Thoughts on Karim Jallow in a Basketball Champions League Game

May 10, 2019

I decided to take the time to watch MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg’s 6-7, 1997-born swingman Karim Jallow from Germany play in a Basketball Champions League game against Nizhny Novgorod that took place on November 21st, as I was able to see this matchup, with thanks to YouTube via Basketball Champions League. I had previously scouted Jallow last year, and I wanted to see how far he’s developed since I last saw him. He had his highs and lows on this day, as he didn’t shoot as well as I had hoped, but he showed off solid athleticism, motor, and intriguing skills in the other facets of the game. Here are my thoughts on how he fared, and where he stacks up as a prospect for the NBA.

Karim Jallow showed an adequate ability to get scores off the dribble. He didn’t look to score off of drives to the hoop very often, but he was able to use a crossover to go left, as he ended up scoring on a smooth layup with his right hand off the glass. He also is a good cutter, as he did so once to get the ball around the high post prior to scoring on a thunderous dunk, and he also was able to draw free throws on a reverse layup.

He also showed off decent low post scoring skills. Jallow did a good job of establishing deep post position as he would back down his man, and he can draw fouls upon opposing defenders. On one play, he used an overhead ball fake and pivoted to draw free throws after looking to score on the block. He did miss once on a contested leaner, as he had tried to force up a questionable shot in traffic.

However, he struggled to score consistently off of put backs. Jallow did chase down an offensive board to score on a quick put back early in the game, but he also missed on a tip dunk as well as on an easy put back, as he can tend to rush his shots on offense. He also did not shoot the ball well from the perimeter. He did take a couple of spot-up jumpers, but he missed an open three and a long two-point shot, and he also seemed to have a fairly slow release that may allow defenders to close out on him.

Jallow also displayed solid playmaking skills. He is an unselfish, patient player that passes well off the dribble, and he can find teammates on the move to set up scores for them. He throws solid interior passes, and he also can run quickly off of screens to get open on offense. He also handles the ball fairly well. But sometimes, he would get the ball poked away, as it happened to him when he was posting up once as well as when he dribbled up the court another time, as he can occasionally struggle to protect the basketball. Plus, Jallow also did a very good job of rebounding the basketball. He possesses solid athleticism, motor, and instincts, and he would swoop in to haul in numerous boards on both ends of the floor. He would get impressive one-handed rebounds, and he also would leap up to get tough boards in traffic.

He also played fairly good defense. Jallow is an athletic, agile forward that can get steals and stops for his team, and he can guard multiple positions on this end of the floor. He can run in to pounce on loose balls, and he also has good hands, as he can tip passes and poke balls away to get plenty of steals and deflections. He also would rotate to contest shots to force misses, and he also was able to hold his ground when defending in the post to get another stop for his team. Jallow also has good footwork and agility to defend out on the perimeter, but sometimes he can be late on his rotations, which can cause him to allow opponents to score on three-point shots.

Overall, Karim Jallow is an athletic, energetic basketball player that could project into a defensive specialist role at the next level. He will need to improve his jump shot and be more assertive on offense, but even still, he is a versatile player that can contribute in many different facets of the game. Right now, he is a second round prospect for the upcoming draft. Jallow still will likely need to hone his game either in the G-League or overseas, but if he can consistently knock down shots and show that he can succeed at the higher levels of international basketball, Jallow could end up being a solid role player in the NBA.