Amar Sylla
Age:
19.5
Date of Birth:
2001-10-01
Nationality:
Senegal
Height:
6'10"
Wingspan:
7'2.25"
Current Team:
Filou Oostende (Belgium)
Skills
Physical Tools
Good size for a combo big at 6’10”, excellent length measured at 7’2.25″ in 2018, could’ve even added a couple of inches since then. Uses his length extremely well to impose himself on the boards and to contest and block shots at the rim.
Strength is a work in progress. Combination of high center of gravity and skinny legs make it hard for him to hold his positioning and withstand contact on either end of the floor. Hasn’t added as much muscle to his upper body in the last two years, his shoulders err on the narrow side and how much his frame could fill up in time is a valid question.
Elite vertical pop for his size both of one or two feet. Needs almost no time to load into his jumps. Able to elevate quickly and with power to contest and block shots. Extremely quick and powerful second and third jump which allows him to follow his own misses on the offensive end and secure contested defensive rebounds. Able to play above the rim with ease.
Excellent north/south athlete who frequently outruns opponents with ease in transition and is a target for catch-and-finish opportunities both below and above the rim.
Excellent unidirectional lateral athlete, able to hold his own against drivers. Covers a ton of ground in a few strides thanks to his long legs.
Interior Scoring
Threat in catch-and-finish situations thanks to his combination of length and vertical pop. Able to finish reliably both when catching lobs or when getting the ball below the rim.
Prolific offensive rebounder who has a consistent motor on the boards. Able to impose himself both from a standstill and flying in from the perimeter. Shows really good instincts to find the open space and quick reactions to come up with the ball. Uses his length well to tip the ball to teammates when he’s not able to secure rebounds.
Limited as a finisher against contact and size due to his lack of strength. Can easily get thrown off-balance and doesn’t show the necessary touch or creativity to compensate for it.
Not a self-creator on the post by any means. His opportunities on post-ups are limited and doesn’t show the footwork, touch or strength to create space on the interior and get his shot off with his back to the basket.
Shooting
Has shown flashes of spot-up shooting in the past, but shows extreme variance in shot preparation, upper body mechanics and results from one shot to another. Seems to not have settled into a shooting motion yet, which is concerning considering his age.
At his best from above the break and with time and space. When he’s on the wing, he shows a tendency to shoot with his shoulders and feet pointing away from the rim and his head turned in a 45º angle which heavily affects his balance as a shooter.
Driving
Able to create driving opportunities attacking closeouts. Shows the IQ to read his opponent’s body movement and positioning to attack the right angle.
Not extremely coordinated with the ball in his hands, has a loose handle with a high dribble point and can get tangled up with the ball, but is able to handle effectively in space, being able to initiate transition out of defensive rebounds, and drive to the rim when given a straight line, taking advantage of his long legs and getting good momentum on his way to the basket.
Lack of strength limits him as a finisher, as he can get thrown off balance by help defenders at the rim, but he can compensate to a degree with his length to get extension finishes at the rim.
Passing
Not exactly advanced as a passer, but he makes sound decisions with the ball in his hands. Good at making the simple reads and accurate to deliver the ball to teammates.
Sporadically able to pass out of the post, both in kick-outs to open shooters in the perimeter and to cutters from the corners.
Defense
At his best as a help side rim protector, really good instincts and reaction time to rotate, meet opponents at the rim and efficient to contest and block shots. Has a combination of length and leaping ability which makes him effective as a shot blocker. Has excellent timing as a leaper to block shots.
Prolific rebounder on the defensive end, has an excellent second and third jump which allows him to follow misses. High-motor as a rebounder, tenacious at pursuing and securing rebounds.
Extremely switchable against perimeter players. Excellent in drive coverage, able to quickly turn his hips and slide laterally to stay in front and contest drives at the rim. Really quick to move his feet and backtrack when defending drives or when containing handlers turning the corner out of pick-and-rolls.
Active defender who is consistently looking to make plays, even those outside of his comfort zone. Always aware of what’s happening off the ball and looking to help. Has a high motor as a transition defender.
Desperately needs to improve his strength if he intends to play as a full-time rim protector at higher level of competitions, can be thrown off-position by opposing bigs with small pushes. Lack of strength also reduces his efficiency as a perimeter defender, as he tends to cheat on plays and avoid screens when chasing shooters or when defending pick-and-rolls.
