Khaman Maluach scouting report: How Team USA could guard South Sudan tomorrow

The Olympics have offered fans a first look at Khaman Maluach, a 17-year-old, 7’2 South Sudanese big, who’s flashed pro-level plays on the international stage. Maluach, a projected top pick in the 2025 NBA draft, will play at Duke with Cooper Flagg in the fall. He’s still raw in some areas but Maluach’s ceiling is high, especially on the defensive end.

For South Sudan in exhibition play, Maluach’s elite defensive potential went on full display. He’s the shot-blocker you would expect from a 7’2 giant, though Maluach’s speed and agility are rare for that size. He’ll switch out onto the perimeter and check guards. He’ll dig and help at the nail like a wing. And of course, he’ll rotate to protect the rim.

He’s an above-the-rim threat on defense as well, walling off the rim and blocking shots with incredible length and explosion for his size. Maluach loves feinting in the pick and roll before using his long arms and explosion to break up passes and block shots. As a 17-year-old, Maluach posted a strong 7.9% in the Basketball Africa League for considerable rim protection impact.

Maluach will iron out defensive kinks as he ages, namely his positioning and awareness. Maluach can be overly jumpy at times as well, working to compensate for any mental mistakes or decision-making lapses. That’s fairly common for players his age, though, and improving as a defensive processor often comes with experience. The dividends for that development are high, as Maluach looks like a possible future defensive star.

Will Khaman Maluach feature more often for South Sudan in 2024 Olympics?

Though Maluach’s minutes are more limited for the national team, he proved an effective scorer in the BAL this past season with 19.1 points and 14.2 boards per game on strong efficiency (60.4% true shooting).

In a league without strong big play as a commonality, Maluach dominates with his size and movement skills. He’s effective as a roll man, cutter, offensive rebounder and even as a driver at times. He’s flashed the ability to drive off the catch and beat bigs off the dribble, which would be a major ceiling-raising skill.

Maluach must improve his offensive processing and touch; he recorded a 0.3 assist-to-turnover ratio in the BAL last season, struggling to create as a playmaker. Lackadaisical giveaways will lessen with age and Maluach has flashed some playmaking skill, especially as a dribble handoff and high post operator. That skill combined with his driving could help define his offensive role as a more perimeter-oriented big. It’s important for these outside-in bigs also to be comfortable working on the interior which Maluach seems to be.

One of Maluach’s major swings will be his shooting projection from all over the floor. At the moment, Maluach is a willing but inconsistent three-point shooter (30.3%). Many of his shots miss wildly even from close range, leading to question marks about his overall touch.

Maluach will make NBA-level shots, though, spotting up and dribbling into triples and scoring on faceup jumpers and turnarounds in the mid-range. He’s displayed his jump-shooting prowess with South Sudan, taking on a spot-up role in transition and occasionally in the half-court. He’s even flashed some post-creation, nailing a pretty face-up jumper over Joel Embiid.

Amalgamating Maluach’s enticing high points into an impact player will be a central question. Can these incredible flashes on both ends of the floor congeal into consistent play? Watching Maluach operate in a smaller usage role and excel at the little things with South Sudan has been encouraging, especially given Duke’s stacked roster.

How will Khaman Maluach fit in at Duke University alongside Cooper Flagg?

He’ll likely start at center for the Blue Devils, forming the NCAA’s most lethal defensive frontcourt in combination with Cooper Flagg. Flagg’s elite ground coverage and help defense will let Maluach play aggressively and learn on the fly. Those two will swarm with endless length, movement, and explosion for devastating defensive moments.

Maluach might struggle to find touches in Duke’s stacked offensive hierarchy, consisting of Flagg, returners in Tyrese Proctor and Caleb Foster and newcomers Isaiah Evans, Kon Knueppel, Darren Harris, Patrick Ngongba and more. How will the Devils devy out touches and will Maluach remain a top priority offensively?

We could see Maluach stick to his finishing and rebounding, similar to his South Sudan role, in the past. Maluach shot a fair amount of threes for a center. Will he be allowed to fire away from deep on open corner jumpers, or will he be forced to the paint? Will Maluach continue to isolate and post up like he frequently did previously?

If these questions return positive answers, it’s easy to project Maluach as a top-five pick in a stacked 2025 draft. He profiles as a modern defensive anchor big, one of the league’s most valuable commodities. Maluach’s ground coverage and mobility are invaluable to close off space, combined with his shot-blocking for elite upside.

The offensive end will determine Maluach’s ceiling and where he lands on the scale of defensive contributor to star. Tapping into his driving skill may be Maluach’s best path to offensive stardom, as he’s coordinated and dynamic enough with the ball to create advantages against most bigs off of the dribble. If he’s drawing reliable closeouts as a shooter, his scoring upside will be immense paired with interior scoring.

Whichever team ends up drafting Maluach should prioritize progressing his feel on both ends, instilling learned passing reads to help maximize his advantage creation strengths. We’ll learn a lot about his current capabilities and future potential at Duke from how he plays with other talented players and how dominant he looks compared to his high-profile teammates.

Teams with a hole in the middle like Chicago should prioritize players like Maluach in next year’s draft. But for now, we’ll enjoy whatever playing time he receives in Paris this summer.