Prospect Profile
While most of the young prospects every year get most of the attention, there’s always several older draftees that end up making a significant impact at the NBA level. Kaluma could be just that in the 2023 NBA Draft, as he’s an older prospect even for a college sophomore.
With that in mind he’s a good athlete with a ton of offensive upside. He’s polished on that end of the floor and would slot nicely on a team that’s ready to compete. That’s not to say he wouldn’t be a good prospect on a rebuilding team, but Kaluma projects to be a player that can impact the game from day one.
On the defensive end, he’s still got a lot of work to do. In fact, that’s probably the one thing outside of his age that’s holding him back from being a lottery pick. He’s had problems defending perimeter oriented players, especially in the pick-and-roll.
Additionally, Kaluma has improved his jump shot but still has a long way to go. Between the jumper and defense, there’s quite a bit of variability in where he could be selected next summer.
Kaluma has long arms and is an aggressive downhill attacker. While his shot develops, he’s got plenty of other ways to generate points. Outside of that, he’s a good positional rebounder that will only have even more of a chance to shine in the upcoming season.
After a significant knee injury last season, Kamala has proven he’s still got what it takes to impact the game at the NBA level. Assuming the upcoming season goes as expected, he’ll have a great shot at being taken in the first round.
Highlights
Draft Projection
Mid to Late First-Round Pick in 2023 NBA Draft.
2023 Big Board
Want to know more about other potential 2023 NBA Draft prospects? Check out our Draft Digest Big Board.
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