Ariel Hukporti is a big gifted with great tools. He shows flashes of perimeter skills but sometimes has even too big tendencies to use them which brings mixed results. Upside was never a question with him but consistency and focus are still concerning and he will be evaluated closely under those criterias by scouts. While maybe he is not the sharpest basketball mind he has a body and athleticism to compete and tough minded players with great fundamentals will be great test that he can benefit from. As of now though both are inactive which was well hidden fact by organisation. Especially with Hukporti it may take a while to see him on a court.

Ariel Hukporti (C | 213 cm | ‘02) ~ Porsche Ludwigsburg

One of the biggest prospects of the tournament here in Munich but unfortunately injured himself soon in the second match and played only one match. He was dominating on both ends vs Alba on his only match but truth to be told, Alba had no real match up for him and better evaluation would be possible against some other teams. But anyhow, Ariel showed great energy and was present in the game from the first minute on. Great body and length combined with good athleticism. His shoot is improving – added three point range to his game too. Protected the rim well and showed some good legs on perimeter too. But as said, sample size from this tournament is small so further evaluation is needed for a better take on him. 

Ariel was teamed up with Begarinn. Both prospects have by far the best tools on their positions and often scrimmages which they took part in were reminding the dunk festival. Ariel still needs to limit lack of concentration but when he enables his motor he can be extremely dominant down low especially against peers as his pro body gained him already few BBL appearances and he may be even tried as back up big by Ludwigsburg next season more consistently. Hukporti has some considerable handles for a big man and at times could use it to speed up the offense after rebounds instead of questionable drives in half court situations. It will definitely help him moving forward if he can stretch defenses a bit but 5 man seems to be his the only right position on either end of the court.

Ariel Hukporti (02’) true leader of his team, getting excited and energising everybody after his strong moves and dunks. Has improved his footwork and back to the basket game since the summer and was the true dominant force in the paint. His range of moves is still limited to 2/3 go to moves but the improvement and the shift in the attitude can be seen easily. Needs to really work on his shot, very poor % from the FT line (35.5%) no outside game and not confident in his jump shot. Was selected to the best 5 and averaged an imposing 18pts, 15.3reb (6oreb, 9.3dreb), 2.5stl, 4to’s, 1.8blk.

ARIEL HUKPORTI (Center, 6’11, 2002, Germany, Ludwigsburg)

Hukporti finally played up to his potential and possibly it was the best scouting aspect of the tournament. I slowly started to lose hope that incredibly gifted center can put his tools and attitude together. He used to frustrate with lack of engagement and bad habits but here clearly dominated and enjoyed every second of those statement performances. Ariel’s energy and power was just unmatched for any other participating center. At times he wanted even too much which led to gambling or taking too much offensive burden on his bulky shoulders but this kind of motor / hunger + impact which comes with it outweights minor mistakes any given day for 6’11 monster. He may not progress physically as much as others but hey – that is how high level athletes look like at the end of maturation. While his lower body is thinner and maybe a bit too narrow, upper base and length catch up to the highest standards. Ariel presented good post game as he was able to get good angles off the glass, mastered up and under move combined with reverse finishes. Also passing from that area may not be perfect yet but looked translatable. He hit few mid range Js (also still too raw to make it happen on regular basis) and started several fast breaks with more reliable handle or passing on the move than before. Hukporti’s profile may be amazing now but for NBA level it is not that freakish. In order to get there is plenty of work on consistency, IQ and skillset but he seems like he finally realized that things will get more & more difficult next years and that he must take his game to whole another level to be among pros equally big force as he is on youth level. To sum up, I am not sure if best version of Ariel is agent or new coach effect but we can just hope he continues like that. If he does, then future is extremely bright.

STRENGTHS:
– Already has a frontcourt frame – 6’11’’ with wide shoulders and long arms. Mobile for his size and age, runs the floor fairly well. Left-handed.
– Tries to make himself available in the post, likes using hooks, finishes softly under the rim with lay ups but can also throw down a dunk. Crashes offensive glass, positions himself well, fights for rebounds, goes after 50/50 balls.
– Uses length to his advantage in double team situations usually holding the ball high in the air. Good vision, sees slashing teammates and shooters on the weak side.
– Does well in PnR, seals well with his big body, defenders struggle to get through his screens, rolls well and goes to the basket. Runs fast in open court, getting on transition quickly, effective rim runner.
– Vocal on defense, giving instructions to his teammates from behind.
– Solid defender in the post, always bothering people and contesting shots, decent second line defender. Covers a lot of ground with his size, reach and wingspan.

WEAKNESSES:
– Needs to bulk up, improve his lower body strength and work on his footwork. His post moves are slow, gets pushed around and struggles to get into position against physical defenders.
– Doesn’t have a strong base and lacks aggressiveness, usually not able to finish through contact. He is occasionally having problems catching the ball.
– Has a tendency of panicking when defense is closing out aggressively, and taking awkward shots.
– Slow footed on defense, can be exploited on switches. Sometimes late with help and rotation, commits unnecessary fouls. Slowly gets back on defense, lacks effort.
– Doesn’t have a range to stretch the floor, not a reliable FT shooter – 59.4%.

OUTLOOK:
It wasn’t the best tournament for Ariel Huporti as he didn’t have a lot of impact while playing only for 17.4 minutes a game. Averaged 9.6pts, 5.9rebs and 1.1bs. With his impressive size, good mobility and quickness should be more dominant in the paint, and at the moment he sometimes struggled against smaller peers. Needs to work on his shooting form, lower body strength and expand his offensive repertoire.