Malik Reneau: Force Meets Finesse | The Prospect Overview
Malik Reneau of the Indiana Hoosiers presents and intriguing blend of power and skill. All he needs to do is keep turning the dial. PLUS: Quick Hits on four international prospects!
I spend a lot of my time thinking about draft sleepers. I’ll often start by looking at players who had impressive statistical profiles or who stood out to me on film. It’s good to start out with the positives, examining what a player does well and how that could lend itself to an NBA floor. The next step isn’t always as fun—I have to ask myself why a player isn’t receiving as much acclaim and what they’ll have to do to get it. Sometimes, the answer is simple. Maybe the player was tucked away at a smaller school or didn’t get as big of a media spotlight. Other times, the player needs to improve upon flaws within their game.
Since I’ve gotten into the scouting space, I feel that I’ve been able to develop a better gauge for who has a propensity to improve upon their flaws, and which flaws are easier to improve than others. While some players might have an intriguing set of skills and a high level of feel at their disposal, they may lack the requisite positional size and/or athleticism to make it at the NBA level. Making that type of bet is a tricky predicament, as it’s generally difficult to make dramatic physical improvements. One bet I tend to like is what I call: “The Physically Capable Dial Turner.”
In hindsight, Naji Marshall is a great example of this. Marshall was far from a perfect and/or complete prospect coming out of Xavier. He went from a reluctant, efficient shooter (34.9% on 3.1 threes per 100 possessions as a freshman) to a higher volume, inefficient shooter during his time with the Musketeers (28.6% on 8.1 threes per 100 possessions as a junior). While he displayed flashes as a playmaker and a passer, he occasionally got out of control with his decision-making. His off-ball defense would come and go. Conversely, he had the size and strength of an NBA wing. He finished efficiently inside, could guard a variety of positions, and had moments where he saw the floor well.
What Naji Marshall needed to do was “turn the dial” in a few areas. He had to shoot it better, reduce his mistakes, and get better defensively. But the good news was that he had a physical baseline that could get him onto an NBA floor and a solid foundational skill base on top of that. He had ways to score, he could rebound, he could get teammates involved, and he could guard different types of players. He had things he needed to improve upon, but he wasn’t dismal in any sense. That goes a long way in getting the organizational patience and in-game reps to iron out those problems. This blend of athleticism, strength, and well-rounded competence gave him the runway to work out the kinks in his game and earn a three-year, $27M contract from the Dallas Mavericks this offseason. This type of bet doesn’t always pan out, but the reward level on the margins is high, and we’ve seen it pay off. Meanwhile, if a player comes into training camp and is getting run off the floor, there’s not really any way to build upon that.
When thinking about Physically Capable Dial Turners who are sliding under the radar, Malik Reneau comes to mind. Indiana’s 6’9” junior is big, strong, productive, and closer than you might think to bursting into NBA Draft conversations. Let’s dig into it! But before we do, make sure you check out my interview with Malik Reneau here!
Malik Reneau, 6’9”, Indiana, Junior
23-24 Stats: 15.4 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 2.7 APG, 2.8 TOV, 0.5 SPG, 0.6 BPG
Interior Scoring
Reneau does most of his scoring around the basket. While it may not be something he does a whole lot of in the NBA, Reneau does a fantastic job of dominating smaller opponents on the block. Per Synergy, 34.4% of his scoring attempts came from post-ups, and Reneau ranked in the 82nd percentile on those play types. He uses his strength to easily displace his opponents. Reneau is particularly strong on the right side of the floor, utilizing a dazzling array of old-school post moves to get clean looks at the cup.
With that being said, post-ups aren’t as in vogue as they used to be. Still, the tools Reneau shows on these attempts have functional carry over. He’s more than comfortable putting the ball on the deck while facing up. His footwork is polished, enabling him to string together counters when his initial attempt at penetration is met with resistance. He’s great at using fakes to get his opponents off of their feet. Reneau has also shown an impressive degree of body control to contort and convert at the cup when there’s a rim protector in his way.
When Reneau attacks the rack, force meets finesse. His blend of skill, paired with his power, enables him to create and sustain advantages. He can get opponents off balance or drive at holes in the defense. Reneau is nearly impossible to knock off his line when going downhill. His sublime pairing of toughness and touch enables him to finish through contact at the rim. For these reasons, Reneau is one of the most complete interior scorers out there. Per Synergy, 48.9% of his shots in the halfcourt came at the rim, and he converted 62.5% of them, which is a fantastic mark for a forward prospect.
The Vision
What makes Reneau so interesting, though, is that he’s not just a bulldozer. He sees the floor well, too. Reneau posted a 20.4 AST% last season, the second-highest on the team for the Hoosiers. When Reneau goes into a post-up, opposing defenses often look to collapse on him. At his best, Reneau can anticipate this defensive tendency and immediately punish the defense. Whether he kicks the ball out to a perimeter shooter or finds a gap in the off-ball defensive positioning of his opponents, Reneau has the touch to get the rock where it needs to go. His ability to punish defenses not just as an interior finisher, but as a passer from the interior, adds an important playmaking wrinkle to his game.
Again, though—posting up likely won’t be a big part of Reneau’s NBA role. That’s fine, because he has more at his disposal than that. When he’s faced up, he sees the floor more like a guard. He’s no stranger to cross-court whips to corner shooters. Last season, he showed comfortability placing entry passes and lobs into the awaiting arms of big man Kel’el Ware. I also like him a great deal as a short-roll passer. Because Reneau is a big, physical dude, he sets impactful screens. When ball handlers dump the ball to him, he’s great at reading 4-on-3, 3-on-2, and 2-on-1 predicaments as he drives to the cup. This modern functionality pops up consistently on his game tape and shouldn’t go overlooked.
Turning the Dial on Offense
There are two key areas where Reneau will need to turn the dial on offense. Reneau shot 33.3% from three last year, which is an okay number for an underclassman forward prospect. With that being said, the volume was lagging, as he took only 2.7 triples per 100 possessions. He’ll need to get more comfortable behind the arc. Often, he won’t position himself behind the three-point line off the ball, and I’d like to see him do away with that. He can also be tentative when left open. Mechanically, his upper and lower body aren’t aligned, and his elbows can be flared out to the side.
In spite of all of this, I remain optimistic. Reneau’s 45 three-point attempts during his sophomore season more than quadrupled his eight attempts as a freshman. Reneau has recognized this as a wrinkle he needs to add to his game. He’s shown that he’s willing to put in the work and take on the challenge while also showing that he has the talent to get better. If he can become a consistent shooter, he’ll be able to draw harder closeouts, which will make his rim finishing and passing even more potent than they are now.
I’d also like to see Reneau reduce his turnovers (2.8 TOV, 18.0 TOV%). At his best, he can stay composed when doubled and wire sharp passes. Other times, he gets overwhelmed by heavy pressure. He can speed himself up and force passes through non-existent windows or find himself stripped in heavy traffic. He also has a tendency to get too casual with his pass placement at times. Similarly to the aforementioned Naji Marshall, though, the highs are high. For Reneau, it will be a matter of cutting out his riskier proclivities and delivering the ball with a greater degree of intentionality.
Defense
Reneau’s defense isn’t anything to sneeze at, either. On the ball, one of the first things that stands out is how well he knows the scouting report. When he’s matched up against a non-shooter, he treats them accordingly. If he’s guarding someone who does deserve his respect on the perimeter, he’ll give it to them. I’ll also once again bring up how big and strong Reneau is here. Plus, he’s pretty good at sliding his feet. It’s tough for opponents to get anywhere against him, and he routinely bumps smaller players off their line on drives. This leads to dribble pickups, poor passing decisions, and forced shots. He also uses his length well to get into opponents’ handles. Reneau makes sure to put his body on his opponents when a shot goes up, allowing him to win contested boards on the glass.
There are things to like off the ball, too. He’s a consistent communicator, visibly talking and pointing things out. He’ll make hustle plays and dive for loose balls. When he helps at the rim, his intimidating frame will lead to opponents passing the ball out. Reneau also looks good rotationally, displaying a good level of balance when he needs to shift direction at a moment’s notice. In totality, Reneau’s strength and awareness should allow him to hold his own in a variety of settings at the next level.
Turning the Dial on Defense
The biggest thing I’d like to see from Reneau defensively is more assertiveness and aggression off the ball. I appreciate a player who doesn’t want to be a reckless gambler. With that being said, Reneau can be too late to make a difference inside at times. He needs to get to the rim faster as a low man rather than reacting a half-second too late. On tags, it felt like he often gave the roller too clear of a path to the rim so that he could recover to his man more easily if needed. It’s tough to knock defensive output from his usage players (Reneau had a 2.2 BLK% and 1.1 STL% with a 27.9 USG%), but at times, I was left wanting more. Again, though—Reneau is physically capable, it’s just a matter of fine tuning these instincts.
Conclusion
I think Malik Reneau’s game can be misunderstood. Evaluators might look at him and see a guy who operates on the block a lot, makes some mistakes as a passer, and has some inconsistencies on the defensive end. I believe that mentality could be flawed in this particular instance. When I look at Malik Reneau, I see a Physically Capable Dial Turner. He has NBA size and strength at 6’9” and 233 pounds. His “force meets finesse” brand of play led to him being Indiana’s second-leading scorer and third on the squad in assists. He took strides as a shooter last season, both from a willingness and efficiency standpoint. I believe that Malik Reneau can turn the dial, and I believe that because he already turned it last season. He just has to do it again. There are a lot of exciting names, including some fresh faces, within the Indiana program. But don’t forget about their highest usage guy from last year. He’s the type of bet I’m willing to make. Don’t be surprised if Reneau makes a splash as a 2025 draft prospect.
Quick Hits
-Ben Saraf has been the first significant riser of this draft cycle, and it’s for good reason. The 6’5” guard dominated in the FIBA U18 Euro Championships, putting up 28.1 PPG on 44.7/36.2/75.9 splits. He also stuffed the remainder of the stat sheet with 5.0 RPG, 5.3 APG, 4.0 SPG(!), and 1.0 BPG. While he hasn’t dominated BBL and EuroCup play the same age, he’s still been a great producer, given his age. He’s a poised playmaker who keeps control of his handle, uses intelligent passing angles to maximize openings, and delivers the ball accurately on the go. Defensively, his timing and anticipation off the ball stand out. How high his stock can soar will be tied to his outside shot and how well he can handle physicality. He’s struggled from deep (5-for-20 through six games as of this writing), and at times, bigger players have been able to exploit his lack of strength. With that being said, a young 18-year-old steering the ship for a winning professional club is difficult to ignore.
-I’ve also been totally infatuated with Saraf’s Ulm teammate, Noa Essengue. Essengue is a Classic Maxwell Prospect—a tall dude with fantastic physical tools, a solid level of feel, and a relentless motor. When a guy with Essengue’s measurements (6’10” with shoes, 6’11” wingspan, 9’3.25” standing reach, though he is quite skinny) knows what he’s doing and plays that hard, he’s tough to keep off the floor. Right now, his defense is the most actualized portion of his game. He takes up a ton of space, he’s great on smaller guys, anticipates switches well, and has the burst to make plays off the ball. Offensively, he’s a work in progress. He gets a little out of control with the ball at times and I don’t love his body alignment on his jumper. Still, he occasionally makes some sharp passes, and he’s not afraid to shoot. It’s going to take him some time to work through his flaws, but he’s the type of dude who can still bring value in spite of them. That’s my favorite type of long-term bet to make. I’m much higher on him than consensus.
-Bogoljub Markovic is the latest Mega prospect to know. He’s had a great start in Adriatic League play. At 6’11”, he has a gorgeous, high-release jumper that keeps defenses honest. He’s also comfortable putting it on the deck and attacks closeouts well for someone his size. His floor vision seems solid thus far, too. Defensively, he moves well rotationally. He does a good job of using his length to get into handles and passing lanes. I’ll be monitoring how well he does on an island against wings throughout the year. He’s very skinny and not particularly strong, leading to issues finishing on offense and protecting the rim on defense. He could be a skilled jumbo four, though, as long as he’s up to snuff laterally.
-Michael Ruzic is cut from a similar cloth. He’s 6’10” with a smooth stroke, he keeps the ball moving, and he plays great competition between the ACB and EuroCup. I haven’t been blown away by his movement, and I’m not sure whether he’s more of a four or five at this stage. Ruzic really knows how to play on both ends of the floor, though, and that makes him a serious prospect, given his size and talent.