Imru Duke

Game scouted: EBA Liga, Zentrol basket at Alcobendas, 01.02.2020

Imru Duke not only looks like an NBA prospect from body perspective but even attracts extra attention among them. He stands around 6’10 and spreads ridiculous 7’3 wingspan. He possess big palms, wide base yet still good agility and fluidity. However despite good rim running, he doesn’t appear to have above average quick twitch explosiveness and moves somewhat at one pace.

It’s also easy to notice his determination but it gets much worse while looking at the basketball fundamentals. Given his late start Trinidad and Tobago native spends a lot of hours working individually in the gym with good trainers but it didn’t do wonders yet. Saying that he has ways to go would be an understatement. He wants to help the team but as of now is suitable exclusively for low level of competition and it will take some time until he shows things learnt by making drills in game situations. 

Despite great tools game is too fast to him. We usually label with this statement slow, too tall for position players but it applies to slow thinkers as well. Imru often doesn’t know where to position himself which limits his potential selling point – finishing. It’s hard to deliver the ball if you don’t roll hard (and btw lack screening technique) and don’t keep accurate spacing in passing lane. Shooting touch looks ok for the size. Small statistical sample doesn’t indicate much hope at this point (3/25 3s & 18/30 FTs) but it may get better moving forward. Plenty of actions requiring to dribble the ball and coordinate it with your own movements end up as travelling. Either with face and back to the basket.  

Best part of his game is rebounding and defensive potential. He grabs decent amount of put backs and nose for the ball may be the most ingesting instinct so far in his craft. Only 10 blocks in more than 250 minutes is somewhat disappointing but he alters a lot of attempts at the rim. He stills misses bodies to boxout at times because of ball watching or gets backdoor cut against but it could be worse.

We tend to call this type of prospects “low floor, high ceiling”. But when the floor is REALLY low it’s hard to reach the very high ceiling. Duke is soon to be 21 years old and is not a freak athlete to compensate for his poor IQ or lack of skill. For example Tyson Perez at his age averaged almost 20 & 10 in EBA liga…He would need astonishing pace of development to get serious looks in next year draft. G League is one of rumoured potential destinations for him next year but if ready at all he is end of the bench player there. It may surely help the development but is unlikely to make miracles for his stock.