Adama Bal Scouting Report
With back-to-back first round picks, Santa Clara adds another promising prospect in Adama Bal. Will the Frenchman be able to make it three in a row? See the detailed scouting report in the link below.
The continuously changing NBA game forces front offices to value multi-positional players more and more. Therefore, a 6’7” pick-and-roll playmaker with solid handles will be an attractive profile evaluated in bunches.
Although Bal is one of the youngest upperclassmen in the country this upcoming season, he hasn’t had a lot of experience yet with 318 minutes in two seasons at Arizona. The sample size is less than you’d like to see, but Bal’s recent play for France at the FIBA U20 European Championship is a great example of what to expect when he’s given more responsibilities on the court.
Looking at the numbers, we’ve seen Bal convert 38.9% of his 121 three-point attempts in the last two seasons. Despite not playing any minutes in the NCAA Tournament, Bal was trusted as a ball-mover and floor-spacing shooter. During France’s road to the gold medal this summer, we saw Bal start the tournament in a role similar to what he did as a Wildcat, and slowly change into an initiator on offense.
Bal getting more comfortable as the leading ball-handler has been a great sign of what to expect of him as — potentially — the main option for the Broncos. Because the offense via a P&R ball-handler is one of the most common play types in the NBA, that’s the first area I took into consideration within my analysis.
What caught my attention in this play is Bal’s quick decision-making. Instead of utilizing the weak side, just like the Creighton defense wanted him to, he’s making sure to attack the heart of the defense via the screen. With drop coverage being the most common way to defend P&Rs in the NBA, Bal showcasing his floater game is something I value a lot. Creighton crowds the paint, and the lack of spacing on Arizona’s end forces Bal to finish the play by himself. At 6’7”, he has a smooth high release point, which is something else I expect him to continue with. An important detail in this play is Bal using the stutter move to make the P&R defender drop some more, opening the way for him to attack the rim.
Another area of Bal’s game that is promising at the next level is his ability to operate in the open floor, as a ‘grab-and-go’ threat, with the play below being an example.
After collecting the rebound, he attacks the basket at will with long dribbles and by using the drag screen and finishing off his coast-to-coast play with the lay-up. With the Israeli defense not being set, Bal using the stutter move to blow by the setting big man caught my attention. After being limited in his offensive freedom for two seasons, it’s important that he’s right there and ready to contribute when his team needed him to.
Being able to produce in isolation is one of the main must-haves to function as today's NBA point guard. What caught my attention is Bal’s excellent handles combined with the wiggle that led to him finishing with an impressive up-and-under lay-up at the rim. Looking more in detail, Bal is using his pivot foot very well before the burst comes into play to blow by his opponent. In terms of offensive footwork, it’s clear that Bal worked hard to use his athletic gifts to his favor.
With a limited sample size of his offensive skillset in the last two years, his performance FIBA U20 European Championship, and the three plays mentioned above as examples, Bal has shown that he can operate as a first and/or second-scoring option, which is something he has to prove to be a worthy draft selection.
On the defensive end, Bal has the athletic tools and size to guard multiple positions. An important detail to add is that Bal worked on getting stronger in the last two seasons, and he’s now capable of guarding the one, two, and three positions. In terms of measurements, the combination of 6’7” and 190 pounds is intriguing. However, I expect him to continue adding muscle slowly, and we’ll likely see him end the 2023-24 college basketball season at around 200 pounds.
When it comes to the intangibles, Bal has a good feel for the game on the defensive end, especially in the point-of-attack. He’s already good at using his long arms to impact passing lanes and closing passing lanes and gaps in the defense. While playing as a wing in most of the minutes, Bal has also been used as the point-of-attack defender, just like in the play above where he places his pivot foot perfectly when the ball-handler picked up his dribble and was forced to the side pass.
On the other hand, the pass was lazy and it takes away some value of this defensive playmaking sequence. Overall, with the level of competition Santa Clara is facing throughout the season, it’s a good sample of what to expect from Bal on that end. Being used as the primary defender is something I expect to happen, especially in half-court settings.
With a faster-paced NBA game, being able to defend in transition is one of the main areas I invest in when evaluating guard prospects, and Bal passes the test. Although his reaching for the ball-handler shifting gears is something an NBA guard will immediately take advantage of, I like how Bal kept up with his task to deny him hard at the rim. In terms of vertical pop, Bal uses his size and timing very well in this play.
An area of development for Bal is his off-ball defense. One of the reasons why Coach Lloyd played him less and less during the season is that he’s still fairly raw on that end. His decision-making in situations where he’s not defending the point of attack raises concerns over the long-term potential.
Bal is caught watching the ball, which leads to a late closeout. Although he’s keeping up well with the ball handler, the sudden rotation to the big man was a surprising move, which led to the wide-open floater finish. A part of the problem is the inconsistent playing time, but a lack of feel for the game on that end is inevitable in my evaluation of his talent.
Another area of development is Bal’s ability to fight through screens. The recognition of the screener’s footwork indicated the way his assignment would go. Relocating to dodge the screen and meet him at the level of the free-throw line would have been a better decision. No concern for the short-term here, but possessions like these show that the defensive areas of development are there and improvements are an imminent need.
As per ShotQuality.com, the Santa Clara Broncos ranked 185th in points allowed via the P&R (0.97 PPP). With Bal — likely — being the primary guard for the opponent’s toughest assignment, improvements on that end will definitely help improve his draft stock.
NBA Draft Projection
Being a 6’7” point guard with solid handles is already an intriguing part of his profile. Add in the scalability of his game, and suddenly the pros match most needs NBA teams have in their backcourt rotations.
His athleticism and long wingspan are ceiling risers, however, the off-ball defense needs some work, and his performance at Santa Clara on that end of the floor will determine his draft position for the most part. If the above-mentioned areas improve, I have no doubt in my mind that Bal would be a first-round pick next year.