This guy will help teams win games. Defense is his calling card, and he will wreck teams with his. Uber switchable, with crazy arms and an NBA body/athleticism, this dude will be an NBA player. If you expect good defense, great. This dude will give it to you. Good offense, wait 3+ years. Think Montrezl Harrell but with defense. A defensive prodigy, even with the offensive game, requires a lottery pick.

Comparison: Charles Oakley

Ceiling: AD on defense, montrezl on defense

Floor: Young Dfavs

I''m slowing down on Usman Garuba now. He has not been consistent offensively the last few games and hasn''t shown the improvement that we saw before then. I still am high on his defensive IQ, intensity, and switch ability, but I still don''t know if the offense will translate. Yes, he isn't really good scoring and is very raw, but he can create his offense off of hustle plays and cuts. He always uses his strength to box out. In my honest opinion, the best defensive prospect in this class. Some may argue Mobley, which is a very valid argument, but Garuba has a solid built frame and has all the same qualities as Mobley - agile, quick, and brings his full effort.

Projected draft range: 11-25

Height 6''8 Weight 230 lbs Wingspan 7'3

Offense

• Screens and rolls really well, rebounds, moves the ball. His defensive versatility stands out so much it overshadows his highly encouraging offensive versatility.

• Ideally a PNR roll man with spurts in the dunker spot and basket cutting as his floor spacer skills develop.

• Shot looks very workable at the base, mechanics are still a work in progress, but he should be a decent if not solid 3pt shooter down the road.

• Excellent looking transition player as an attacker and finisher.

• Handle appears practical and fairly tight for North/South attacks at this stage.

• Flashes of combo moves and hesis which are a scary propositions on top of his other skills.

• Flashes extremely positively as a playmaker out of rolls and inside.

Defense

• Switchy defender, super versatile here and in PNR. Balance and flexible hips are astounding. Moves feet really well with active hands.

• Can create turnovers via steals, or blocks. Closest defender to Draymond I''ve seen. Basketball maturity and IQ are worth salivating over considering he is 19 years old.

• Overall balance and body control is remarkable.

• Help side rim protection skills are there.

• Great rebounder, should be above average here from the beginning.

• Can be overly aggressive on closeouts.

• Hustle plays, winning plays. Truly a dude you want on your team.

Swing Factors

• Perimeter Shooting - In order to maximize potential, his shot will go a long way.

• Handle - If he continues to develop some combo moves and has the ability to navigate to the hoop all the sudden there is more attacking and playmaking potential than originally thought.

Role

• A dream modern four who contributes with vast amounts of flexibility on both ends of the floor. A moldable compliment to any team's scheme and an elite defender for years to come.

• LOW: A rotational switchy big with good defensive and rebounding skills and a workable PNR roller.

• HIGH: An All-NBA defender with incredibly unique versatility on both ends of the floor and a seldom seen, "Defensive General". Offensively he compliments the leading scorers by helping shoulder the playmaking role in spurts, setting great screens, knocking down open shots, and attacking the basket in short roll PNR situations.

Tier 6 Floor - low end rotation player Bullseye - key rotation player Ceiling - key starter

Usman Garuba is a raw offensive prospect, but due to his extremely high motor, lateral quickness, athleticism, and size is one of the most enticing overseas, young defensive prospects in the draft.

Comparisons: Eric Paschall, Sekou Doumbouya

Like Sekou, Usman can use his frame and strength to use against bigger players. His mid-range is the best thing about him and he defense is hard core. I watch some highlights and was wondering like "This is a superstar vs like 40 Fightreacts lol".

Garuba will be a amazing defender at the NBA level and shows some potential at the dunkers spot and a little potential passing. Wont be a great scorer though.

Ceiling: Draymond green like

Floor: Grant Williams but a better defender

Garuba WILL be a great defender and a team that could use defense to get to the next level should be interested in him.

Draft range: 12-20

Problem is that Garuba is a defensive minded big and international so he is more likely to be drafted lower.

I think that he is going 13 assuming he Pacers don't trade their pick because defense and shooting has been a problem with Levert, Turner and Sabonis not being great shooters.

Positives

-Arguably the best defensive prospect in the draft, good awareness in the PnR, tags the roller, hedges and recovers, can switch onto guards and recover when he gets beat, did well on a lot of creators when switched, good upside as a rim protector both as a help defender and on-ball defender, has the instincts for shot blocking and a high defensive IQ overall, good fundamentally sound rebounder, boxes out well

-Quick and very active hands on defense, has a unique skill to force turnovers against perimeter creators, ripped point guards on switches a good amount of times, real 1-5 defensive upside

-A high effort player, makes a lot of winning plays, type of player that can change momentum with one play

-Upside to have a very versatile offensive role (roll to the rim, dunker's spot, spot-up shooter), a pretty explosive finisher off the catch in the paint, uses his strength well in traffic to convert layups, has a little jumper as a roll man if given space, flashes of ball handling and attacking the basket, has potential to attack bad closeouts and initiate in transition

-Very intriguing playmaker, routinely made great plays on the short roll, dumpoffs to centers and kickouts to shooters were eye-opening, same story on cuts and post-ups, finds teammates in transition on outlets, if his finishing reaches it's potential, he's a real threat in a draymond-type role

Negatives

-Outside shot needs work (31%), his mechanics can look awkward, hand placement and wrist movement looks off, shot can be a bit flat, struggled when the pass was a bit off target, only 65% from the line, was willing to take the shot, making catch and shoot jumpers at a respectable rate is a big swing factor for him

-Needs to work on his ball security a bit, primarily handle and balance in traffic, had some really sloppy turnovers and needs to improve for his transition potential

-Some athletic deficiencies, not a great vertical leaper, can get his dunks/layups blocked, also a pretty weak second jump which limits his putback and pump-fake scoring

-Few defensive issues but could clear up some overhelping, might be at a disadvantage against 7 foot+ tall center

Likely range: 10-25

Pro Comparison: Kenneth Faried

Stats: 3.7 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 0.5 bpg, 52.6% TS, 28.9%(1.4A) 3pt

19 yrs old, 6''8", PF, 229 lbs

Tier 5 Prospect

This is the Guy I want the Spurs to get.

Very Athletic, great interior defender and would be the best outcome pick for the Spurs (saying they don''t become irrelevant)

The concerns that will have him fall in the draft are that he doesn''t have good ball control meaning he will fumble and drop the ball at moments. His other problem is that he has an inconsistent release on his jumpshot and he is either lights out, or he just can''t get it going.(Both can be fixed with the right system)