In June of 2010, former NBA center Manute Bol passed away suddenly at the too young age of 48. Bol, one of the tallest players in NBA history at 7'7, played parts of ten seasons in the league from 1985-1995, leading the NBA in blocked shots twice. He was one of the first of his kind in the league - a guy with the kind of height that made it virtually impossible to get any sort of layup attempt over, a gifted shot blocker.
Bol had ten children, two of whom have ventured to follow in their father's footsteps. The first was Madut, who played at Southern University. The second is about to have his name called Thursday night in Brooklyn at the 2019 NBA draft, and he is - outside the top names like Zion Williamson, RJ Barrett, and Ja Morant - the most intriguing prospect in the entire draft.
Like his father, Bol Bol is tall. The big man is listed at 7'2 and 235 pounds. Unlike his dad, the younger Bol toes the line between power forward and center. Also unlike his dad, he represents the future of the position.
A la Kristaps Porzingis of the Dallas Mavericks, Bol has a perimeter game that demands respect. With his length and ability to shoot the ball, he provides a tall - no pun intended - task for any defender. Even unlike Porzingis though, Bol has a smoothness to his game. He handles the ball with a touch of fluidity, especially remarkable for a man his size, and transitions into his jump shot with similar fluidity. His style of play combines elements of Porzingis and Kevin Durant, in terms of being a long, tall player that can handle the ball and shoot it.
If not for a left foot stress fracture that limited him to just nine games in his lone season at Oregon, Bol would be a top pick tomorrow night. In those nine games, the 19 year old averaged 21 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 2.7 blocks. The impressiveness doesn't just come from those numbers, but also from the fact that he shot 52% from three point range and 76% from the free throw line. For a man his size, he has very unique handling ability and a soft touch.
For a guy who stands 7'2, a stress fracture is worrisome. Combining that worry is that he has had the injury before even playing in an NBA game. All of that said though, the ceiling for Bol is extremely high. He's the most intriguing prospect in the draft, and a potential star will fall into the arms of a team fortunate to have him.
*Statistics courtesy of Basketball Reference.
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