Dallas Mavericks: 5 options for pick No. 33 in 2018 NBA Draft

5. Keita Bates-Diop, SF/PF — Ohio State

On paper, Keita Bates-Diop is the prototypical modern NBA player. He measured 6’7.25” without shoes at the combine and his 7’3.35″ wingspan was the largest of any wing. Having just seen two conference finals in which it seemed like the goal was to have as many like-sized players on the floor at the same time, it would seem that KBD is exactly what teams should be looking for, which is partially why he’s now being discussed as a first round possibility.

The reason he might still be there at 33 for the Mavs has to do with his ceiling. The Big Ten Player of the Year doesn’t have the ball-handling ability of a true wing, and there’s a possibility he may top out as a spot-up threat for an NBA offense. He was a 35 percent shooter from deep on 5.4 attempts per game in his final year at Ohio State, so it’s no guarantee that he’ll be an outside threat at the next level. His 8.7 rebounds per game last season suggest he may be better served as a small-ball 4.

If Bates-Diop were a freshman or sophomore, this profile would likely get him drafted in the lottery. Instead, as a four-year college guy who is already 22 years old, it might cause him to slip down to the Mavs. They’d probably be thrilled if that were the case.