NBA Comparison: PJ Tucker/Chuck Hayes

Strengths: Mobile forward, with good size … Incredible length (wingspan measured 7-3.5 feet) … Very good athlete… Runs the floor exceptionally for a big and knows how to fill the lanes … Very good leaper, especially off two feet … Has muscular physique, with wide shoulders that have already filled up well and already has an NBA body… High energy big, with good motor … Not afraid of contact, he actually loves physical play … Makes a lot of hustle plays … Excels in transition, he is at his best when running the floor … A rim runner, he loves to finish strong at the rim … Has a basic Low Post game, where he either outmuscles weaker opponents or attacks slower opponents from middle-post … Has shown some promise as a shooter in Spot Up situations … Above average ball handler for a big … Moves well without the ball … Relentless offensive rebounder, puts constant pressure on opponent’s defense, going for every ball and scoring with Put Backs … Takes advantage of his great physical tools on defense … He has all the necessary tools to become a defensive specialist and support a switch everything defense … Very good lateral quickness, he could switch on perimeter players and even guard wings full time if needed … Good covering the Pick and Roll when his team keeps things simple and elect to defend 2 on 2 in this situation … Active hands on defense, makes life difficult for his opponent … Good Low Post defender, not afraid to bang bodies … Can protect the rim thanks to his length and athletic ability … Very good on close out defense, covers a lot of ground … Active off the ball on defense, cuts passing lanes and is a good second defender …

Weaknesses: Lacks experience. Hasn’t really been tested at a high level … Still pretty raw in almost every aspect of the game, plays mostly with his instinct … He is still learning the game … Doesn’t fully know how to control his body … Feel for the game remains a question mark … Needs to work on his basketball I.Q … Inconsistent performer, never know what to expect from him despite his solid motor … Not polished enough to play full time as a small forward … Has a limited skill set offensively … Settles too often for guarded mid-range jumpers … Inconsistent shooting mechanics … He needs time to gather before shooting … His feet aren’t always set in Spot Up situations … Not a real threat from the perimeter despite the promise he has shown… Has the tendency to rush his shot when his opponent closes out on him… Can’t create his own shot … Pull Up jumper is a work in progress and needs a lot of work … Has some wild misses at the rim against high contact … Needs to work on his ball handling if he wants to play at the perimeter … Has worked on implementing a Euro step move, but he is mostly a straight line driver going to his right, which makes him too predictable … Decision making just isn’t there yet … He can be turnover prone when he is pressured … Pretty basic low post game, prefers to turn over his left shoulder … Needs to add counter moves with his back to the basket … Can lose focus on defense … Has problems when defensive rotations begin and can be out of place … Has the tendency to over help or not be decisive enough as a help defender, which leads to easy baskets for opponents …

Overall: Paul Eboua is a great athlete with length and good motor, who has the tools to become a game changer with his defensive ability … At the same time though he is raw, with question marks on his feel for the game, basketball I.Q and offensive potential … There are many intriguing aspects and some red flags … At the end of the day, whether he will become a valuable role player or just a journeyman is up to him and how he develops a work ethic …

Notes: Measured: 6’6” barefoot, 6’7.5” in shoes, 9’0” standing reach, 222.2 lbs, and a 7’3.5” wingspan at the 2020 NBA Draft Combine …

Stefanos Makris 11/11/20