2023 Draft Watch: Observing Ousmane N’Diaye and Marc Christoph Tilly in a German Pro B Game

August 19^th, 2022

By Alan Lu

Recently, Senegalese forward, Ousmane N’Diaye has been receiving buzz as a potential first round pick for the 2023 draft.  Therefore, I decided to take the time to watch him play in a German Pro B League that was played on November 6^th, 2021 for Dragons Rhoendorf against Lok Bernau, with thanks to YouTube via Lok Bernau.  He is a very athletic forward that can do a variety of things on the court, and he started off very well, and he proceeded to have a good first half.  However, he struggled in the second half, and his team ended up getting blown out in a loss in this game.  Here are my thoughts on how he fared, as well as how his game may stack up as a prospect for the NBA.

Ousmane N’Diaye is a very athletic, energetic forward that showed off a wide range of skills on the floor, but he struggled to consistently make shots or take care of the basketball as the game progressed.  N’Diaye thrived at scoring on hustle plays.  He showed a knack for scoring on energetic, off-ball motion plays. He was able to score on a roll to the rim.  He also managed to score on a flip layup off of a quick, backdoor cut. 

Also, he showed a solid ability to score off the dribble.  N’Diaye excelled at scoring on aggressive, left-handed drives to the hoop.  He also dribbled right off of a screen and pulled up to effortlessly make a three-pointer early on to showcase his shooting skills.  However, N’Diaye struggled to knock down his outside shots, both off the catch or dribble, and he tended to be prone to rushing.

As a playmaker, he looked to be about average.  For the positives, N’Diaye handles the ball well, especially for a player his size.  He also showed that he can make drive and kick passes to find open shooters, and he also can handle the ball in the open court.  On the downside, he was fairly turnover prone, especially late in this game.  He would sometimes drop catchable passes that would wind up going out of bounds.  He also threw an inaccurate interior pass that skipped out of bounds another time.

He also did an adequate job of rebounding the basketball.  N’Diaye would leap up to haul in his fair share of defensive boards, and sometimes he would bring the ball up afterwards.  He also would tip balls to help his teammates get rebounds.  Sometimes though, he wouldn’t get balls in his area to secure extra rebounds, as he wasn’t quick enough to the ball once, and a ball went off his hands on another possession.

Plus, N’Diaye also played adequate defense.  He is a rangy defender that can get numerous blocks and steals for his team.  He would often rotate to block shots to help his team protect the paint.  He also ran in to swipe a ball away from an opposing ball handler to get a steal, and he also would jump on loose balls to get others.  He also would hustle to contest shots to force misses.  Sometimes though, he would struggle to defend in one-on-one situations.  He would tend to bite on ball fakes in the post and wind out of position, and he also would sometimes get beat on moves to allow scores.  He also would sometimes have lapses and not make timely rotations, or take bad angles when defending screens, which would lead him to be a step late to contest shots.

In general, N’Diaye is an athletic, energetic forward that may have a lot of upside, but he will need to improve his jump shot and take better care of the basketball.  He still will need to continue to hone his game, but he is a talented prospect that could end up being a first round pick in the 2023 draft, as he could be a similar player to Minnesota Timberwolves’ forward, Jaden McDaniels in the NBA.

Lok Bernau’s 6-11 forward, Marc Christoph Tilly had a strong showing to help lead his team to a double-digit win over Dragons Rhoendorf.  Tilly is an athletic, energetic forward that excelled at making hustle plays, and he also was able to make some highlight reel-worthy plays to help his team get the victory.

He showed a solid ability to score off the dribble.  Tilly particularly excels at driving to his left, and he was able to switch hands to score on a thunderous dunk over an opponent, as well as score while getting an extra layup another time.  He also is a solid post-up player that would often use ball fakes to score.  He was able to score on a one-legged, turnaround fadeaway jumper from the baseline, and he also utilized a series of ball fakes to score on a separate possession.

He also was active in looking to score on hustle plays.  Tilly was able to score on a magnetic jam on the break, and he also ran in to score on a quick put back late in this contest.  He also ran off of a ball screen to make an open, mid-range jumper.  Every once in a while, he will take tough shots in traffic, which can lead to misses.

Also, Tilly showcased fairly average playmaking skills.  He is an unselfish player that will make the extra pass, and he can handle the ball, especially for a player his size.  He was able to throw a long outlet pass to find an open teammate on the break, and he also was able to pass out of the post.  He also would set screens to help his teammates get open jump shots and driving lanes.  On the downside, he can sometimes be careless on offense, which can lead him to commit turnovers.  When posting up once, he had a ball stolen away from him.  Another time, he was in the paint for too long, and committed a three seconds in the key violation.

Plus, Tilly showed a solid ability to rebound the basketball.  He showed a knack for hauling in offensive boards, and he also was able to get his fair share of defensive rebounds.  He also would sometimes push the ball up the court after getting defensive boards.

Tilly also played solid defense in this game.  He showed a knack for blocking shots to help his team protect the paint, and he also would poke and deflect passes to help his team get steals and deflections.  He also would stay with his man and contest shots both out on the perimeter and in the paint to force misses.  He also was able to successfully draw a charge when defending an opposing ball handler another time.  Sometimes though, he would struggle to defend opponents off the dribble, and he would compound matters by committing touch fouls to give them free throws on top of allowing scores.

In summary, Marc Christoph Tilly played very well to help lead his team to a win over Dragons Rhoendorf.  He is an athletic, skilled big man that can play a variety of positions, and he has the quickness to match up against slower-footed opponents to score off the dribble, and he also is skilled enough to consistently score in the post.  He will need to extend his shooting range and continue to work on his outside shot, but Tilly may be an underrated prospect that could end up being a solid pick for an NBA team whenever he declares to enter the draft.

Lok Bernau’s 6-5 guard, Nolan Adekunle had a solid showing to help lead his team to a win over Dragons Rhoendorf.  He is an athletic, energetic swingman that showed off versatile scoring and solid defensive skills to help get his team the victory.

Adekunle showed a solid ability to knock down threes to provide floor spacing for his team on offense.  He showed a knack for making corner threes early on.  He also would often look to score on fast breaks.  He managed to throw down a high-flying dunk early on, and he also was able to score on a couple of aggressive drives in transition.  Sometimes though, he would rush his moves on the break, which would lead to misses.

He also was able to score on a sweeping jump hook after posting up off of an offensive rebound, but he also missed on a contested jump hook in traffic another time.  He also drove to the hoop, but missed in traffic.

Plus, he also showed off solid playmaking skills in this game.  Adekunle did a good job of making passes off the dribble and on the break to consistently find the open man.  Sometimes though, he can be careless on offense, which lead him to commit a couple of turnovers.  He was called for setting a moving screen, and he also stepped out of bounds after catching the basketball another time.

Also, Adekunle did a great job of rebounding and defending in this game.  He showed a penchant for hauling in numerous boards on both ends of the floor, and he would tend to push the ball up the court off of defensive rebounds.  He also would often get his hands on passes to get steals and deflections, and he would contest shots both out on the perimeter and in the paint to get stops for his team.

Overall, Nolan Adekunle played very well in this game, and he excelled in all facets of the game.  He may be an underrated prospect, and he is a versatile role player that could fit into many different roles if he makes it to the NBA someday.

Lok Bernau’s 6-6 swingman, Malte Delow also played well to help lead his team to a win in this game.  Though he didn’t shoot the ball nearly as well from the outside, he made some really good hustle plays when he was on the floor.

Delow generally thrived at scoring on hustle plays.  He was able to score on a strong put back, as well as on fast breaks, and he also was able to throw down a magnetic jam early on.  He also ran to the post, and scored on a strong move while drawing an extra free throw.  On the downside, Delow struggled to consistently knock down his outside shots.  He was able to move off the ball to make an open, spot-up three, but he struggled to make open threes or pull-up, mid-range jumpers in this game.  He also drove to the hoop, but missed that time.

Also, he displayed solid playmaking skills.  He particularly showed a knack for finding open teammates on the break to notch assists, and he generally did a good job of passing off the dribble and out of the post due to possessing good court vision.  However, sometimes he would be loose with his handles or mishandle it, as he had a ball stolen away, and he also dribbled off himself and lost it to an opponent another time.

Plus, Delow did a tremendous job of rebounding the basketball.  He would often haul in boards on both ends of the floor, and he would tend to push the ball up the court off of defensive rebounds.  He also played solid defense in this game.  Delow would often jump on loose balls and jump passes to get steals, and he also blocked a shot off of a drive to himself.  He did a good job of pressuring ball handlers to make it difficult for them to pass or handle the basketball, and he also contested a shot off of a drive to force a miss.  However, sometimes he would get beat off the dribble, and he also would sometimes be late on his rotations.

Overall, Malte Delow put forth a solid performance in his team’s win over Dragons Rhoendorf.  He is a versatile role player that has held his own in some of the toughest leagues in professional basketball, and he also was an integral role player for ALBA Berlin in Euroleague last season.  While he may struggle to consistently create his own shot, his ability to pass the basketball and make plays could enable him to compete for a roster spot in the NBA someday.

Lok Bernau’s 6-7 point forward, Tjark Lademacher played fairly well in his team’s win over Dragons Rhoendorf.  He got off to a slow start in the first half, but he especially played in the second half as the game progressed.

While he struggled to knock down shots in the half court, especially from the outside, Lademacher was able to run to the post, and he was able to use a pump fake to score on a turnaround jump hook.  Lademacher thrived at scoring on fast breaks, and he was able to throw down a high-flying dunk once.

He also generally passed the ball well, and he is an unselfish player that showed that he can make an assortment of passes to help his teammates get the basketball.  On one play though, he threw an inaccurate pass that sailed out of bounds.

Also, Lademacher did a decent job of rebounding the basketball.  He was able to haul in boards on both ends of the floor, and he was able to push the ball up the court off of a defensive board once.  He also played good defense in this game.  He would look to get his hands on passes to get steals and deflections, and he excelled at contesting jump shots to force misses.  On the downside, there was one play where he used his hands too much when defending an opponent, and he was called for committing a reach-in foul when defending out on the perimeter.

Overall, Tjark Lademacher had a fairly solid showing, and he especially thrived at making plays in the second half to help his team get the victory.  He is a tall point forward that can pass the ball and defend when he is on the court.  He will need to improve his jump shot and ability to score in the half court, but his ability to make team plays could enable him to have a long playing career in professional basketball.

Other Notes:

Here were my thoughts on some of the other prospects that played in this game.

Lok Bernau’s 6-9 forward, Rikus Schulte didn’t have a great showing in this game.  While he was able to do a decent job of scoring in the post, and he also made an open three off the catch, he would sometimes struggle to finish plays in traffic, and he also struggled to consistently knock down threes from beyond the arc.

As a playmaker, he looked to be about average.  Schulte was able to throw some good passes, as he can find teammates on the move and pass out of the post.  He also would set good screens to help his teammates get open driving lanes and lanes to cut to the hoop.  On the downside, he would sometimes commit careless ball-handling turnovers, and he also threw a hasty pass that got intercepted another time.

He also rebounded and defended well.  Schulte was active in grabbing rebounds, especially on offense.  He also showed a knack for getting his hands on passes and poking balls away to get steals, and he also would contest shots both out on the perimeter and in the paint to force misses.  However, sometimes he would sag too far off of shooters, which would lead his team to give up open three-point shots.

Overall, Rikus Schulte didn’t have his best game, and he was inconsistent at making plays on offense.  He rebounded and defended well, but he didn’t make shots consistently.  He will need to be a more consistent shooter in games and show that he can guard upper-echelon opponents, but he could be a prospect to keep tabs on in the future.

Dragons Rhoendorf’s 6-7 swingman, Nicholas Buchholz did not play well at all in this match.  His performance was very underwhelming, as he struggled to make shots and was extremely turnover prone, and he only looked to be about an average athlete.

He tended to miss with his outside shots, and he threw a lot of hasty passes that got intercepted.  He was able to use a spin move to score on a crafty, running layup off the dribble, but Buchholz didn’t shoot the ball well at all in this contest.  He also didn’t grab many rebounds.  He seemed to play decent defense.  He would apply solid ball pressure, and he did a good job of helping his team force turnovers, and he also hustled back to force a miss on the break, but sometimes he wouldn’t seem to give enough effort when his team would be defending in transition.

Overall, Buchholz didn’t have a good game at all, but he also seems to be physically limited in analyzing him as a potential prospect for the NBA.   He’s not especially quick or explosive, and he often had trouble getting past defenders off the dribble.  He’ll need to be a more consistent shooter or playmaker.  Most likely, he will probably wind up going undrafted in the 2023 draft, but he could still end up being a solid player for his current team as a scorer in international basketball.

Dragons Rhoendorf’s 6-3, 2005-born guard, Esli Edigin had his ups and downs in his team’s loss to Lok Bernau.  He had a decent first half, but he struggled to make shots in the second half, and he also struggled with turnovers in this game.

Edigin is a fairly athletic, combo guard that can attack the basket to score on offense.  He was able to use a quick ball fake to score on a strong, left-handed drive while drawing an extra free throw afterwards.  He also ran the floor to get the ball in the post to score on a fadeaway jumper. However, he also missed a layup on the break due to rushing later on.

While he didn’t shoot well overall, Edigin was able to make a quick, open corner three to showcase his shooting potential late in this game.  On the downside, he tended to miss on spot-up threes, and he would rush and miss his mid-range floaters.

He also was fairly turnover prone on offense.  Edigin is an unselfish player that was able to make a drive and kick pass, as well as an entry pass to get his teammates the basketball.  However, sometimes he would telegraph his passes, which would get intercepted.  He also had a ball stolen away from him on a drive in transition another time.

Also, Edigin showed a satisfactory ability to rebound the basketball, and he would sometimes push the ball up the court off of defensive rebounds.  He also played solid defense in this game.  He was able to poke a ball away to get a steal, and he also would often deflect passes and poke balls away to get deflections.  He also did a good job of contesting shots both out on the perimeter and in the paint to force numerous misses.  Sometimes though, he would get beat off the dribble when defending his man.  Other times, he would be late on his rotations, which would lead his team to give up baskets.

Overall, Esli Edigin is an athletic, energetic combo guard that defended well, but he still needs to improve significantly on offense.  He will need to improve his jump shot and take better care of the basketball.  It’s uncertain if he will develop into a viable NBA prospect in the future, but at the very least, he is an athletic combo guard that could develop into becoming a solid role player in his current league in international basketball.