2025 Draft Watch: First Impressions on Killian Malwaya, Mohamed Diawara, and Imanol Prot in a French LNB Pro B Basketball Game

September 11th, 2024

Killian Malwaya is a 6-6 French swingman that put up solid numbers in the French LNB Pro B League, and Mohamed Diawara is a 6-8 forward that played reasonably well at the 2024 Adidas Eurocamp this summer. I decided to watch them play in a May 10th game between ALM Evreux and Poitiers 86 Basket, with thanks to YouTube via Fanny Leseuer. This was also an opportunity to watch 6-6 swingman Imanol Prot play, who also played for Poitiers 86 Basket. Here are my thoughts on how they fared in that game, as well as how they may stack up as prospects for the NBA.

Killian Malwaya put forth a decent showing in his team’s win over Poitiers 86. Malwaya is an athletic, energetic swingman that excelled at making hustle plays, although he didn’t quite shoot as well as expected, perhaps due to not getting as many offensive touches in this game. Though he didn’t play as much as anticipated, he was still able to make an impact when he was on the floor.

Malwaya excelled at scoring on hustle plays. He managed to score on a quick backcut off of a misdirection play, and he made a good read to get the ball past a defender to score at the rim. He also ran the floor to score on a fast break. On the downside, he missed both of his three-point attempts off the catch, but Malwaya didn’t get many opportunities to score on offense in this game.

He also showcased adequate playmaking skills. Malwaya can pass and handle the basketball, and he is a willing passer that will swing the ball to keep the ball moving. He also was able to throw a long outlet pass to get the ball to a teammate down court.

Also, Malwaya was able to run in and leap up to get a defensive board once, as he showed a willingness to crash the glass to help his team get some rebounds. He also defended well. Malwaya was able to get his hands on a pass to get a steal, and he also ran down a loose ball to get another due to possessing solid athleticism, timing, and instincts. He was able to stay in front of an opponent on a drive and poked a ball out of bounds. He also was able to contest a three to force a miss. On the downside, sometimes he can struggle to defend stronger opponents, which can lead him to be out of position, and to commit fouls and allow scores at times.

In general, Killian Malwaya showed some intriguing skills in this game, as he excelled at making energetic plays to help his team when he was on the floor. Though he didn’t make a three-pointer in this game, Malwaya shot the three-ball well in the 2023-24 season. He is an athletic, energetic swingman that can make plays on both ends of the floor, and he could end up going in the late first to the second round range in the 2025 draft, as he could end up being a similar player to Los Angeles Clippers’ guard, Norman Powell in the NBA.

Poitiers 86’s 6-8 forward, Mohamed Diawara had his ups and downs in his team’s loss to ALM Evreux. On one hand, he struggled to make shots from the field or score consistently, but on the other hand, he is a good athlete that showed some solid playmaking and defensive skills, and he is a point forward that showed off some solid handles and court vision in this game.

Diawara showed an adequate ability to score off the dribble. He has a solid first step to the hoop, and he was able to draw free throw on a speedy baseline drive. Another time, he drove hard to the hoop after using a quick crossover move, but he missed as the ball rattled in and out.

On the downside, Diawara missed both of his three-point attempts off the catch, as he struggled to find his rhythm from beyond the arc. He also missed on a wild tip-in attempt, and Diawara will sometimes miss shots due to rushing.

He also showcased satisfactory playmaking skills. Diawara is an athletic, skilled point forward that can throw accurate interior passes and handle the basketball. He was able to drive quickly up court and utilize a Euro-step move to make a dump-off pass to set up a score for a teammate. He also generally throw solid interior passes. On one play though, he posted up, but threw an inaccurate pass that sailed out of bounds.

He also was able to haul in boards on both ends of the floor. Diawara was quite active at crashing the offensive glass, but he only was able to get one defensive rebound in this game. On one play, he didn’t quite box out his man, and it led his team to give up a put back score. He also played satisfactory defense in this game. Diawara is an active defender that was able to jump on a loose ball to get a steal, and he also deflected a pass to nearly get another. He was able to use his length and athleticism to pressure a ball handler up court and force a ball-handling turnover. He also managed to contest a three to force a miss. Diawara is an athletic, rangy defender that moves his feet well, and he has the potential to be a versatile, shutdown defender in the future. On the downside, sometimes he would be slow to rotate, which led him to commit a foul around the basket once, and he also struggled to get around a screen that led his team to allow a score another time.

In summary, Diawara had his ups and downs, but though he struggled to score, he showed off some intriguing playmaking and defensive skills. He’ll need to add a reliable jumper to his arsenal and work on playing more under control and take higher-percentage shots that increase his coring efficiency, but he is an athletic, energetic combo forward that could project to be a serviceable role player similar to Brooklyn Nets’ forward, Trendon Watford in the NBA.

Poitiers 86’s 6-6 swingman, Imanol Prot had his ups and downs in his team’s loss to ALM Evreux. Prot didn’t shoot the ball well, but he showed a willingness to take outside shots and move the basketball. His lone made field goal was when he ran the floor to get the ball, and Prot drove quickly to the hoop to score on a fast break. On the downside, he was unable to knock down his outside shots from further out. He’s a willing passer that will move the ball quickly to get the ball to his teammates. However, he threw a hard pass that was dropped and went out of bounds, and a hasty pass that got intercepted another time. Also, he was able to get a few defensive boards to showcase some of his rebounding skills.

He also defended well in this game. Prot would use his length, positioning, motor, and instincts to make things difficult for his opponents to pass and handle the ball, and he would help force turnovers. He also generally did a good job of staying in front of his man to contest shots to force misses. On one play though, he was defending in the high post, but he grabbed an opponent before the catch that led him to commit a foul that time.

Overall, Prot is an agile, energetic swingman that will look to make hustle plays, but he will need to improve his jump shot and take better care of the basketball. He’s not an elite athlete, but he is a tough, high-motor player that could project into a 3 and D role in the NBA if he continues to work hard to improve and hone his overall game.