It’s that time of the year again. Let’s talk about the NBA Draft and pretend we’ve been keeping up with these prospects all season. Our deep dives begin with Clifford Omoruyi, a big man from Alabama who has already worked out with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
General Information
College: Alabama
Position: Center
Year: Senior
Stats: 6.9 points (73.4 FG%, 0% 3PT, 72.5% FT), 7.5 rebounds, 0.9 assists, 1.1 blocks
Measurables
Age: 23
Height: 6’ 11”
Weight: 240 pounds
Wingspan: 7’6”
Strengths
Omoruyi is a play finisher. You’ll notice that nearly all of his points come from high-percentage looks at the rim. His athleticism and 7’6” wingspan give him a wide catch radius on lobs. There aren’t many passes he can’t catch above the rim.
You can see below how Omoruyi would fit with the Cavs. A simple read on the short-roll (from a teammate) leading directly to a lob play for Omoruyi on the back end. We’ve seen Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley complete this play numerous times.
Omoruyi can also be a rim protector in the right context. He has great athletic tools that give him the ability to rotate and reject shots above the rim. Omoruyi was named Big Ten All-Defensive twice in his collegiate career.
This is an admittedly simple set of skills. However, blocking shots and running the floor will always be valuable in the NBA. For Omoruyi, maximizing his ability to protect the paint and finish on the other end is the key.
Weaknesses
Omoruyi is a limited player. He understands his role and doesn’t try too hard to break out of it. For example, he attempted only 36 three-pointers in five collegiate seasons. If it isn’t in the paint, Omoruyi isn’t even trying it.
He’s also an older prospect. Omoruyi would enter his rookie season at 24, only a few months younger than Isaac Okoro and Evan Mobley. You might not be able to project much improvement from Omoruyi at the professional level. He may already be pressing against his developmental ceiling.
Omoruyi could turn into a respectable rim runner at the NBA level. Or, he could run into a wall with an oversimplified game and no alternatives to separate himself. Without a reliable jumper or any obvious ball-handling skills, Omoruyi could have a hard time matching today’s need for versatility.
On defense, Omoruyi will have to prove he can keep up with his peers. His raw shot-blocking ability is encouraging. Athleticism can take you far in college. But it can only do so much in the NBA when everyone else is equally as athletic. Omoruyi will have to refine his skills and show that his timing can translate to the speed of the NBA.
How could he help the Cavs?
The bar isn’t very high right now for Cleveland. Their only backup center is a 34-year-old Tristan Thompson. Anyone with size and athleticism could make an instant impact.
With that said, expectations for the team as a whole are very high. Omoruyi wouldn’t be joining a lottery team that can afford to watch him develop. He’d be joining a high-pressure situation where every mistake is magnified.
It’s important to have reasonable expectations for whoever the Cavs select in the second round. There’s a good chance they won’t play any minutes for this team, regardless of who they are.
Omoruyi has the potential to fill an obvious gap in the frontcourt. It’s tough to project anything more than occasional good minutes as the backup big. That alone would be a great success story.