In the world of college basketball, there are players who stand out due to their sheer size and athleticism. Khaman Maluach, a 7-1 freshman center at Duke University, is one of those players. With a massive NBA-ready frame and switchable mobility, Maluach is a towering rim protector who has already made a name for himself as a defensive force to be reckoned with.
At just 18 years old, Maluach's strength lies in his rim protection. He uses his impressive timing and length to swat and alter shots, making him a long-term paint anchor who can cover significant ground defensively and hedge out on pick-and-rolls. His mobile defense allows him to switch and rotate quickly as a weak-side shot-blocker, making him a valuable asset on that end of the court.
On the offensive end, Maluach is still a work in progress. He lacks seasoning as a screener, shooter, and creator, but he is a constant target for lobs with soft hands. He does an outstanding job of cleaning up on the glass and cutting to the basket, and when a dunk isn't possible, he has a soft touch scoring with layups and tip-ins.
Despite his raw skills, Maluach has a hard-nosed mindset and plays his butt off on both ends of the court. He sits in a stance on defense and hustles up the floor on offense. All of his indications reflect a player who wants to help his team win, and his year-to-year improvement is indicative of a player working hard off the court too.
However, there are concerns with Maluach's perimeter offense. Outside of shots at the rim, he has little self-creation ability and lacks refined post moves. Though he has a good free throw percentage even going back to high school, he's still just a theoretical 3-point shooter. Additionally, despite his immense size and length, he doesn't log a ton of blocks and rebounds, which is evident in film of his February loss against Clemson where he was overpowered on box-outs and failed to offer resistance at the rim.
Lastly, Maluach's raw role-player skills are evident in his foul-proneness, odd screening angles, and decision-making. He had zero rebounds in his final college game, which highlights the need for patience from the team drafting him.
Despite these concerns, Khaman Maluach is a player to watch out for in the NBA draft. With his size, athleticism, and defensive prowess, he has the potential to be a valuable contributor on both ends of the court. For more information on Maluach and other prospects for the upcoming NBA draft, check out my NBA Draft Guide.
