Top African Players at NBA Summer League 2023
Analyzing standout and under-the-radar talent during the Salt Lake City, California Classic and NBA 2K24 Summer Leagues
Africa is the NBA’s best kept secret. Superstars like Joel Embiid and Giannis Antetokounmpo have strong ties to the continent and are perennial MVP candidates, so it’s no surprise that the league is expanding its footprint throughout African nations.
The NBA now has an academy in Senegal as a feeder program for young prospects and the rising Basketball Africa League (BAL) attracts NBA-level talent from Africa and abroad. The Milwaukee Bucks’ NBA 2K24 Summer League roster even includes the reigning BAL Defensive Player of the Year, Aliou Diarra from Stade Malien.
With African all-star stalwarts already in place in the NBA and the groundwork being laid for a fruitful infrastructure, it’s only natural that the next evolution is an influx of African NBA role players at all positions and skill types.
The NBA Summer League is an ideal setting for discovering new talent to fill out rosters be it for NBA, G-league or overseas clubs. Familiarize yourself with up and coming African talent with an analysis on this year’s summer league action.
Toumani Camara — Phoenix Suns (Mali)
The 6'8" 220-pound forward with a 7'0" wingspan can do it all. He plays like a seasoned vet: shooting, rebounding and passing the ball well, all while letting the game come to him. Camara’s motor is one of his biggest assets, as he can get downhill at will and lock up just about anyone on the floor from point guards to power forwards and smaller centers. He stuck out in a setting where selfishness typically rises to the forefront by making quick decisions and the right plays on both sides of the ball and deftly balancing doing everything well without doing too much. Camara’s decision-making and consistently high motor will set him apart from other rookies in his class and propel him to seeing meaningful minutes on a top-heavy team searching for complementary pieces.
Mouhamadou Gueye — Toronto Raptors (Senegal)
At first glance, Gueye looks like a prototypical long, wiry wing but his most intriguing minutes came as a small-ball five. At 6'9", he absolutely has the skill set and shooting touch to play on the wing, but he looked more comfortable defensively when he was able to guard screeners rather than ball handlers, whether he was in drop or switching. Gueye’s 7'3" wingspan gives him the ability to erase his own mistakes and cover for his teammates with chase down and help side blocks. Because of his agility, it was also easier for him to create separation from bigs off the dribble, or hide away from them in the dunker spot when playing off the ball. The Raptors are keeping him on their G-League affiliate team, and they may just strike gold if they can develop Gueye similar to the ways they’ve developed other Raptors 905 alumni.
Stanley Umude — Detroit Pistons (Nigeria)
If modern playoff series have shown us anything it’s that there’s always room for 3-and-D talent. Stanley Umude fits that mold perfectly as he is focused on the defensive end making positional reads. He also wreaks havoc in passing lanes and contests shots that seem out of reach by taking adantage of his athleticism. With big name draft picks commanding most of the on-ball duties on offense, Umude has been content to spot up and knock down treys when the ball finds him and make straight line drives to the basket. He specialized early and should be rewarded for it, but his physical tools indicate he could do more if ever asked. He is still a free agent at the time of publishing this, and the Pistons or another club could find a serviceable supporting wing in Umude.
Sidy Cissoko — San Antonio Spurs (Senegal)
He passes like a point guard, defends like a small forward but has the shooting skills of a typical center. This odd mashup of skills likely led to Sidy Cissoko dropping in the draft, but also led to him falling into the perfect situation for himself and his new team. He is strong and pesky on defense, smothering guards and forwards alike, while obliterating screens and box outs. This sometimes leads to him picking up cheap fouls, but a little discipline will help clean that up. Offensively, he lacks shooting touch, but has great passing instincts, actively searching for the hot hand and finding open teammates before they know they’re open themselves. Cissoko’s passing prowess and connector instincts remind me of another notable tweener who played under Gregg Popovich and it’s not hard to imagine how suffocating a future defense featuring Cissoko alongside Victor Wembanyama and Jeremy Sochan might be. He remains to be officially signed to the team but it would be shocking if pen wasn’t put to paper soon.
Duop Reath — Portland Trail Blazers (South Sudan)
It seems like almost every big wants to show their versatility by popping or slipping every screen — Duop Reath is not one of those guys. He welcomes contact and makes plays for his teammates by hunting defenders and looking for the screen-assist. Reath is big and strong but not overwhelmingly athletic, making up for it with great timing and consistent effort contesting shots in the paint and behind the arc. He’s no slouch on offense either, as he was a scoring leader on his team this summer. With Portland on the cusp of a rebuild, it wouldn’t hurt for them to take a flyer on a guy who will make their bluechip guards look even better by giving them more space to operate in half court settings.
Aminu Mohammed — Memphis Grizzlies (Nigeria)
Shifty and crafty around the rim, Aminu Mohammed knows how to make something out of nothing. He’s unpredictable and shows aggression, pushing the ball in transition and attacking defenders downhill with a variety of dribble moves and pickups. Part of his unpredictability comes in his willingness to pass the ball — he has underrated vision and is exciting to watch when he gets the ball in a position to attack. A legitimate combo guard threat, Mohammed holds his own against either position defensively. He has yet to earn a guaranteed deal but he looks like an NBA player to me and someone the Grizzlies can afford to take a look at in Ja Morant’s absence as a spark off the bench.
Mouhamed Gueye — Atlanta Hawks (Senegal)
A big wing that can shoot over defenders and bother offensive opponents no matter where they are on the court, Mouhamed Gueye more than proved he belonged in the minutes he played. His aggression on the glass and attacking the rim was impressive, as he took full advantage of his above average height for his position. Gueye’s 6’11” size allows him to disrupt passing lanes and block shots as well as finish above defenders. What stuck out to me was his shot creativity and how natural it seemed; if he continues developing toward his high ceiling and keeps the confidence he displayed, his floor is becoming a solid rotation player capable of making plays on both sides of the ball at minimum.
Ibou Badji — Portland Trail Blazers (Senegal)
The Trail Blazer bigs had something to prove this summer and Ibou Badji was no exception. Having just earned another two-way contract on a team poised for a rebuild, it feels like Badji will have a chance to show off the fluidity and roving defense he displayed in Summer League during at least a part of the regular season with the Blazers. Badji doesn’t bite on many fakes and he covers all his bases. He’s a fantastic helper almost to a fault but teammates could rely on him as a safety net since he is so defensively sound. The team used that to their advantage, showing off his skills in drop (even when he was guarding capable shooters). Badji’s jump shot was intriguing as well because of how smooth of form he has for his size. Should Jusuf Nurkic be dealt in a potential Damian Lillard deal, the Blazers could slot Badji in for real minutes this season.
Ochai Agbaji — Utah Jazz (Nigeria)
The second year guard entered Summer League after an unexpectedly productive rookie season with the Utah Jazz. It was clear that the staff wanted to see him in different scenarios and roles to find ways to maximize his many strengths even further on this upcoming season’s roster. Agbaji was aggressive offensively, hunting three pointers and finishing strong in transition. He was oftentimes the initiator and despite some inefficient shooting games, he shot himself out of poor starts in many of the games. That kind of mental toughness will pay dividends during the grind of the regular season. Agbaji does many things well and is capable of making the right play when he’s in an ancillary role. His future in Salt Lake City is bright, even more so if they decide to move any of the guards ahead of him in the rotation.
Moussa Diabate Los Angeles Clippers (Mali/Guinea)
A rebounding machine, Diabate is an agile big man who moves like a wing. He’s stronger than his frame suggests and garners gaudy rebounding numbers by hustling hard on every play and persisting with his positioning. Diabate has great hands that he uses to play passing lanes, make the right passes in transition and wrestle rebounds from others. It was interesting to see him in zone, where he did a phenomenal job being active physically and vocally on the back line, containing drives when switched onto a quick player and contesting jumpers well. On offense, Diabate makes quick post moves and has an excellent second jump. There aren’t many minutes up for grabs yet for the Clippers at his position but I expect Diabate to stick around for a while and when he gets a chance, he’s sure to produce.
Honorable Mentions
Ismaël Kamagate (Côte d’Ivoire): Strong, short-rolling center who battles nicely for rebounds and can operate in drop coverage.
Joel Ayayi (Benin): Pass-first lead guard who is ready to lead a second unit with his organizational skills.
Mfiondu Kabengele (Democratic Republic of Congo): Veteran journeyman big who plays great defense and has stretched his range.
Nathan Mensah (Ghana): Long-armed post defender who showed offensive flashes with seals and midrange touch.
Bilal Coulibaly (Mali): Confident late-bloomer who will have the minutes and permission to develop into an exciting rotation wing.
Victor Wembanyama (Democratic Republic of Congo): Potential generational, do-it-all talent who will continue to improve with reps and strength.
Missing someone we should’ve mentioned? Email me at ngijolsongolo@gmail.com.
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