Thread by @RedTeamScouting

The NBA Draft is less than two, start your prep work with our Twitter threads. Today's thread: Bol Bol.

Bol Bol has a unique skill set and an NBA pedigree, but with only 9 collegiate games under his belt and a foot injury, are teams sure enough to bet on this sharpshooting big man?

Offense-
The ability to pull opposing rim protectors toward the perimeter with 3pt shooting is more impactful for a big man. Bol shot a ridiculous 52% on threes, and while that number may not be reflective of his NBA percentages, it displays a translatable ability.

His handle is good enough to attack closeouts effectively when spacing the floor. Some teams may try guarding him with a wing or forward due to his lack of strength, focusing on ball denial and pushing him off his spots, his height will make it nearly impossible to contest

Moreover, when matched up with smaller players his post game is effective enough to attack the mismatch.

The key skill to being effective on offense at the next level will be screening. Although he’s proven to be a willing screener that tries to find the right angles of approach, his thin frame and high center of gravity make it difficult to make significant contact.

While slipping the screen can be effective in certain situations it should be the change-of-pace in a screener’s game, not the fastball.

Adding enough strength to actually impede defensive players would go a long way toward making him a dangerous pop threat in ball-screen situations.

Defense-

Bol’s lack of lateral agility will make it difficult to deploy him effectively at any position besides the 5, though teams may test out the idea of playing him as a 4.

Whatever position he plays he will be at a strength deficit; there are several point guards in the NBA that could push him off a spot because of his high center of gravity.

He will be vulnerable both in the post and when matched up against strong offensive rebounders; these are simply facts of the Bol Bol experience.

The question is whether his help defense, high impact plays and general deterrence of shots at the rim will outweigh his weaknesses in any given game.

His mere presence impacts a large radius of space on the court, and that presence has ripple effects that enable perimeter defenders to operate more aggressively.

Scheme will be a significant factor, as there are many fundamental flaws in his game, yet at the same time he opens up several options that typically do not exist.

Getting Minutes-

Bol’s size and shooting touch will get him on the floor as a rookie. He’s a tactical weapon whose presence can alter the flow of a game, dissuading shots at the rim and putting opposing bigs in difficult defensive situations.

He will be a spot-up threat from day one, capable of making shots from above the break and attacking closeouts. With NBA spacing he may also find more opportunities for cuts and put backs.

On the break he will be dangerous as a trailer. On defense he will struggle with the physicality of NBA big men, but his length will still enable him to make an impact and play a role even if he will require help in certain situations.

Riding the Pine-

However, the aforementioned physicality will likely limit his minutes to some degree initially. While the 5 makes the most sense as his long term position, it may simply not be viable until he’s had some time with NBA strength and conditioning coaches.

Playing him at the 4 minimizes some of the tactical advantages that make him so intriguing, and he relies on those advantages to counterbalance the weaker aspects of his game.

Additionally, the pace of the NBA game may simply be too fast for him initially. Even in college, while playing at an offensive pace of 77 in NBA-equivalent terms, he was often the last guy up the floor in transition which delayed offensive sets and made the team less dynamic

Improving his conditioning and his motor will be necessary if he wants to stay on the floor for more than a couple short stints per game.

Good Fits-

The search for talent has become about finding unicorns and Bol may be one of the most rare an valuable out there: a rim protecting center who can space the floor. While a lot of his translation to the NBA is still theoretical, his skills will have teams willing to take a chance

He has a wide range, spanning anywhere from 15-25 depending on the mock draft, but a few spots in that range could really take advantage of his unique talent.

Atlanta's recently-acquired pick at #17 gives them a perfect option to pair a spacer and rim protector with break out scorer John Collins in the frontcourt.

Boston (14, 20, 22) could be looking to find a future big man and has enough pick to take a risk with Bol. Likewise, San Antonio could do the same.

But the most interesting fit might fall at #24, to the Philadephia 76ers. The Sixers could never settle on a backup center and in playoff minutes without Embiid, they were blown off the floor. Adding Bol addresses that concern and gives them an unorthodox spacing option as well