Kenny Kadji was one of the most versatile players in the ACC this past season. A true stretch four, he’s capable of nailing a three pointer (hit 35 percent last year, 41 percent as a junior). He works best off a catch-and-shoot or a pick-and-pop. He’s got a solid high release that’s tough to defend.
Player: Kenny Kadji
Position: Power Forward
Size: 6-11/240
Age: 24
School: Miami
Last Season Stats: 12.9 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.3 blocks
THE GOOD:
A good ball handler to his right, especially for a big man. He lives to pump fake from deep when his defender charges him and drives it inside, putting up a nice floater.
Experts have said he’s not a great athlete, but I was always impressed by what I saw, so I wasn’t surprised when I heard he had a 38-inch vertical leap at a recent NBA tryout.
Inside, he has a nice touch and relies a ton on a fade away that’s impossible to block.
As a defender, he’s a capable defender in the post thanks to his height and length, but he dos his best work helping out from the weak side. This is where he gets most of his blocks.
THE BAD:
While he’s strong going to his right, he struggles with his left hand. He also doesn’t move well without the ball. He usually finds his sweet spot and when he gets the ball, he either scores or needs to be bailed out.
In the paint, outside the fade away, he doesn’t really have any other legit post moves. If he’s taken out of his comfort zone, he can get rattled. He avoids contact at all cost and he’s not a good passer from the paint. He has twice as many turnovers as assists.
If Kadji had these problems and was a 19-year-old coming out early, then scouts would be drooling over his potential. However, he redshirted twice and will be 25 years of age when the draft rolls around. This just means his ceiling is not going to rise much higher; what you see is what you’re going to get.
THE PROJECTION:
There are plenty of teams late in the second round who will be looking for some size. Portland, Detroit, Phoenix, San Antonio, Minnesota and Memphis all sit at the bottom of the second round and all could take a chance on Kadji.
Personally I like Kadji and I think he can be a solid contributor off someone’s bench at the next level. Memphis seems like a possible destination since they have three of the final 20 picks, so they can roll the dice a little.
In the end though, I’m predicting that he will go undrafted, but will get picked up by someone via free agency after the draft.
