Overview:

Oscar Tshiebwe is a relentless rebounding Power Forward.  He will need to develop a mid range shot to maximize his value. He led the country in rebounding during the 2021-22 season.  Tough, relentless, and powerful.  His body control to rebound in tight spaces to get extremely tough rebounds.   He is undersized by NBA power forward standards.  2022-23 will be Tshiebwe’s senior season for the Kentucky Wildcats.  

NBA skill:  Rebounding

Note:  Prospects compared to statistical averages of drafted NBA players (2017-2022), by position, from their last college season.

Guards = Below 6’5″

Wings = 6’6″ to 6’9″

Posts = Above 6’10”

Blue      Comparable to average drafted NBA players by position.

Green  Exceeds the average drafted NBA players by position.

Red      Below the average of drafted NBA players by position.

Darker color signifies a greater statistical variance.

Offense:

Oscar Tshiebwe is tough, relentless, and powerful. He is a classic power forward albeit undersized by NBA standards.  He is a very efficient scorer for a big man.  He shoots  60/ – / 69 splits which is in line with previously drafted bigs in the NBA.   

Tshiebwe was efficient in his Play Types.  He had 1.46 Points Per Play, Excellent.  Oboards (19% of his offense) he was 1.46 PPP, Excellent.  And as a Pick and Roller Roller he was 1.03 PPP, Very Good. 

Additionally, Tshiebwe DOES shoot an elbow face-up jumper when he is left wide open.  However, his inefficiency is the reason he is wide open.  He will need to be much more consistent with his mid range jumpers to keep the defense honest.  An effective face up game will open up his rim attacks where he is most effective.      

Even though, Tshiebwe’s Shot Mix was equally predictable.   At the rim, he was 1.5 PPP, Excellent and even his runners were 1.19 PPP, Excellent.  Tshiebwe’s Jumpers yielded just .74 PPP, Below Average.

Furthermore, Tshiebwe knows who he is as a player.  He relentlessly attacks the glass and he does not shoot threes.  In 2021-22, Tshiebwe’s Play Types were a testament to a player who “stays in his shoes”.  Post Ups (31% of his offense) yielded 1.04 Points Per Play, Excellent.  Oboards (19%) yielded 1.46 PPP, Excellent. Pick and Roll Roller (15%) yielded 1.03 PPP, Very Good. And Cut (11%) yielded 1.46 PPP,  Excellent.

Despite being undersized, if Tshiebwe can shoot an efficient mid range jumper he will have a long NBA career.

Wanna sees:

Face up mid range jumper

Elbow pull up jumper

Assists and Decision Making

Oscar Tshiebwe’s true passing ability reflected in his assist per game – 1.1.  He has the ability to make quick decisions and high level passes; interior passes, kick outs in traffic or out of double teams. 

At times he plays too fast or is not aware of space.  This results in lack of awareness turnovers; 3 seconds, offensive fouls and strip steals on him.

Developing a jumper will help to avoid these turnovers.  

1. He won’t need to attack the rim as a default where help side defenders are waiting for him to draw offensive fouls.  

2.  Defender won’t be able to collapse on him as he puts the ball on the floor or tries to pass out of double teams.  

50% of Tshiebwe’s 66 turnoves in the 2021-22 season, 33 turnovers, were from offensive fouls, lost or stripped balls.

Wanna See

Improved decision making in space

Less bullying to become more effective on post ups.

Rebounding and defense  

Tshiebwe gets virtually every tough rebound.  His body control to rebound in tight spaces is remarkable.  If it was 3 on 1 rebounding in a phone booth, Tshiebwe would get every ball against bigger players, again quicker players.  Doesn’t matter, Tshiebwe will come down with the rebound. 

Defensively, Tshiebwe is solid defensively.  He gets a lot of face up blocks which won’t happen as often against craftier shot making NBA players.

Wanna See

More weak side and side chase down blocks

Continued commitment to defense

Tier of 2023 draft prediction: Second round