OKC Thunder NBA Draft: 3 guards to avoid
Theo Maledon draft prospect preview:
Specifics:
- Height: 6’4″
- Weight: 174 pounds
- Wingspan: 6’8.5”
- Position: Guard
- Birthdate/Age: June 12, 2001 – 19 .5 years
- International: ASVEL, France – EuroLeague
- Home Town: Rouen, France
Stat lines:
At first glance, Maledon’s stats for this past season are confusing given the variance between the ASVEL Pro A team versus the EuroLeague LDLC ASVEL club.
Specifically, his free throw shot was over 20 percent better in the former while his field and perimeter efficiency were markedly better in the latter.
An injury to his shoulder that caused him to miss games likely created issues that appeared in his shooting efficiency.
Season | Team | League | G | MP | FGA | FG% | 3PA | 3P% | 2PA | 2P% | FTA | FT% | TRB | AST | PTS | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2017-18 | Lyon-Villeurbanne | LNB Pro A | fr | 9 | 3.6 | 1.1 | .200 | 0.7 | .000 | 0.4 | .500 | 0.2 | .500 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 0.6 |
2017-18 | ASVEL | EuroCup | eu | 2 | 5.5 | 1.0 | .000 | 1.0 | .000 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 0.0 | ||
2018-19 | Lyon-Villeurbanne | LNB Pro A | fr | 33 | 17.8 | 4.9 | .491 | 2.1 | .406 | 2.8 | .554 | 2.1 | .868 | 2.1 | 2.2 | 7.4 |
2018-19 | ASVEL | EuroCup | eu | 18 | 17.8 | 5.2 | .409 | 2.1 | .351 | 3.1 | .446 | 2.6 | .826 | 2.4 | 2.1 | 7.1 |
2019-20 | ASVEL | LNB Pro A | fr | 20 | 15.6 | 5.0 | .390 | 2.6 | .294 | 2.5 | .490 | 2.1 | .902 | 2.0 | 1.9 | 6.5 |
2019-20 | LDLC ASVEL | EuroLeague | eu | 22 | 17.7 | 5.7 | .456 | 2.2 | .367 | 3.5 | .513 | 2.0 | .689 | 1.8 | 3.1 | 7.4 |
3 Seasons | 15.9 | 4.7 | .438 | 2.1 | .346 | 2.7 | .509 | 1.9 | .822 | 1.9 | 2.1 | 6.4 |
Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 11/16/2020.
Current Ranking:
Wide range on where Maledon will be selected from a high of 16th to a low of 39th.
- The Ringer: 31st
- NBA DraftNet: 16th
- ESPN: 24th
- CBS Sports: 20th
- NBA: 19th
- Sports Illustrated: 19th
- Bleacher Report: 39th
Strengths:
- Potential – youth is on his side and since he’s playing in Europe against pros there is an opportunity to stash and develop him
- Well developed paint game
- Strong fundamentals with both hands (and off both feet)
- Solid control managing the game as the lead guard
- High IQ mixed with great instincts
Weaknesses:
- Hard to know precisely what his ceiling will be given his youth and the fact he’s playing against pros already
- Hasn’t figured out how to capitalize on his length on either side of the court
- Needs to develop greater offensive versatility (too predictable currently)
Pro Comparison:
Kevin O’Connor of the Ringer lists Derek Anderson, Nate McMillan, Kirk Hinrich as possible NBA comparisons.