Malick Badiane. This guy is awesome. From some folks on clutch site this guy has improved so much this year (hes only 20!!) that he will be compared to Dwight Howard even. Everyone keeps saying "the rockets have only Yao and Tmac and nothing else". Well, we have a 17ppg pf in Juwon,and Sura at pg(tmac and Jjax share ball duties also) Sura has shown he can put up triple doubles if he is needed to,and is underrated since he hasnt been on national tv on contending teams. Now heres a link and article for Badiane to give you outside of houston folks a glimpse as to why I put him as my handle since he is now according to Ash (rockets top scout) says he is better than Stromile Swift already at age 20,he has been working out in htown westside all summer long with Ewing and is even bigger,smarter,faster than when he was in Germany last year.(germany held his rights for 1 year).He blows away Villanueva and Ebi and personally I think wil have people raving. IN the summer leagues last year he had every fan on the edge of their seats with his Amare type vertical and dunks and block shots that flew into the stands....
http://www.speedstrength.com/art27.asp
Malick Badiane
Malick Badiane a PF out of Senegal had an unbelievable workout Thursday in front of NBA teams. "Blew 'em away" as one scout put it. He has played himself into the first round with a strong workout and some scouts were raving about him saying he could be taken as high as the late teens. Badiane brought the exact attitude missing from Villanueva, Ebi workout.
Badiane has been compared to Keon Clark because of his combination of quickness and long sleek frame. But Badiane is more of a post player. And unlike the lanky Clark who is a wonderful athlete, Badiane appears to have the ability to put some more weight on and become more of an inside force. Most refreshing about Badiane is his attitude. He has the willingness to be coached and really wants to improve and work on his game.
A bit of a mystery player having impressed many scouts at ABCD camp last year, Badiane had a strong year in low level league in Germany. Badiane also impressed scouts at last years Global Games.
With great "body strength", Badiane has the frame to add weight without seeing it hinder his agility. This is often a big problem for players with less natural body strength like Brian Cook, and Rick Rickert. Badiane has put on 14 pounds in the past year and his movements have remained very quick and fluid. Not to get too far ahead of ourselves and contribute to the hype machine, but we could be looking at a future top 10 center in the league in a few years.
According to Babacar Sy who knows Badiane well, he's a supreme talent, it's just a matter of getting his mental approach together. If Thursday's workout is any indication it appears Badiane has been putting things together.
Nene Hilario ended up as the second best athlete in the Athleticism test that the NBA gave players at the draft camp last year. Badiane would likely have similar results in this test as he has developed his strength to go along with his considerable athleticism. Badiane may have more natural explosiveness but less strength than Nene Hilario.
Last years top athlete according to the agility test was JR Bremer, a player who ended up going undrafted but became a starter at point guard for the Boston Celtics.
www.wordbond.com/badiane.htm
2:30 p.m., University Illinois Chicago A few wrong turns get us to the gym after Badiane's workout has begun. The difference in the atmosphere is palpable the minute we enter the room. Badiane is grunting and growling. His trainer, Eric Lichter, is putting him through a strenuous drill. Badiane is going full speed.
He's pounding the ball with every dribble. He's clawing, scratching out every drill. He takes the ball at the top of the key, takes one dribble and throws down a huge dunk. He does it again. And again. And again.
For the first time all day, I can smell the sweat in the gym.
Badiane is an impressive physical specimen. He's a 19-year old, 6-foot-11, 234-pound power forward with a 7-foot-4½ wing span and a 32½-inch vertical jump. His body is already ripped, and his frame suggests he could easily bulk up to 250 without losing any speed or agility.
At one point Lichter takes a huge cord that looks like a giant rubber band, ties one end around his waist and the other around Badiane's waist. He then tells Badiane to attack the basket and dunk the ball. As Badiane fights to get there, Lichter is pulling the band in the opposite direction.
Badiane is grunting with each fierce dunk.
"Again!" Lichter shouts as he yanks the cord. Badiane jumps, Lichter pulls. Badiane stretches toward the rim, Lichter keeps pulling.
About 40 NBA scouts and GMs are in the gym. None of them are talking to each other. They're all staring, jaws agape.
"I told you," the international scout said. "That is an NBA workout. He just earned himself a lot of bread."
If Badiane had been on the court with Ebi and Villanueva, he would have killed them both.
"Right now, the international players are hungrier," another scout continues. "They really want it. Over in Europe (Badiane plays for a team in Germany), the conditions still aren't always great. You never know when or if you're getting paid. The facilities aren't that great, and the money isn't very good. You don't play to have seven Bentleys in your garage. You play because it's your passion."
“ Where are you going to find that combination of power and athleticism?" the scout said. "I hate comparisons, but how different is he from Amare Stoudemire in terms of strength and desire? I don't think there's that big a gap. ” — NBA scout on Malick Badiane of Senegal Two NBA scouts in the gym have followed Badiane for years. One claims he should be a top 15 pick in the draft. The other won't go that far but does insist he's a lock for the first round.
"Where are you going to find that combination of power and athleticism?" the scout said. "I hate comparisons, but how different is he from Amare Stoudemire in terms of strength and desire? I don't think there's that big a gap."
Another assistant GM walks up to me, smiles and sums up the last 45 minutes. "It looks like you've stumbled onto another goldmine."
Here's the book on Badiane according to several experts in African scouting who know him intimately. He's one of the strongest, most athletic big men in the draft. He is an above-average defender, strong rebounder and a great shot blocker. He runs the floor like a guard and is an explosive leaper. He has a soft shooting touch and his range extends out to 15 feet. Of all of the young, African prospects to come to the NBA in the last 20 years, both scouts claim Badiane has the most offensive potential of any since Hakeem Olajuwon.
Lichter has another comparison that seems to fit. "He reminds me a lot of Nene," said Lichter, who trained Nene Hilaro last summer. "They're both as strong as an ox. Nene is a more talented physical prospect, but Malick is much more skilled around the basket than Nene was when he came over. Badiane is very swift, which is kind of amazing considering how powerful his legs really are. He's got awesome power from his base."
Lichter has helped Badiane improve on his raw ability. He has him working in a sand pit in Cleveland, mimicking NBA moves in sand to increase his strength and explosiveness. In five weeks, Badiane has gained 17 pounds -- all of it muscle.
After the workout, Nuggets GM Kiki Vandeweghe shows Badiane a few moves in the block. He's shaking his head and smiling widely as he walks away.
Badiane is just happy to be here. "I just wanted to work hard and show the NBA what they would be getting if they drafted me," he told Insider. "I've been working very hard and I'll keep working hard if they choose to draft me."
Badiane has plenty of experience against top competition. He played well at the Global Games in Dallas last summer (and held his own against Darko Milicic), and he impressed people at the ABCD camp for high schoolers.
When asked who is favorite NBA player is, he smiles and says Ben Wallace. "I love to play defense like he does. I just want to be strong, grab every rebound and block every shot."
He only has one caveat on that comparison. "But I will score the ball too."
Most scouts have assumed Badiane will be taken by the Mavs at No. 29. But based on what we saw on Thursday, Badiane probably won't be on the board that long.
.....Thats another reason why the Rockets arent in a hurry to get a backup center and fans keep panicking and asking why and when. From what Ive heard this guy will be the backup and is WAAAAAAAY better than slow mutumbo.
the Rockets will surprise you with this talent
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