Eli Ndiaye scouting report
Eli Ndiaye took the basketball world by storm after he became the youngest starter in the EuroLeague Final Four this century. Yet, the 18-year-old forward remains one of the most under-discussed prosp
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Player Profile
Eli Ndiaye took the basketball world by storm after he became the youngest starter in the EuroLeague Final Four this century. Yet, the 18-year-old forward remains one of the most under-discussed prospects in recent memory.
At 6'9", Ndiaye has a very slim frame which makes it unlikely that he'll play as a center at the next level, a role he played when he was younger. However, he has broad shoulders, and his overall psychical traits for the NBA are at a very high level as he has excellent hips combined with the fluid mobility he possesses, Ndiaye has the tools to be on an NBA floor, especially if he manages to slowly add more and more strength to his frame in the long run.
Ndiaye makes up for the lack of size with a 7-foot-plus wingspan. Combined with his excellent vertical explosiveness and quick decision-making, Ndiaye shows signs of being able to serve as a switchable interior help-side defender that can protect the rim at the same time. The feel for the game at his age is remarkable and is a big reason why Real Madrid is keen on continuing to give him playing minutes at the most crucial stage of the season.
NBA decision-makers should consider Ndiaye to fulfill a role as a modern floor-stretching four in a high-motion offense. He stood out as a play-finisher for most of his young career. Ndiaye has great touch at the rim and a different way to finish a play in his arsenal. Despite the lack of strength, he looked confident, and he was able to finish through contact. However, this may not translate at the next level as the psychical level changes as he's facing better athletes.
As a rebounder, Ndiaye won't win the psychical battle against the average NBA forward and center. Nevertheless, he's good at positioning himself and anticipating rebounds, making him work less to get his rebounds. While averaging almost two rebounds per eight minutes, the returns look solid. However, they should be better as Ndiaye is solely focused on his assignment and loses too much ground in defensive box-outs. However, if he gets stronger in the long run, I project him to be an above-average NBA rebounder, making it more likely Ndiaye can stay on the floor for longer stretches.
To prepare for the next stage of his career, Ndiaye added the midrange jumper to his game. The release is high but still slow. The feasibility test on this end is limited to a few possessions, but the shot technique and results look promising in the long run. What stood out is that he's continuously floating around the court doing all the little things, especially as an off-ball screener. He recognizes rotations well for his age and is very coachable on the court.
In the next few years, Ndiaye has to expand his range to a three-point territory, which looks possible. He's shot 70% on 40 free-throw attempts in the last two seasons, which is a good indicator. The results from three-point land are not as relevant due to the differences between an NBA court and a basketball court with FIBA rules. What gives me confidence Ndiaye can turn into a good shooter is that he gets to his spots with ease. Another detail to add is that Ndiaye is always looking to get the ball when serving as a spot-up shooter, instead of waiting for the ball coming to him. Details like these are another example of why he can play a role in a higher-paced NBA motion offense and that Real Madrid trusts him with playing minutes at the highest level.
On the open floor, Ndiaye has the potential to be a grab-and-go threat. With long dribbles, he can serve as the ball-handler and rim runner in transition. The handles are not good, but they are still better than anticipated from a prospect that used to play as a center for most of his young career. Considering that handling the ball won't be his role in the NBA, I valued that aspect of his game less. However, he does show promise to play as a slasher, but in reality, Ndiaye defers to the post-up game in most of these sequences. With fluid hip mobility, Ndiayecano get his offense on that end, but as a face-up scorer, Ndiaye still has a lot to develop, limiting the offensive versatility in his draft profile.
Another area of development is his passing. Ndiaye can make quick reads but isn't able to execute them consistently. He's good as a ball-mover, especially in the post but does not stand out as a short-roll playmaker. Being an average passer makes it less likely he'll develop this skill in the long run. However, with the lack of reps, he has gotten on that end, the opportunity to showcase some short-roll playmaking hasn't been there. The quick decision-making does help, but the outcome of his reads makes it tough to project a feasible long-term skill as a short-roll passer.
NBA Draft Projection
Eli Ndiaye has all the psychical tools to serve as a modern floor-stretching four. His feel for the game is at a high level for an 18-year-old, leading to him playing as a connector piece for Real Madrid. If Ndiaye gets stronger in the next few years and the jumper improves, he can become a high-end role player in the NBA.
His development will cost a few seasons and thus some draft stocks as he isn't able to help on day one. Depending on the role he'll play at Real Madrid next season, whether it's on the first team or loaned out, Ndiaye could benefit from being stashed for one season before making the move stateside. Overall, I project that he's an early-mid second-round pick if he keeps his name in the 2023 NBA Draft.