New Orleans Pelicans 2015 NBA Draft Profiles: Mouhammadou Jaiteh

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It is that time of year again. With the NBA Draft just a few weeks away it is time to start looking at players that the New Orleans Pelicans can potentially draft. While most of the players that we profile will be second round players since the Pelicans currently only have a second round pick, there will also be a few first round talents mixed in with the bunch as well. Considering the Pelicans are pretty set in the backcourt and at power forward the profiles will focus on wing players that fit into a small forward role and backup big men, places the Pelicans can stand to get a bit better. 

The recent draft profiles we have done have focused mainly on college players with limited upside but who do something (or in the case of Jonathan Holmes many things) well enough to warrant a second round selection with the hope of being an end of the rotation role player for a good team. The other way NBA team’s can go are draft-and-stash players who are currently playing overseas and could potentially never actually make a transition to the NBA. They could also turn into huge steals for those teams. We have already looked at one draft-and-stash candidate earlier this week and now we will look at another in big man Mouhammadou Jaiteh.

The Basics: 

Age: 20

Height (with shoes): 6’10.5”

Weight: 247

Wingspan: 7’3.25”

Standing Reach: 9’2.5”

Max Vertical: 31.5

2014-2015 stats: 11.3 points, 6.5 rebounds, 0.5 blocks in just 22.5 minutes per game in a league in France.

Draft Projections: Second round.

Strengths: 

As can be guessed by just looking at them, Jaiteh is a prospect in large part because of his great measurables. At 6’10” with a 7’3” wingspan, Jaiteh has the sheer size to be a big problem in the paint in the NBA. Unlike some overseas players, Jaiteh isn’t just long and lanky as he actually has a fairly filled out body that allows him to bully some younger players around which he did at times in the five-on-five games at the NBA Combine. But there is more to him than just being a very large 20-year-old.

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Jaiteh actually has pretty soft hands for a big man and is able to use them to be effective offensively. With his size it isn’t a surprise that Jaiteh can be a plus on the offensive glass, but with his hands and a solid touch he is able to convert those offensive rebounds into points. There are also flashes of a mid-range jumper in Jaiteh’s game which would be a nice weapon for a player that is a bit fluid in the post.

Weaknesses: 

Despite his size there are questions about Jaiteh translating to the NBA. First he isn’t a great athlete which can hurt him defensively, especially when he is put in the pick-and-roll. Jaiteh struggled a bit in those situations in the combine games, and with his lack of lateral mobility he won’t be able to play in every NBA scheme. Like many men his size, Jaiteh also lacks some explosion which could be an issue when he starts facing NBA players that can almost match his length and size, something he doesn’t see in his league in France.

There are also some questions surrounding Jaiteh’s motor as it has been now to not always be great, and it was something he had problems with at the Adidas Eurocamp in the past, in front of scouts. Considering that motor is an issue in a French B league it isn’t a guarantee that Jaiteh is able to make a seamless transition to the NBA or that he would be able to handle rough spots.

Projected Role: If a team is willing to be patient with Jaiteh there is hope that he could one day turn into a really nice bench big, or maybe even more for some team. With his size and offensive skills Jaiteh at the very least should be able to do a bit of a Alexis Ajinca impersonation with perhaps better rebounding and depending on how he develops as he gets older a bit better defense.

Information for this post, including measurements, came from DraftExpress. 

Next: Another Draft-and-Stash Candidate is Aleksandar Vezenkov

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