well-versed in the nuances of high-level pick-and-roll defense should give him an immediate role to grow into early in his NBA career, despite being foul-prone and just an average defensive rebounder due to his occasional struggles keeping up with the speed of the game.
Offensively, Diop has made steady progress with his skill level and feel for the game, becoming more reliable catching, passing and finishing around the basket, but has plenty of room to grow in this area still. He's a poor screener, lacks a degree of explosiveness operating off two feet in traffic, and isn't immune from missing point-blank shots in the paint. He doesn't have range on his jumper and is just a 59% free throw shooter, sometimes not really being guarded by opponents. He does make up for that with the energy he brings on the offensive glass, and will surprise you every game by showing flashes of a new-found skill, be it short-roll passing or left-hand finishing, but will always likely be considered an "energy guy" even at his peak.
What NBA teams think about Diop will likely largely depend on what they think about the level where he plays. For some, a 20-year old starting and finishing games at the ACB and EuroCup levels and making his presence felt on both ends of the floor will be extremely noteworthy, while others will point to his unremarkable numbers (6 points, 3.6 rebounds in 15 minutes per game) and prefer to target college big men instead.
Diop has a high floor as a NBA backup, but there are many teams who simply prefer to have highly skilled players on the floor at every position and won't be interested in a player in this mold, which could relegate him to the second round. - Jonathan Givony
Post-Draft Analysis
Diop, who stands 7-feet with a 250-pound frame, is coming off an excellent ACB quarterfinal playoff series against arguably the best team in European basketball in Barcelona, posting 32 points and 12 rebounds in 55 minutes through three games. He's an exceptionally mobile big man who plays the game with tremendous intensity, is one of the most versatile defenders in this draft class and can still rotate fluidly to the paint to meet opponents at the summit and protect the rim.
Diop is as well-coached and experienced as any prospect, playing strong rotation minutes for 54 games on a team that made both the ACB and EuroCup playoffs. There are only a handful of 20-year-olds who could do what he did this season competing at the highest levels of competition in Europe, earning the trust of his coaching staff and having several stellar performances in important games.
While known for his defense, Diop has steadily improved offensively to the point that he's earned the trust of his coaching staff. He's one of the most prolific finishers in this draft class, averaging a dunk every 16 minutes he's on the floor, and is a capable passer out of short roll situations, even making occasional touch passes that hint at good things to come down the road. His hands can be suspect at times and he's still figuring out the nuances of screening and rolling, while his 57% from the free throw line this season doesn't suggest much potential to emerge as a floor-spacer anytime soon.
Even if Diop's upside is capped at that of a backup center in the NBA, the things he brings as a rim-runner, finisher, rim-protector and perimeter defender are very valuable. The fact that you can't find a single person who will say a bad thing about Diop's work ethic and approach has to be taken into account as well, as he's someone who clearly knows his role and isn't going to try to be someone he's not. -- Jonathan Givony
Woo, SI: 52nd
Diop has worked himself into firm draftability as one of the more interesting international stash prospects in the class. That stems from his impressive physical tools, huge frame and great mobility for his size, which have always made him an interesting prospect to monitor. Diop has some basic offensive skill and won’t be overmatched physically, and he’s made encouraging progress over the past couple years in terms of adding nuances to his game. He still leaves some things to be desired, as his defensive awareness isn’t always great, but he’s been trending in the right direction and could be a useful player if and when he arrives stateside.
Vecenie, Athletic: 66th
STRENGTHS
A big with an elite frame. He’s been on the NBA radar for a while now. Great size at 6-foot-11 with a wingspan in the range of
7-foot-3. Has the frame of a legitimate NBA rim-running big. Has enormous shoulders that make you think he could add real
strength in a short time. He also plays hard. Consistently puts himself in the middle of the action for tap-outs and tip-ins on
the glass. Think that’s probably where he is best right now. He runs out on the break looking for passes from his guards either
as a trailer or filling lanes. Offensively, Diop’s best skill, outside of his motor right now, in my opinion, is that he sets excellent
screens. He always works hard to make contact, and he is excellent and flipping and reversing screens to try to get his man a bit
of an advantage. He’s also a smart roller and a relatively effective finisher. He is really savvy with his shot selection and generally
only takes the ones he can finish. He has good touch around the basket and goes through contact with relative ease. I also love
his roll versatility. He’s comfortable rolling all the way to the rim or cutting it short and drawing a man toward him to pass or to
dribble and finish inside. He’s not a great passer yet, but he has some instinct for reading the help-side man.
WEAKNESSES
I don’t find Diop to be a particularly wild athlete with a lot of twitch. He has a bit of vertical pop off two feet, but he typically
has to really load into it. He’s not all that quick off his feet. You see that most with his finishing numbers: He makes about
60 percent of his shots at the rim in half-court settings, not a great number for a true rim runner. You also see it with him in
ball screens. Plays very upright. His instincts are not great away from the rim right now. His use of angles is poor, and if you
catch him leaning the wrong way, it’s hard for him to get back into the play. Gets caught in no-man’s land between the roller and
the ballhandler far too regularly. Also generally don’t love his instincts as a shot blocker and rim protector. It’s way too easy to
get him out of the play with fakes because he’s overaggressive. I also have some real worries with his hands. They aren’t horrible,
but there are a lot of times where he doesn’t seem to come down cleanly with the ball. This is where the turnovers come up for
him. He has a high turnover rate for someone with this limited of a role. Given how much of his role comes down to catching
and finishing, I have some substantial concerns about this being a real issue for his long-term prospects. Diop also is not a
shooter, and I don’t really buy the jumper getting better. Doesn’t seem to have great touch. His balance is all over the place and
a mess. His legs go flying everywhere if there is any sort of movement involved. Additionally, his shot is on a straight line toward
the rim.
SUMMARY
I’m a bit skeptical on Diop. He’s a potential stash in the back 10 picks of the draft just because his size and frame make him an
intriguing player, but I’m a bit skeptical that he’s got real NBA upside until his positioning improves, his hands improve, his
instincts as a rim protector improve and he becomes more capable of staying in the play regularly. He is playing real minutes in
a high-level professional league, and that is worth considering, but this is a pure second-round stash play, and I don’t know that
he’d be at the top of my list in that regard.
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I actually don't mind the pick at all -- backup center was a need for this team, and it's even more encouraging that the Cavs are intent on bringing him over within the next couple years.. My guess is he spends the next year in Spain, then likely comes over next year to spend the year in the G-League developing with the Cavs staff...
I think the variation in draft rankings (#32 all the way to outside of top-75) is due to how much stock people put into his toolbox and their belief in it developing into something worthwhile... There's something to be said for his talent that he made his Spanish League debut at 17 and was playing significant minutes this year, to the point of being named EuroCup Rising Star (the award has five 1st round picks, and Cavs legend Milan Macvan to its name) and made the ACB All Young Players Team...
The question is did they pick the right draft-and-stash center (Ismael Kamagate was also highly ranked) and was it worth the expense of passing on guys like EJ Liddell, Kendall Brown, Trevor Keels and Josh Minott... Any of the guys taken at this slot, outside of Liddell, were developmental projects that likely won't be helping any roster year 1... My guess, is Cavs valued the roster flexibility this year (and possibly next) with Diop..
