Strengths:

• Isn't massive for an NBA center and is undersized by traditional measurements, but his 9-foot-1 standing reach mixed with his 261-pound frame gives him the requisite reach and strength combination to hold his own inside. He has great balance and footwork at his size. Hard to find players who can move like him at that size and weight.

• Cardwell was elite on the defensive end this season and should have been named to the All-Defense team in the SEC. He had the best on/off differential on a Final Four team this year, as it was nearly impossible to score on Auburn when he was in the game. The Tigers were almost 10 points per 100 possessions better on defense when Cardwell was in, because he shut down the paint. Opponents shot just 55.9% at the rim when he was in the game versus 59.1% when he was off the court. They shot just 45.9% from 2 with him in versus 47.6% when he was out. Auburn's defensive rebounding rate jumped by three percent with him in. Opponent's true-shooting percentage dropped by more than four percent.

• Despite weighing more than 260 pounds, Cardwell is not stiff. He's strong and physical but can also move his feet well. Auburn largely played drop coverage with Cardwell but would vary the depth of drop, so sometimes he'd play closer to the level and other times he would play deeper. When he was closer to the level, he showcased impressive footwork to slide and cut off opposing players as they tried to get him off his line. Was terrific switching out onto a guard and forcing tough shots.

• Cardwell scrambled around and rotated out to shooters well. Because Auburn played in a two-big structure, Cardwell was often tasked with being the low help man if an opposing team brought Broome into the ball screen. He was able to cut off drivers, using his footwork and his strong chest. Can't go through him. Forced a lot of tough jumpers.

• Has really strong recognition and anticipation on the court. Cuts off angles well and keeps his arms extended. Does a great job taking up space and making sure that the interior was always covered. Also a sharp rim protector. Blocked 1.4 shots per game in 20 minutes per night. If someone tries to drive into his chest, he does a great job staying vertical and using his size and massive torso to keep guys from getting to the basket. Probably won't be elite rim protector in the NBA at his size but should be able to manage.

• Offensively, his role will be limited, but he does some things well. One of the best offensive rebounders in the country this season, averaging 2.5 per game in just 20 minutes. Reads the ball well coming off the glass and does a terrific job of carving out space with his strong lower half. Led the SEC in offensive rebounding rate this season and was always a threat to grab a put-back.

• Has an interesting screen-and-roll game. Didn't make the best contact on screens but showed solid timing on his slips to the rim. And while he didn't always screen well out high, I really liked the way he sealed off the paint for his guards and created space for them with Gortat screens on the interior. Was not a high-volume pick-and-roll threat, given that his usage rate was 11%, but had some positive moments. I thought he was best in the dunker spot, figuring out the right timing to roll off the help defender and make himself available to finish. Generally caught the ball well.

• Made his shots on the interior when he got a chance by trying to dunk everything in sight. Shot a 77.8% at the rim this season, in part because he picked and chose his spots and averaged only two attempts per game. Had some iffy touch moments if he was farther than three feet away from the rim, but made 53% of his layups.

• Cardwell was a good decision-maker. Auburn would occasionally use him at the top of the key as a passer to find cutters. I loved the way he'd find relocations off his offensive rebounds. Was excellent at creating a second possession, quickly surveying what was happening around him and making a good read. Averaged 1.6 assists per game versus only 0.6 turnovers, solid for a big.

Areas for Improvement:

• Will be undersized for role at 6 feet 9.75 without shoes with a 7-foot-0.75 wingspan. It won't crater his potential because of how strong he is, but it's enough of a concern that he won't have any margin for error.

• Offensively, Cardwell is extremely limited. He experimented with a 3-point shot this year, but I'm skeptical that it will ever amount to anything. Went 4 of 10 from 3 in his career, and he takes forever to get the shot up and he's never been a good free-throw shooter. Made only 45% of his career attempts from the line. Might be a target to hack on offense. Needs to improve from the line to avoid this.

• Had a couple of short-roll moments as a ball-screen big, but mostly he would run to the rim and try to create downhill pressure that way. Not an overly vertical athlete. Gets off the ground quickly for a dunk but doesn't often hit a high point. I worry about how this will translate to the NBA given his size. Would like to see him make better and more consistent contact on screens.

• I don't feel great about him putting the ball on the deck. He did it a couple of times in wide-open spaces to drive to the rim, but it wasn't consistent. The good news is that Cardwell recognizes that and knows who he is as a player. But he might end up limited to finishing from the dunker spot offensively, which would make him less valuable.

• In drop coverage, he had odd moments when he'd get off his line and allow defenders to turn the corner and score at the rim. Didn't have great recovery ability. Given that he doesn't have elite length or height, I worry about this in the NBA given the increased width of driving lanes. Needs to be elite with his positioning and use of angles in the NBA, not just good.

• When he'd get off his line, he became foul-prone. Averaged 2.6 fouls per game in just 20 minutes, so he was over five per 40 minutes. Doesn't get handsy but can occasionally get caught trying to swat at a ball or displacing someone using his lower half.

Summary:

It's hard to overemphasize how impressive Cardwell was on defense for Auburn this year. He was a huge reason for the team's success. He has a ready-made NBA role, and it's hard to find humans this large who move this well. He's going to have to become elite as a defender to make it as a backup or as a third big, given that he doesn't have much offensive skill. But people seem to like having Cardwell around, and that's an underrated part of being a great deep bench player in the NBA. I wouldn't be stunned if he stuck, and I think he's definitely worth a two-way to find out.