2018 NBA Mock Draft: The summer is decision time
Keita Bates-Diop. 19. player. 125. . F. Ohio State
The ascent of Bates-Diop is incredible. No one talked about him to start the season, yet in a conference featuring Miles Bridges, the Edwards brothers, Ethan Happ, Mo Wagner and Tony Carr, he took home the B1G Player of the Year trophy. Three years into his college career, it was as if the forward finally discovered how his incredibly physical skills could translate to winning basketball.
According to Hoop-Math, the redshirt junior forward shot 72 percent on shots at the rim, 44 percent on 2-point jumpers, and 36 percent from deep. That means he was above average from each level, something backed up quickly when you see him score in isolation. Once Bates-Diop’s footwork improves and he is able to get a step on the defense more quickly and find space for quick, off-balance jumpers, he will only score more.
Atlanta has a ton of talent at the forward spots, including Taurean Prince and De’Andre Bembry, but none with the potential scoring prowess of Bates-Diop. If Prince reaches his potential defensively, those two together could be formidable. Think of Bates-Diop as a perfect modern scorer, though size and ball-handling will need to improve at the next level.