Usman Garuba
Age:
19.3
Date of Birth:
2002-03-09
Nationality:
Spain
Height:
6'8"
Wingspan:
7'3"
Current Team:
Real Madrid (Spain)
Skills
Physical Tools
Optimal physical profile to defend multiple frontcourt positions. Standing at 6’8” with a reported 7’3” wingspan.
Possesses excellent lower body strength and a developed frame which makes it hard for opponents to fight for positioning against him in both ends of the floor. Knows how to leverage his size to create space against smaller defenders. Plays with physicality on both ends of the floor.
Fluid and coordinated north/south athlete for his size. Moves up and down the court with good speed.
Above average body control and nimbleness to navigate tight spaces and finish at the rim in awkward angles.
Shows the requisite unidirectional lateral mobility to keep up with quicker wings and forwards in the perimeter.
Explosive enough from a standstill to finish and contest shots at the rim and high-point rebounds.
Passing
Shows feel for the game, making the right basketball play with consistency. Unselfish player who is willing to move the ball. Reactive as a passer, knows how to read the defense and react accordingly.
Wasn’t tasked with much playmaking duties for Real Madrid, but throughout his junior career, he has shown the ability to distribute the ball on the move, especially effective in grab-and-go situations, as he was able to initiate transition out of defensive rebounds, taking the middle lane, and then find open shooters on the wings/corners taking advantage of a scrambling defense.
Adept stationary passer who is able to deliver the ball to open shooters from the post. Able to find cutters and make passes over the top of the defense to find them.
Shooting
Still developing as a shooter, currently limited to spot-up attempts when given space.
Has improved his shooting mechanics, especially in terms of fluidity and balance – now fully extending his body on a short jump, but his preparation continues to be slow and easy to close out on; It’s unlikely he’ll find himself as wide open against the NBA-level defenders. Lacks fluidity in his overall motion and his movements look rigid and segmented – doesn’t flow from his gather to his release. Shots generally come out with a flat trajectory.
Has improved his shooting percentages and volume of three-point attempts year to year. Closed the 2020-21 season on 31.6% from beyond the arc on 3.2 attempts per 36 minutes.
Driving
Able to put the ball on the floor to attack closeouts and mismatches against smaller defenders. At his best on the open court, where he’s able to initiate transition out of defensive rebounds. Moves with a combination of straight line speed, power and fluidity for his size with the ball in his hands which makes him a tough cover in space.
Can selectively create short to mid-distance drives by facing up out of post position and leveraging his size against smaller defenders.
Has improved as a ball-handler, but needs to continue his development in this area since he has a high-point dribble and can be too rigid with the ball in his hands, which can slow him down and make him prone to turnovers in traffic.
Interior Scoring
Knows and plays within his role as a screen-and-roll big who doesn’t need the ball in his hands to be efficient as a scorer. His combination of strength, north/south mobility and leaping ability from a standstill make him a tough cover coming out of a screen, as he’s able to roll to the rim with power, being able to withstand any type of contact on his way to the rim. Shows enough length and nimbleness to finish in awkward angles at the rim.
Shows flashes of self-creation on the post. His footwork is simple but fluid, able to keep his pivot foot down against pressure, which allows him to find the open space to finish at the rim. Able to selectively put the ball on the floor to establish a more comfortable position to finish. Uses his strength effectively to withstand contact on the interior, draw fouls and keep his balance to finish in a crowd.
Uses his strength, length, leaping ability, instincts and relentless motor to be an effective offensive rebounder, creating scoring opportunities for himself or generating extra possessions for his team.
Defense
Difference maker on the defensive end due to his rare combination of awareness, positioning, instincts and defensive IQ at his age. High-motor player who is always actively looking to make plays on and off the ball and is not afraid to step outside of his comfort zone to make plays.
Versatile defender who can act as a secondary rim protector but also could potentially switch down to defend 3s & bigger 2s at the NBA level.
Effective for his size at switching and containing ball-handlers in the perimeter, especially against wings and forwards. Quick to move his feet and keep opponents in front of him when defending on an island. Quick to turn his hips after being attacked off the dribble relative to his size, shows the requisite unidirectional lateral mobility to cover drives and the strength to not to give up space against physical slashers.
Shows tremendous awareness off the ball. Able to get on passing lanes for steals and deflections on the perimeter. His awareness and quickness to react allow him to be effective as a secondary rim protector, routinely rotating on time from the corner to contest and block shots as a help side defender.
Play bigger than his 6’8” on the interior given his plus strength and length for the position. Knows how to contest shots from a standstill, using his chest to absorb contact and his length/standing reach to force opposing drivers and post players into tough, off-balance shots.
Will probably struggle against bigger opponents on the post, even though the combination of strength and length help him, bigger centers can just shoot over him. Could get into foul trouble due to his level of activity and physicality, especially on the interior.
