Key Highlights:
- Toumani Camara is already an All-League caliber defender
- Camara’s skillset is one which the present model of the Phoenix Suns is desperately missing
- Camara’s age (nearly 24) makes it arduous to think about that he improves way more as a participant from his present degree
I keep in mind it prefer it was yesterday, which isn’t that spectacular as a result of the occasion in query didn’t occur that way back. In case you couldn’t guess from the title, we’re speaking in regards to the monumental Damian Lillard commerce that occurred proper earlier than the beginning of the 2023-24 season.
Together with all of the picks that modified fingers, eight gamers had been concerned within the deal. Lillard and Jrue Vacation had been the headliners. However there have been additionally strong starters like Jusuf Nurkic and Grayson Allen within the combine. On the time, seeing Toumani Camara – a 2023 second spherical select of Dayton – included within the commerce appeared largely insignificant within the grand scheme of issues.
Oh, how the tables have turned. Camara has turned out to be an enormous discover for the Portland Path Blazers (and an enormous loss for the Phoenix Suns). He’s been top-of-the-line (if not one of the best) second spherical picks of this class.
The Good
This subsequent assertion will not be a hyperbole. Camara is already an All-League caliber defensive ahead. Sure, he’s that freaking good. Of all rookies, he’s fourth in Defensive Estimate Plus-Minus (DEF EPM), behind solely Victor Wembanyama, and Ausar and Amen Thompson (three of one of the best defensive prospects in latest reminiscence). Total, Camara is within the ninety fifth percentile in DEF EPM (per Dunks & Threes).
And if that’s not sufficient, even well-respected NBA analysts like Nekias Duncan have Camara on their lengthy listing of gamers they’re contemplating for an All-Defensive Crew spot:
Complete lot of All-Protection speak — together with the most recent @dunkerspotpod — going round, which I really like.
Revealed my teams-as-of-today on the pod, however not an excessive amount of is ready in stone but. Adjusted my medium listing at this time in gentle of the minutes-played threshold.
My pool of candidates rn: pic.twitter.com/9NkNemgok6
— Nekias (Nuh-KY-us) Duncan (@NekiasNBA) March 12, 2024
There are three keys to Camara’s defensive excellence. First, he’s big. Camara stands at 6’8 with a 7’0.5 wingspan. This allows him to supply plus positional rim safety and defensive playmaking. He’s within the 61st percentile in block price and the 79th percentile in steal price amongst forwards (per Cleansing the Glass).
Second, his lateral agility is akin to that of a ballerina. Regardless of being 6’8, the Path Blazers typically enlist Camara to deal with the opposite workforce’s greatest perimeter participant – an obligation he handles splendidly because of his swish side-to-side actions.
That brings us to the third key. Camara could possibly float across the perimeter like he’s strolling on clouds, however he’s additionally tremendous sturdy. In a latest sport in opposition to the New Orleans Pelicans, Zion Williamson clobbered the Path Blazers’ protection when Camara was off the ground. However when he Camara was within the sport, the human freight prepare (aka Williamson) ran right into a brick wall.
Camara, like many gamers in his archetype, is a below-average shooter (extra on this later). However he fulfills all the opposite offensive obligations this position entails. He can minimize, crash the offensive glass (78th percentile in offensive rebounding price), display screen/roll, and assault closeouts with drives.
That final side of his sport is especially intriguing. Camara is barely taking pictures 58.2% on the rim this yr (twenty eighth percentile). However he’s a rookie on a workforce with poor spacing. These limiters received’t all the time be in his means, and there are a few causes to imagine Camara will enhance on this class over time. First, he’s comfy ending with both hand (which is fairly unusual for this participant kind). And second, he shot 72% on his shut twos in his closing season at Dayton (Per Bart Torvik). So, there’s precedent for Camara being an environment friendly finisher up to now.
The Dangerous
Earlier than we tackle the most important elephant within the room, let’s get his taking pictures deficiencies squared away. None of Camara’s taking pictures indicators are promising. On the yr, Camara is a 32.7 3-point shooter (twenty fifth percentile) on low quantity (twenty fifth percentile when it comes to 3-point makes an attempt per 75 possessions). His collegiate marks are even much less spectacular (30.7% on 231 makes an attempt in school).
Camara’s different contact indicators aren’t nice, both. His free throw share (an ideal context-independent technique to measure a participant’s taking pictures prowess) is barely within the thirty seventh percentile (75%). He’s additionally solely within the third percentile on wide-open 3-pointers and the third percentile on midrange jumpers (per Considering Basketball database).
In fact, he may enhance as a shooter with age, however that’s the place the proverbial elephant we alluded to earlier comes into play. Camara is an previous rookie. And whereas guys like Jalen Williams and Franz Wagner have had nice success as non-one-and-done guys up to now, Camara is nearly 24 years previous. Which means the percentages of him turning into a considerably totally different participant than he’s proper now should not in his favor.
So, that begs the query: is that this present model of Camara ok to stay within the massive leagues?
The Backside Line
Earlier than we reply the query we simply posed, let’s get again to the Suns. Sadly, I wasn’t within the room when the deal that netted them Nurkic and Allen. So, I don’t know if Camara needed to be included for the deal to get performed or if one other asset may have gotten the job performed.
However it’s arduous not to consider how excellent of a match this model of Camara is for this model of the Suns. With Allen, Kevin Durant, Bradley Beal, and Devin Booker, Phoenix has an ideal four-man offensive machine. The proper participant to enhance that quartet (aside from an ideal rim-protecting middle) could be an All-Defensive Crew ahead with nice dimension and energy (which is strictly what Camara is).
Camara could be excellent for Phoenix’s present roster development. However simply because he suits nice in a single workforce context doesn’t essentially imply that he’d be a superb position participant on most NBA rosters.
That brings us again to our unique query. There are a handful of gamers similar to Camara – elite wing/ahead defenders who’re below-average shooters/non-shooters. A few of these guys find yourself being neutralized within the postseason (like Camara’s teammate Matisse Thybulle). Whereas others discover ways to adapt to the challenges that include the sport’s second season (like Aaron Gordon).
The distinction between Thybulle and Gordon is that Gordon has discovered different methods to be efficient on offense. Gordon makes use of his physicality and athleticism to play within the dunker spot, function as a curler/driver, and crash the offensive glass.
Camara isn’t as expert as Gordon (significantly as a passer/ball handler). However he has proven flashes of with the ability to influence the offensive aspect of a ball in the same means. And given the truth that he’s already an elite defender in Yr One if Camara can discover a technique to leverage his talent and bodily instruments to remain afloat on offense, he’ll be an ideal position participant within the NBA for a extremely very long time.