2016 NBA Draft Prospects: Breaking Down NBA Future of Kentucky's Skal Labissiere
Skal Labissiere arrived at Kentucky seemingly destined for one of the top two picks in the 2016 NBA draft. He's 6'11" with long arms (7'2" wingspan) and a silky-smooth jumper. That sounded similar to Karl-Anthony Towns, who had become a can't-miss prospect at the same school.
But after an underwhelming season in Lexington, Labissiere's draft stock took a bigger hit than anyone else's in college basketball, yet many mock drafts still have him in the lottery. The promise of what his could become has not entirely disappeared, but a long list of red flags were revealed.
| Age | 20 (Born March 18, 1996) |
| Team | Kentucky |
| Height | 6'11" |
| Weight | 225 |
Head coach John Calipari had the least amount of talent in the frontcourt that he's ever had in Lexington, and still Labissiere was only able to get on the court 15.8 minutes per game. There were sporadic moments where he flashed his potential, but for the most part it's his pre-college reputation—which included carving up Towns at a summer event in 2013—that has him still in the first-round discussion.
"I'm dying to see [that video]," a scout told Bleacher Report. "I just want to see something good. You want to believe in the kid. He had one 18-point game [against LSU] later on in the season. I saw him play well and confident early in the year. But he wasn't a kid that you felt like you need to draft him top-five this year."
(There is indeed a video of the event, but it's an edited mixtape.)
Relevant Stats
| 15.8 | 6.6 | 3.1 | 0.3 | 1.6 | 51.6 | 66.1 |
It takes some creativity to find any stats that make Labissiere look like an NBA prospect, but there is some promise inside his shot-blocking and shooting numbers. He made 45.9 percent of his two-point jumpers, according to Hoop-Math.com, which led Kentucky and was one of the better marks for big men projected to go in the first round in the latest B/R mock draft.
| 1. Domantas Sabonis, Gonzaga | 47.7 |
| 2. Brice Johnson, North Carolina | 46.2 |
| 3. Skal Labissiere, Kentucky | 45.9 |
| 4. Cheick Diallo, Kansas | 45.7 |
| 5. Marquese Chriss, Washington | 43.9 |
| 6. Henry Ellenson, Marquette | 42.7 |
| 7. Deyonta Davis, Michigan State | 41.6 |
| 8. Stephen Zimmerman, UNLV | 38.0 |
| 9. Jakob Poeltl, Utah | 37.7 |
| 10. Ben Simmons, LSU | 32.9 |
Labissiere also had some of the best shot-blocking numbers (1.6 BPG) among that group of big men, but his rebounding (3.1 RPG) is at the other end of the spectrum, which is one reason he didn't get consistent minutes.
| Ben Simmons, LSU | 9.6 | 26.5 | 2.5 |
| Marquese Chriss, Washington | 9.8 | 11.7 | 5.8 |
| Henry Ellenson, Marquette | 7.8 | 24.1 | 4.4 |
| Domantas Sabonis, Gonzaga | 11.6 | 28.2 | 2.7 |
| Jakob Poeltl, Utah | 11.8 | 22.1 | 4.8 |
| Skal Labissiere, Kentucky | 7.3 | 14.6 | 10.3 |
| Deyonta Davis, Michigan State | 13.6 | 19.0 | 10.2 |
| Stephen Zimmerman, UNLV | 9.0 | 26.1 | 7.2 |
| Cheick Diallo, Kansas | 10.4 | 27.2 | 11.9 |
| Brice Johnson, North Carolina | 11.8 | 28.5 | 5.5 |
Strengths
Labissiere could help himself during the predraft process. When it comes to fundamental skills, he's an impressive player for his size and will likely perform well in individual workouts. He can definitely shoot, and he moves well.
Labissiere was best at Kentucky in the pick-and-pop game. He was consistent as a jump-shooter, and while he didn't make any threes all season, it's conceivable that he'll be able to extend his range over time.
On both ends, he is best in space. Defensively, he was effective as a help-side defender and has good timing as a shot-blocker. The entire package was on display during a game late in the year against LSU—a rare glimpse of what Labissiere could be when he played with confidence.
Weaknesses
Labissiere ran into problems once Kentucky started facing real competition, and it was obvious the physicality of the game was too much for him.
Calipari wanted to use Labissiere similar to how he used Towns, which included playing through him in the post, but it quickly became apparent Labissiere was not comfortable playing with his back to the basket.
That helps explain why he wasn't able to score the ball consistently. When he wasn't getting open looks in the mid-range, scoring opportunities were limited.
But the biggest issues came on the defensive end. Labissiere was foul-prone, committing 7.6 fouls per 40 minutes, and even more troubling was how he struggled with physicality and getting rebounds.
"Anytime you see a guy who just doesn't seem to react well to the ball coming off the rim, the ball bounces off the rim, and there's a delay between when that happens and when he's able to react to it, that's scary," a scout told B/R earlier this year. "For a guy as tall and as athletic as him to not be able to go get rebounds at a good rate, that's really problematic, and I don't think that can be blamed on Kentucky.
"The game is just a little bit too fast and too physical for him. He needs to keep things simple. It's hard for him to make decisions at game speed. It's hard for him to get where he wants to go because of a lack of physicality. But he still has that high-release jump shot, still can block some shots. The rest of it has been a real struggle for him."
NBA Player Comparison
Similar to Labissiere, Myles Turner was underwhelming during one season at Texas, but the Indiana Pacers still took a chance on him with the 11th pick in the 2015 draft because of his jumper and shot-blocking.
| MPG | PPG | RPG | BPG | FG% | FT% | |
| 2014-15 (at Texas) | 22.2 | 10.1 | 6.5 | 2.6 | 45.5 | 83.9 |
| 2015-16 (with Pacers) | 22.8 | 10.3 | 5.5 | 1.4 | 49.8 | 72.7 |
The spacing of the NBA game has suited Turner well. He had better shooting and scoring numbers as a rookie than in his one season at college, and he looks to be a piece the Pacers will build around in the future.
Best-Case Scenario
The timeline would likely be different for Labissiere, but the former UK big man could eventually end up having better success in the NBA for the same reasons Turner has thrived.
Labissiere needs time to get stronger and time on the floor to figure out how to play in a team setting. It makes sense for whoever drafts him to send him to the NBA Development League, because he needs in-game experience, and if Calipari didn't trust him to play consistent minutes at the college level, it's going to be hard for him to get consistent minutes from an NBA coach.
Turner showed signs at Texas that he was closer than Labissiere to being NBA-ready. He didn't have the same struggles on the defensive end or the boards.
Offensively, Turner also had his problems finding his place in UT's offense. But one luxury Labissiere had that Turner did not was the chance to play with a guard who could get him easy shots. Kentucky's Tyler Ulis was the best playmaker in college basketball, yet Labissiere never really got to the point where he earned his coach's or point guard's trust.
Worst-Case Scenario
If Labissiere is never able to handle physical play and doesn't learn how to operate in a team setting, his jumper and length aren't going to be enough to keep him in the league.
It's going to take time and patience, because it's hard to envision him getting real run as a rookie.
"There's so much pick-and-roll defense in the NBA, and teams are going to attack him, and then teams are going to attack him in the post because he's a young player and he's small in terms of muscle mass and physical stature," another scout told B/R earlier this year. "He does have great shot-blocking instincts, and you'd like to think of him as a guy who can anchor your defense with shot-blocking, but how's he going to do it if he can't stay out of foul trouble and stay on the court?"
Labissiere's biggest risk in entering the draft now isn't that he could slip out of the lottery. He's still likely to get a guaranteed contract in the first round.
By coming out now, though, he's starting the clock on his first contract and giving his body less time to mature and to prove he belongs in the league. And if he doesn't show much progress during the first contract, getting a second isn't a given.
Prediction
Labissiere is going to get drafted in the first round. The only mock drafts I could find that have him outside the lottery are from Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman (19th to the Denver Nuggets) and CBSSports.com's Sam Vecenie (17th to the Memphis Grizzlies).
I'm with Wasserman and Vecenie. No one in the lottery will pull the trigger, but that could end up being a blessing for Labissiere. The best thing for him is to go to a successful franchise that is willing to be patient and stash him in the D-League.
At that point, it's going to be on Labissiere to get stronger and learn how to play in a team setting. I have my doubts, and one reason is the people surrounding him. His guardian, Gerald Hamilton, didn't do any favors when he pulled him from his high school, coaching him on what was essentially an AAU team his senior year.
Labissiere is going to need smart people in his ear preaching patience and encouraging him to take the proper steps to get better. I never root for a player to fail, but it's hard to bet on him. He was in an ideal situation at Kentucky (with an awesome point guard to set him up and not a lot of competition for playing time), and he couldn't figure things out.
It's only going to be harder as a pro, and unfortunately, Labissiere will likely end up as a cautionary tale.
C.J. Moore covers college basketball for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter, @CJMooreBR.
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