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San Antonio Spurs
James Nnaji
Barcelona (ACB), Nigeria
James Nnaji
Center
Height 6'10" Weight 225
Age 18.8 Wingspan 7'7"
Points
pts 3.6 66.7 TS%
Rebounds
reb 2.2 15.5 REB%
Blocks
blk 0.6 6.4 BLK%
Steals
stl 0.2 1 STL%
San Antonio Spurs
After the Spurs select Wembanyama with the first pick, I’d be interested in seeing them take another big man. Nnaji’s beefy frame, rim protection, and verticality would provide an interesting contrast next to Wemby.
Long-armed big man who’s built like a tank and has the mentality to dominate on both ends of the paint.
Venn Diagaram Icon
Shades Of
Clint Capela
Shot Blockingbadge
Shot Blocking
On-Ball Defensebadge
On-Ball Defense
Interior Scoringbadge
Interior Scoring
Reboundingbadge
Rebounding
PLUSES
Defensively alters everything around the basket. He can thrive as a drop defender, and his skills translate into help situations. He’s aware when defending off the ball and does a great job of timing blocks using either hand. It’s not uncommon for him to rocket off the floor for swats.
Plays as strong as he looks. He battles on the post and fights relentlessly for rebounds, whether he boxes out or repositions himself to follow the trajectory of the ball.
Good defender in space. He can slide his feet laterally to stick with guards coming off screens or handoffs. If he needs to switch, he’s more than capable.
Sets strong fundamental screens with a wide frame, making it hard for opponents to fight through. He rolls hard and can handle lobs.
Excellent interior finisher who can dunk through contact but also shows natural instincts, making himself available with relocations and basket cuts. He can put the ball on the floor once or twice to score. Or he’ll use pump fakes to draw defenders before elevating.
With his adequate straight-line handle and ability to make high-low passes, he could have untapped upside in dribble handoffs.
MINUSES
He hasn’t played heavy minutes for Barcelona since he’s a teenager playing in the EuroLeague and Spanish league.
Commits avoidable mistakes, whether it’s making off-target passes or being called for moving screens.
Hackable free throw shooter who shoots around 50 percent. He also hasn’t shown the touch to hit shots outside the paint.