Freshman, F/C, Kentucky
6’11.75”, 215.8 lbs
5.7 percent body fat, 8’9.5” standing reach, 7’2.5” wingspan
College Stats In 2015-16
36 games, 15.8 MPG, 6.6 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 1.6 BPG, 51.6 FG%, 66.1 FT%
Where He’ll Go
Labissiere is projected to be a lottery pick.
Best Game In 2015-16
In a 94-77 home win over Ben Simmons and LSU on March 5, Labissiere did a little bit of everything, finishing with 18 points, a season-high nine rebounds, six (!) blocks and two assists. He shot an efficient 8-for-10 from the field and 2-for-3 from the free-throw line.
Strengths
He has great physical tools, such as his length and wingspan. He has a very fluid motion for a big man and can run the floor. He’s solid in the pick-and-roll and he has soft hands, which leads to lobs like a weaker and less scary DeAndre Jordan. He’s also a good shot blocker, which has a lot to do with his length.
His greatest strength right now, however, is that for a big man, this guy can shoot. His shooting form looks natural and it’s not overly optimistic to think he can extend his range to the 3-point line in the NBA.
Weaknesses
Labissiere has an up-hill battle considering how far he’s fallen on draft boards in the last six months. He needs to get stronger, but a lot of that will just come naturally. He played tentative at Kentucky, probably because he thought he was going to be pulled for making a mistake. He’s not a very good defender and gets lost in rotations, jumps on pump fakes and is a fouling machine. That probably all won’t just get better during his rookie season.
Ratke’s Take
This dude has been through a lot already in his life and he’s only 20 years old. Just six years ago he went through an earthquake in his home country of Haiti. Google that you’ll read some incredible stories on what he’s already have to overcome in his life.
He’s still new to this basketball thing and that’s noticeable in how he plays, but that also means there’s some upside there as well.
He thinks he can be the best player in the draft two years from now, which sounds like crazy talk when you consider how disappointing he was during his freshman year. But you also need to take in consideration that he was supposed to be a top-2 pick before the college season started. There’s a reason for that. And that’s plenty reason for a team in the mid to late lottery to take a flier on Labissiere.