The Utah Jazz are going to have a wealth of options with the No. 21 pick in the NBA Draft, and Keita Bates-Diop is going to be one of the most intriguing among them.
The Utah Jazz may not have the most glamorous of picks available at number 21, but with the depth of this particular draft, it is going to be more interesting than you might think. I have seen particular players going as early as 15 in some mock drafts, while going in the early second round in others.
It is always hard to gauge where players are going to go the deeper you get into the draft, but this year seems to be particularly difficult.
We are going to do our best at The J-Notes to get you individualized pieces on each of the prospects that have been linked to the Utah Jazz. Already there have been articles written about Troy Brown, Josh Okogie and Khyri Thomas.
For today, we are going to be focusing on Keita Bates-Diop. I have not been shy about my liking of KBD.
I am loving Keita Bates-Diop. Watching video on him today, and he profiles to be such a versatile scorer and defender. Would love if he fell to the Jazz or if they moved up to get him.
— John Keeffer (@john_keeffer) May 20, 2018
When I sent that tweet, most mock drafts had KBD going anywhere from 15 to 20. So it seemed like the Jazz would either have to get extremely lucky, or they would potentially need to move up a few spots via trade.
Fortunately for the Jazz, Bates-Diop’s stock has seemingly stagnated, while others have risen. It hasn’t been through any fault of his own though. Most teams selecting outside of the lottery are more inclined to reach for potential, and will pass on the finished product in favor of a prospect with more upside.
As a 4-year senior at Ohio State, Bates-Diop is more of an elder statesman in the draft, and is definitely more of a finished product. For a team like the Jazz, who are in win-now mode and hoping for another deep run in the playoffs, that is not something that should turn them away.
Keita was highly recruited coming out of high school, and was ranked as the number 22 prospect in ESPN’s Top 100. He had a small role off the bench his freshman year, but broke out as a sophomore when he was given a larger role.
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014–15 | Ohio State | 33 | 0 | 9.9 | .473 | .462 | .679 | 2.1 | .5 | .3 | .6 | 3.8 |
| 2015–16 | Ohio State | 33 | 33 | 31.5 | .453 | .324 | .787 | 6.4 | 1.1 | .7 | 1.2 | 11.8 |
| 2016–17 | Ohio State | 9 | 3 | 23.3 | .500 | .200 | .714 | 5.2 | 1.3 | .2 | 1.3 | 9.7 |
| 2017–18 | Ohio State | 34 | 34 | 32.9 | .480 | .359 | .794 | 8.7 | 1.6 | .9 | 1.6 | 19.8 |
Heading into his junior season, Bates-Diop was supposed to have his breakout season. Unfortunately, he suffered a stress fracture in his leg and was out for the majority of the year.
The breakout year finally came during his senior season, where he averaged nearly 20 points and nine rebounds, while even adding 1.6 blocks per game. Those numbers were good enough to earn him Big 10 Player of the Year, and also helped to lead Ohio State to a 25-9 record and the 5th seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Throughout the year he showed the ability to step up in big games, and often put the Buckeyes on his back. Perhaps his most impressive performance was a 32-point showing over then number 1 Michigan State, where he was actually matched up against potential top-five pick Jaren Jackson Jr.
The Jazz currently have Jae Crowder and Thabo Sefolosha on the wing, and while they are both solid defenders, they could use another large wing who can score in a variety of ways along with playing defense.
As shown in the video above, Bates-Diop is a much better and more versatile scorer than Crowder and Sefolosha. He could step onto the Jazz roster tomorrow and potentially give them more on that end of the ball. When analyzing his offense, Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer listed the following points:
- Solid shooter with a high release point and NBA range
- Good touch around the rim on floaters, runners, and layups with either hand.
- Skilled post-up player who can score from either block using a multitude of moves.
- Knows how to cut, screen, and complete simple passes.
The Utah Jazz offense could desperately use a Swiss Army Knife player like Bates-Diop. Nevertheless, one of the more intriguing aspects of his game and a definite appeal to bringing him to the Jazz is his abilities on the defensive side of the ball.
Standing roughly 6’9″ with a 7’3″ wingspan, Diop has the profile of a modern day power forward, but has the mobility of a small forward. To put his size into perspective, potential top pick Marvin Bagley Jr. is listed as a center, and only has a 7’0″ wingspan. During his senior season with the Buckeyes, Diop used that wingspan to average 1.6 blocks per game.
If the Jazz are looking to target a player who can have an immediate impact on this roster, Keita Bates-Diop is one of the few players at this point in the draft who can achieve this. He can step into a bench role where he can focus on hitting spot-up threes, cutting off the ball, and playing solid perimeter defense.
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Keita’s stock appears to be falling because of his age and lack of athletic upside, and that could be the best thing that could have happened for the Jazz if it allows Bates-Diop to fall into their lap at pick number 21.