At the top of the NBA draft, teams are looking for superstars. Players that will change the course of their franchise for years to come. As the first round continues into the second, teams look for role players. Ones that fit seamlessly on almost any NBA roster. When the draft nears its end however, teams can start to narrow in on players who bring a specific skill set to the table. Players that may not be a complete prospect, but are able to bring an elite edge to their team immediately. Sharpshooters who struggle athletically, or elite athletes who can’t shoot. Productive scorers who don’t defend, or great defenders who can’t score. This wildcard range of final picks in the draft sets the stage for extremely talented prospects to prove themselves by being given a roster spot.
Chief among these players in the 2020 draft is Oregon State’s Kylor Kelley. Playing only two Division-I seasons, Kelley amassed 211 blocks, putting him second in the NCAA both years, and giving him the most blocks for any player only playing two season within the last decade. The numbers and film paint him as one of the most talented shot blockers to enter the draft in some time. However, he has yet to showcase many other parts of his game for NBA scouts and evaluators up until this point. While he still has a lot to prove, his size and his numbers speak for themselves.
Kylor Kelley The NBA’s Next Greatest Center?
7-0 C, Oregon State University – 11.1 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 3.5 BPG, 60.4 FG%
Kelley put up some dominant defensive numbers in his senior season for Oregon State. Beyond the actual statistics though, his presence on the floor made a huge impact for the Beavers. Teams would often settle for perimeter jump shots rather than challenge Kelley at the rim. Due to this, it made the entire game easier for the whole team. This defensive mentality is something that Kelley leans on, and it’s a big part of what makes him so effective.
“I feel like defense is one of the most important aspects of the game, and my game,” said Kelley in an interview with The Lead, “I get a lot of questions about if it’s all timing and everything, and I say a lot of it is natural but it’s also pregame studying film of how guys finish at the rim.”
Perhaps even more impressive than the 3.5 blocks per game for Kelley is the 2.0 fouls per game. To be so active at the rim yet foul so rarely is extremely uncommon for even the best big men. Since Basketball Reference starting tracking fouls in 2009, only one other player had as many blocks and as few fouls in a season. Kelley is certainly aware of his impressive lack of fouling, and attributes it to his superior length.
“The length really helped, keeping away from the body,” said Kelley, “And then when guys tried to get into my body, I’d still be able to block the shot, avoiding the contact.”
Despite the gaudy defensive numbers, nothing offensively for Kelley jumps off the page. A main reason for that was his role at Oregon State. As he describes it, defending the rim, running the floor and hitting easy baskets were some of his few tasks. Rarely was a play ran for him, and he didn’t typically have to move away from the rim on defense. Still, when projecting his game at the next level, he expects much of the same.
“My strengths are my strengths. Being able to run the floor at my size, being able to block shots, those are probably going to be the biggest parts of my game,” said Kelley, “Things might change, but those would be my biggest roles at the next level.”
With that being said, there are a few things that Kelley could serve to improve. For NBA fans watching the game each night, there is an ever-changing role for big men. More and more, teams rely on their bigs to shoot from the perimeter, and defend pick-and-rolls. The issue for Kelley is, he doesn’t have much experience doing either.
Experience doesn’t equal ability, however. Kelley has some elite physical tools that give him a chance, especially in pick-and-roll defense. Watching him run, it’s clear that he is one of the faster seven-footers in all of basketball. Still, being able to stick with guards on switches on the perimeter is an entirely different challenge. Then again, most of the bigs in the league who have that ability are quick and long, similar to Kelley. If he can show NBA teams he can defend on switches, it may help convince them of his value. It’s certainly something he’s working on.
“G-League and the NBA is a lot different from college. I switched onto a few guards this year, some I was able to stick with. I think it’s just my conditioning, my leg strength and my quickness trying to stay in front,” said Kelley, “That’s one of the things I’m trying to improve right now, is my lateral quickness because I know there’s a lot more switching going on and bigs have to be lighter on their feet to stick with guards.”
On the other side of the ball, Kelley’s strengths are just as pronounced. The same way that he uses his length to block shots, he uses it to catch lobs. It was extremely common for Kelley and his guards to use the pick-and-roll to get him easy buckets. However, outside of that, he rarely attempted to score. He never took a three pointer in his two years at OSU (his stats say he did, but Kelley claims it was a box score error), and would only attempt the token mid-range jumper. That mid range is one aspect that Kelley is looking to add to his game leading up to the draft.
“The game now is heading where the bigger guys are able to shoot from 15 feet out on pick-and-pops. I made a few mid range shots this year and showed off my range a bit, but I’m trying to get that more consistent,” said Kelley, “So I’m keyed in and locked in on mid range from here.”
When you look across the NBA, there are a handful of players similar to Kelley. Athletic rim-runners like JaVale McGee, Jaxson Hayes or Nerlens Noel are hyper-efficient and don’t deviate from their roles. Defensively, Kelley’s biggest defensive inspiration, Rudy Gobert, is one of the most dominant players in the league without having much skill offensively. Looking up and down the league, however, there is rarely more than one of these types of players per team. Sometimes, like with the Houston Rockets, there are none. Simply put, the margin for error with athletic, defensive bigs is extremely thin. Kelley’s ability to both develop a mid-range game and switch on pick-and-rolls will play a large role in his pursuit of the NBA.
Despite dwindling big men, it’s hard to bet against Kelley’s purely dominant shot-blocking numbers in a power conference at Oregon State. There are simply very few players with his combination of length, speed and defensive talent. While there are areas of improvement needed, Kelley’s quick and noticeable rise in college project those areas coming sooner rather than later. Despite his seldom inclusion on NBA big boards, there is certainly a place within the league for Kylor Kelley, and he believes he can make it.
“I’m confident in myself enough that I’ll be able to earn a two-way deal. I know may not be NBA-ready right now. But I’m ready to take every step I need to do to get there.”
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