2018 NBA Draft Big Board: Late October

17. Chimezie Metu, PF/C, USC

While not an overly long 6’10”, Metu makes up for his lack of length with plenty of athleticism around the rim. He’s a springy defender underneath who’s mobile enough to step out and guard in space, while his offensive repertoire showed major improvement down the stretch of last season.

One of those improvement areas was his shot, something he’ll need to build upon next season. He doesn’t shoot the ball from deep, but showed some mid-range touch that could evolve into one of his more dangerous weapons — especially as he becomes more comfortable attacking closeouts. He also has a nice set of hook shots and spins he can use to carve out space in the paint, with much-improved touch.

Metu still needs to up his toughness on defense and on the boards, where his athleticism can sometimes be negated by stronger, more physical bodies.