#3 Usman Garuba – Forward – Spain
We are seeing more and more international prospects find success at the NBA level and one of the next international guys who could make an impact after being drafted is Usman Garuba from Spain. Garuba stands about 6’8” and possesses a reported 7’2” wingspan, making him a very intriguing power-forward prospect.
Out of all of the international prospects, Garuba may be the most NBA-ready in terms of making an impact on the court. He may not be the most athletic guy and may not possess the scoring ability to make an impact like Luka Doncic did, but Usman Garuba has made a name for himself being a high-energy guy on the defensive-end of the floor.
He can guard pretty much any position and his length gives him the edge of smaller opponents who keep the ball in front of them. Garuba is a threat to intercept virtually any pass and is a very smart defender in terms of positioning.
Usman Garuba always finds himself in the right spot defensively, which results in him forcing a lot of turnovers from his opponents. Offensively, you are going to get a lot of dunks and layups on the interior from him, but Garuba has made strides as a mid-range shooter over the years.
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Many may roll their eyes at this comparison, but I truly do believe that one of the best versions of himself that Usman Garuba could become is a player like Zach Randolph. The 19-year-old forward is not close to being a guy like “Z-Bo” yet, but given his size and his presence defensively, any team who drafts Garuba could absolutely look to throw him in a role like Randolph held in Memphis for eight seasons being a dominant big man.
At 9th overall, Sacramento is going to be looking for a guy that can make an impact for them on the court, but they are in a unique situation because unlike most teams, the Sacramento Kings are not really in a rush to do much. They have missed the playoffs year after year and they are just pretty much looking for guys who can help carry them out of the trenches.
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Giving Garuba time to adjust to the NBA and get situated in his new position could really prove to be beneficial for his career outlook. Not to mention, with time, Usman Garuba could easily turn into a key starter or even a “sixth-man” type of forward for the Kings.
Sacramento has a major lack of depth in their frontcourt and with all the questions surrounding both Marvin Bagley III and Richaun Holmes, it would be a smart move for the Sacramento Kings to target a player like Usman Garuba. The only question though is if they could potentially trade down a few spots and still be able to draft the young forward.
