Dream Fit: Hornets, Raptors, Bulls

Overall Grade: 67.1

Projected Position: C

Strengths:

• Good timing on his drop coverage commits

• Large catch radius

• OK recovery speed of hedges

• Able to finish through contact on lobs due to length

• Stays vertical on contests

• God hip fluidity

• Able to tip rebounds in traffic well due to length

• Good length usage as a secondary defender to block & affect shots

• Mirrors movement well in the paint

• Functional mobility moving with guards on drives if he has an initial step

• Good pass timing

Weaknesses:

• Can be overly physical with hands when going for rebounds

• Struggles with securing the ball on rebounds, often securing it low & getting stripped

• Can't keep up laterally with guards out of iso looks from the perimeter

• Lack of ability to adjust midair

• Doesn't adjust to defenders or the ball on rebound attempts, letting himself get boxed out or letting players take the rebound

• Can rely too much on his length & not jump on contests

• Can't bring the ball up in traffic to score

• Can overcommit his leverage to on side of a players body

Scouting Report: Khaman Maluach

Position: Center
Height/Weight: 7'2", 250 lbs
School: Duke University (Freshman, Class of 2024)
Draft Projection: Top 10 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft

Overview:
Khaman Maluach is a towering center from South Sudan with exceptional defensive instincts and rebounding ability. Having developed his skills at the NBA Academy Africa, Maluach brings a unique blend of size, athleticism, and international experience to the college level. His potential as a rim protector and interior presence makes him a highly intriguing prospect for the NBA.

Strengths:

• Elite Rim Protection: Maluach's height, wingspan, and timing make him a dominant shot-blocker and defensive anchor.

• Rebounding: He excels at securing rebounds on both ends of the floor, using his size and positioning effectively.

• Athleticism: Despite his size, Maluach moves well for a big man, allowing him to defend in space and run the floor in transition.

• International Experience: Competing with the South Sudan national team and in the Basketball Africa League (BAL) has prepared him for high-level competition.

• Upside: At just 18 years old, Maluach has significant room for growth, particularly on the offensive end.

Areas for Improvement:

• Offensive Skillset: While he is effective around the rim, developing a mid-range jumper and post moves will make him a more complete offensive player.

• Free-Throw Shooting: Improving his consistency at the line will be crucial for his offensive impact.

• Strength: Adding muscle to his frame will help him handle physicality at the next level.

Player Comparisons:

• Rudy Gobert (for his defensive dominance and rebounding)

• Dikembe Mutombo

• brook lopez

Summary:
Khaman Maluach is a raw but highly promising prospect with the potential to become a defensive force in the NBA. His combination of size, athleticism, and international experience makes him a valuable asset for any team looking to bolster its interior presence. With continued development, he could become a cornerstone player at the professional level.

Draft Range: 3-9

Projected NBA rookie role: Rangy lob threat with elite defensive roaming abilities.

Projected NBA position: Big

Projected Rookie Statline (Pts, Reb, Ast, Blk/Stl): 8, 6, 1, 1.5 (Blk)

Strengths: Insane length with elite rim protection, Good touch around the rim, Fluid moving on both sides of the ball.

Weakness: Jumpshot not developed yet, can get into foul trouble

Shades of/comp: Untapped Javale McGhee, Nicolas Claxton

Best outcome: DPOY level defender, Improved touch around the rim, Respected 3 point jumpshooter.

mid outcome: Still eilite level defender and lob threat but his jumpshooting proves to be a liability.

worst outcome: Rim Protector and Lob threat, struggles with switching onto perimeter players and foul trouble.

Elite lob threat on the pick-and-roll. Has immense shot-blocking potential. Big and strong in the post. Has a nice middie jumper. The sky is the limit for athleticism. He passes pretty well for a big man. Needs to become more aggressive.

NBA Comp: Rudy Gobert

Scouting Reports: Khaman Maluach: He is a big bruising center with monster size and even a little athleticism. Still very raw and playing off size alone, much room to improve but a good anchor to a defense, decent rebounder, bad for his size but still solid, and lethal lob threat. If he plays more he will develop a larger sense for the game and improve a lot.

Dream Fit: Pelicans, Raptors, Lakers.

Overall Score: 53.14.

Comp: Clint Capela/Rudy Gobert/Mitchell Robinson

• really good rim protection. elite as a shot blocker and helpside defender, yet is also very sound and doesn’t foul

• elite recovery time and disruptor due to his length and solid mobility

• post defense is good—could be better

• nothing special positionally as a perimeter defender, but can hold his own

• great play finisher; high iq as a roller and has great athleticism

• not the quickest feet but looks capable in space

• offers pretty much nothing as a scorer outside of the paint as it stands + isn’t some unique offensive threat in the post

• sometimes gets tossed around down low and struggles to gain rebounding position

• unpolished screener but has high upside there

• bad hands; can get sloppy against contact

• low ceiling and fairly high floor