Scouting report: Strengths and weaknesses for Sayon Keita

While his post game is still developing, he has good footwork for his size and has shown flashes of short jumpers and baby hooks. Because of his athleticism, explosiveness and size, he is a problem for defenders in the paint. He can power through contact, draw fouls and overwhelm opponents with his physical tools.

Keita has strong natural instincts on defense, particularly with positioning, timing and using his length to alter or block shots. He does a good job battling in the post and challenging opposing bigs. His size and wingspan help him protect the rim, and he understands how to use verticality and length without fouling. In the paint, he is naturally disruptive and often forces opponents to change their shots.

It is no surprise he is a productive rebounder given his size and skill set, but what separates him is his motor. He relentlessly crashes the glass on both ends, working to secure the ball to start the break on defense or extend possessions and create second-chance opportunities on offense.

Weaknesses

For all his upside, Keita remains raw, and much of his development will hinge on adding strength and sharpening fundamentals.

Offensively, his lack of upper- and lower-body strength is often exposed. He can be pushed off his spots, knocked off balance or forced into turnovers by stronger, more physical defenders. To become a reliable interior scoring threat at the next level, he will need continued physical development and better core stability.

Schematically, opponents will try to neutralize his rim protection by pulling him away from the basket with high ball screens. In space, his limitations show; he must improve defending the perimeter, containing drives and recovering to the paint.

Because of his inexperience, some defensive fundamentals are still a work in progress. When walling up, he leans too much to one side, which crafty offensive players exploit with spins and counters. That’s especially costly in one-on-one post situations, where balance, body control and discipline are crucial.

Laterally, Keita has room to grow. When switched onto guards or hedging ball screens, he often lacks the quickness and footwork to stay in front, limiting his value in switch-heavy defenses.

Final Thoughts

At 18, Keita remains a work in progress, but his tools are undeniable.

He already profiles as one of the most disruptive defenders in his class, using his size, wingspan and mobility to impact nearly every possession. He thrives as a screener in the pick-and-roll, diving hard to the rim and finishing lob passes with ease. His film is filled with emphatic dunks, chase-down blocks and timely help at the rim.

Keita appears to be a natural fit for Malone’s frontcourt plans. Working under a coach who has helped develop bigs such as DeMarcus Cousins, Aaron Gordon, Nikola Jokic and Michael Porter Jr. should accelerate his growth if he is on a one-and-done track.

His skill set meshes well with North Carolina’s perimeter pieces, too. In pick-and-roll action, he should give ballhandlers like Terrence Brown and Neoklis Avdalas a consistent lob target and rim runner, opening space for shooters and adding another dimension to the Tar Heels’ offense.

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This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: UNC basketball: Breaking down Sayon Keita’s strengths, flaws