N'Faly Dante Does the Important Things Well
N'Faly Dante Does the Important Things Well
N'Faly Dante may not be the most glamorous player, but there is immense value in what he does on the court. Maxwell examines his effective, productive skill set and NBA translation.
Feature: N’Faly Dante Does the Important Stuff Well
Not everyone gets to be GG Jackson. The Memphis Grizzlies rookie has vastly overperformed his value as the 45th pick in the draft. While I’m still a bit concerned about his defense and decision-making when it comes to projecting rosier outcomes for him, he’s clearly proven to be a guy who won’t get his team killed out there in his age 19 season. Not a lot of players can say that, and it bodes well for his future. If you can get that from a 6’9” dude, you’re thrilled with that outcome, especially on such a team-friendly deal.
That said, Jackson has been an exception in recent years. “Second round upside swings” are second round upside swings for a reason. First off, it’s often because the player didn’t produce well enough for teams to feel comfortable giving a guaranteed, first-round contract to the player at any point during the first 30 selections. More productive and worthwhile bets tend to go earlier. Then, there’s the “upside swing” portion of it, because the player is typically more theoretical than actualized, and something will need to break right in order for things to click.
Most second-round success stories in recent drafts have been guys who were perceived to have less upside. When teams picked guys like Jalen Brunson, Mitchell Robinson, Gary Trent Jr., Bruce Brown, Tereance Mann, Nic Claxton, Tre Jones, Herb Jones, Andrew Nembhard, Vince Williams Jr., and Trayce Jackson-Davis, they probably didn’t think a franchise-changing outcome was on the table. In most of those cases, there wasn’t. But the selecting team probably thought, “hey, this guy is good at a few things right this instant, and he can help us out.” Those players have typically produced better outcomes than their more conceptual counterparts.
Personally, I hate making hard-and-fast rules in draft philosophy. There’s always a time to play it safe and a time to swing. Every team is picking from a different situation. I get it—as a fan, it can be boring to take the “hopefully he’s a role player” guy. But the returns on those types of picks tend to yield more consistent, better results.
N’Faly Dante is good at basketball. Even more importantly, he’s good at the things backup centers are often asked to do on a consistent basis in the NBA.
N’Faly Dante has NBA Size
This isn’t a skill, but it is important. The NBA is a grown man’s league. It’s tough for centers who come in undersized, especially when they’re older. Teams won’t be as patient with a graduate prospect they took in the second round or scooped up as an undrafted free agent as they would be with a 19-year-old they chose in the lottery. For that reason, it’s important to note physical readiness amongst the types of players in N’Faly Dante’s tier of the draft. Thankfully for Dante, he’ll be coming in ready to mix it up with real deal bigs. Oregon’s website lists him at 6’11” and 265 pounds, the same listed weight as NBA bruisers Jonas Valanciunas and De’Andre Jordan. He had a 7’5.5” wingspan back in 2019, so unless his arms shrunk in the last five years (personally, I’m doubtful of that), he’s got great length, too. Dante isn’t going to be one of those bigs who enters the league behind the physicality curve and can’t recover from it. From a pure body standpoint, he’s ready to go, and that matters for a mature prospect.
N’Faly Dante can guard pick-and-rolls
There’s a lot to like about N’Faly Dante defensively. He earned a PAC-12 All-Defense team nod this past season, and per BartTorvik, his DBPM of 4.5 was the 16th-best in the country among qualified players. There’s some real good stuff here, but I want to talk about it within the context of how Dante guards ball screens. As an older player coming into the league, how Dante defends pick-and-rolls out of the gate will determine how much a team is willing to invest in him and his development. Personally, I’m pretty optimistic.
My favorite thing about Dante in this respect is how often he makes things happen. His 6.6 BLK% is a standard mark for a legitimate center prospect—not jaw-dropping, but far from a red flag. He does a great job of monitoring both the ball handler and the roll man. As a result, when the roller does get the ball, Dante is able to spring into position quickly. His physicality allows him to hold up to contact and prevent him from fouling. Additionally, he’s a solid leaper who doesn’t need to load up, which enables him to meet opponents above the rim. He tracks the ball well with his hands and can still alter or swat shots even when his opponent contorts to evade him. Even better, Dante’s cat-and-mouse skills often force guards into taking suboptimal mid-range jumpers. While Dante occasionally gets a hand on those, the fact that he is able to put players in an inefficient predicament on a consistent basis is worthwhile by itself.
The most intriguing element of Dante’s pick-and-roll defense is his proclivity for generating steals. He forces turnovers quite often, which is part of why he has a 3.2 STL%. That’s an outlier high number for a college center. One way that he does it is by using his positioning to bait players into throwing bad passes. Dante is nimble enough that while he mostly operates out of drop coverage, he doesn’t have to play super deep in drop. He can meet players quickly after they come off of a screen, and that often incites a sense of panic in the ball handler. While Dante isn’t Herb Jones, he’s quite comfortable on an island, and guards don’t often attempt to string him out. Instead, they often throw a pass quickly to get out of this situation. That leads into Dante’s best defensive trait—his hand speed. He moves his hands quickly, both to tip passes and to get into handles. Ball handlers need to have their dribble under control, or he will get in on the ball immediately. I don’t recall seeing any other big defenders in this class with genuine NBA five size who have poked the ball loose from a guard more than Dante.
N’Faly Dante can rebound
That’s right, folks, rebounding highlights. It’s not the most exciting part of the job, but it is, indeed, part of the job. Dante grades out well as a rebounder on both ends of the floor, with a DRB% of 24.5 and an ORB% of 10.3. Defensively, his toughness and determination allow him to move bigger bodies out of the way and limit second chances. Offensively, Dante is a persistent pain. If an opposing big man is out of position, Dante will make him pay. When a smaller player has to box him out, they don’t stand much of a chance. Rebounding is often an underdiscussed skill in the draft space, but it’s a really important one for big men. Dante’s commitment to playing with a high motor on the boards is going to endear him to a coaching staff and create a level of trust in him.
N’Faly Dante can finish plays
N’Faly Dante isn’t just a good play-finisher; he’s a great one. Per Synergy, he’s made 82.4% of his shots at the rim this year, which puts him in the 100th percentile in Division I. It literally does not get any better than that. Dante will get out in transition to rim run for easy ones. But somehow, he’s even more efficient in the halfcourt, converting 84.5% of his rim attempts in that slowed-down setting.
Dante has numerous ways to clean up inside. First off, let’s go back to the offensive rebounding for a second. Dante gets a bunch of easy looks off putbacks thanks to his tip-in timing and easy second jump. He’s also effective operating out of the dunker spot, where he knows how to position himself behind the defense and he’s always ready for a lob to come his way. Dante is a nasty roll man target, too. He can either lay in a hearty screen or slip quickly to the rim before converting at the cup. When Dante goes up, he goes up strong. Contact doesn’t bother him one bit, and when he dunks, he dunks as if he wants to rip the rim off the basket. Still, he has real touch, too. While he won’t often be posting up, Dante can bully smaller players, and he made 77.1% of his non-dunks around the basket. He’s more than just a physical force, and he has ways to send the ball home even if it’s not a jam.
Every NBA team needs its stars. But for stars to be elevated, they need to be surrounded by players willing to do the less glamorous parts of the basketball process. They need big men who can anchor the defense, clean the glass, and finish plays. LeBron James, Ja Morant, Tyrese Haliburton, and Luka Doncic get to be the heroes. They do the eye-catching stuff, and what they do is, in fact, awesome. But these guys can’t do everything. People like Steven Adams, Daniel Gafford, and Jakob Poeltl have played more simplified role exceptionally well over the years, doing the little things that may be taxing or difficult for their team’s stars. It’s not as sexy, but what they do helps their stars.
N’Faly Dante will bring the unsexy goodness. Do I wish he was a better passer? Yup. Do I wish he had range that extended outside of ten feet? Absolutely. Do I wish that he were younger and hadn’t dealt with a myriad of injuries over the last five years? Certainly. N’Faly Dante isn’t without his limitations, and he’s not going to bring the upside of someone like GG Jackson. But not everybody gets to play the part of the star. And the people who do get to play that part will often be best served alongside dudes who are willing to embrace a role. While Dante may not alter the course of a franchise, he’s ready to come in and do the important things well. For that, he deserves serious consideration in the second round.
Quick Hits
The NIT is in the books, so let’s shine a light on some standouts from the teams who made it to the finals.
-Seton Hall ended up winning The Other Big Dance after edging out Indiana State in the finale. Al-Amir Dawes was named the tournament’s MVP. Dawes is a 6’2” graduate guard who can really score. During his five NIT games, he posted 21.2 PPG on 44.3/46.3/94.1 splits. His long-range touch is exceptional. Whether he’s using his wiggle to create separation and pulling up, spotting up from NBA range, or running hard off a screen into a triple, every shot he takes has a chance to fall. While he’s never been the most reliable creator, he averaged 2.4 APG to only 0.4 TOV during the NIT. While he is undersized, his strong, stocky frame and hands help him on defense. Ultimately, the NBA hill is still going to be tough for Dawes to climb. He’s older, he’s small, and he’s not a true lead guard. But his post-season showing will probably get him more looks than one would have expected a few months ago.
-The player who helped himself the most, in my eyes, was Dre Davis. Sure, he made the game-winner in the finals, but there’s more to it than that. The 6’6”, 210-pound senior looks and moves like a pro. He’s got a strong build, but he’s still quick. He’s got an array of spin moves and counters to help him get to the rim time and time again. Defensively, he displays excellent help instincts around the basket, consistently rotating to swat shots and prevent layups. He’s a bit of an “if he shoots it” predicament as a 35% three-point shooter on lower volume. But if the jumper gets there, there’s a second-round path for him in 2025.
-6’6” senior Kadary Richmond remains relatively intriguing, too. He’s got all of the physical tools you could ask for and some feel to boot. Defensively, he can lock down one through three. He’s consistently outsmarted opponents, too, leading to gaudy block and steal rates (4.0 STL%, 2.3 BLK% this season). Offensively, he’s shifty and fast downhill with creativity as a passer (5.1 APG to 3.1 TOV). Still, his touch can leave a lot to be desired, and he’s never figured out his jumper (career 33.7% from deep on 1.7/game). Frustratingly, we haven’t seen any sort of consistent growth on that front over the past several seasons. Richmond’s size, athleticism, and ability to process the game have always kept a foot in the door for him, but he’ll need to make that shooting leap to generate a greater level of interest.
-Indiana State’s Robbie Avila has become an internet sensation, but he’s more than a meme. The 6’10” big man is one of the best top-of-the-key orchestrators in college hoops. Teams can’t sag off his handoff actions or pick-and-pops, as he shot 39.4% from three on good volume this past season. But even when they come out to respect him, he can utilize his pump fake to get downhill and finish or sling one of his mesmerizing passes. His 4.1 APG to 1.8 TOV is an exceptional mark for a college center. There are physical limitations that will need to be addressed. Avila isn’t quite strong or vertical enough to anchor a defense in drop coverage, but he isn’t nimble enough to show or switch at a high level, either. He’ll need to find a direction to take his body in that will enable him to be a more impactful defender who can fit into an NBA scheme.
-Keep an eye out for Ryan Conwell long term, too. The 6’4” sophomore had a fantastic scoring season, posting 16.6 PPG on 48.2/40.7/85.5 splits. He’s a talented and dynamic three-point shooter. While his shot wasn’t falling against Seton Hall (three points on 1-10 shooting), he still brought value through his toughness on the glass, racking up 12 boards. With a 16.1 DRB%, Conwell has always overachieved on the glass. If he can show more as a creator in the coming years (2.5 APG to 1.7 TOV), he could get himself into the mix. Personally, I’m bullish on him.