2018 NBA Mock Draft: The standings are set
F. Ohio State. Keita Bates-Diop. 20. player. 29.
Bates-Diop announced this week that he will hire an agent and enter the NBA Draft, marking an end to Ohio State’s Cinderella season, which ended in a second-round loss to Gonzaga in the NCAA tournament.
It’s tough to overstate how low expectations were for the Buckeyes heading into the season, with Chris Holtmann taking control of the program in Thad Matta’s shadow and hardly any top-line talent in the wings. If it were not for B1G Player of the Year Bates-Diop, Ohio State probably would not even have whispered about the tournament all year. It was his show.
The Spurs need more guys like that, players who take control of the game as scorers, have the fearlessness and malleability to be effective in a variety of ways, and play well within a team. One thing that stands out about Bates-Diop is his ability to fit into a team context and stay productive. The redshirt junior gave way to his teammates much more in March than in other big games this year, acting more as a floor-spacer and decoy than primary option. He’s a smart player.
San Antonio can coach defense and passing. They cannot coach attitude or understanding, two things they treasure highly. Bates-Diop checks so many boxes.