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2016 NBA Draft: Skal Labissiere Player Breakdown

By Maxwell Ogden

LEXINGTON, KY - JANUARY 02: Skal Labissiere #1 of the Kentucky Wildcats celebrates after dunking the ball against the Mississippi Rebels at Rupp Arena on January 2, 2016 in Lexington, Kentucky. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
LEXINGTON, KY - JANUARY 02: Skal Labissiere #1 of the Kentucky Wildcats celebrates after dunking the ball against the Mississippi Rebels at Rupp Arena on January 2, 2016 in Lexington, Kentucky. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /
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The single most polarizing prospect in the 2016 NBA Draft is Kentucky Wildcats big man Skal Labissiere. This is everything you need to love and fear about the ultimate upside gamble.

LEXINGTON, KY - JANUARY 02:
LEXINGTON, KY - JANUARY 02: /

The value of a player’s upside has never been more clear than in the case of Kentucky Wildcats big man Skal Labissiere. Despite putting forth one of the worst freshman seasons by any player in this draft class, Labissiere is universally projected as a lottery pick.

The obvious question to ask and answer: why?

Labissiere is a tantalizing prospect from a physical perspective, but that didn’t help him much on the court. For as intriguing as his size and length at 6’11.75″ with a 7’2.5″ wingspan may be, his thin 216-pound build severely limited his effectiveness.

Thus, the concern remains that Labissiere isn’t strong enough to make an impact at the next level.

Labissiere finished 2015-16 with averages of 6.6 points, 3.1 rebounds, 1.0 offensive boards, and 1.6 blocks in 15.8 minutes per game. Those doesn’t exactly fall under the umbrella of elite production, and thus, many have questioned how far he can go in the NBA.

Let’s get some answers.

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