Nadir Hifi

Team: Paris

Height: 184 cm / 6’0.5”

Weight: 82 kg / 181lbs

Wingspan: 183 cm / 6’0”

Born: July 16, 2002

Nadir Hifi was one of the breakout performers of the 2022/23 season in France for Le Portel. 2002-born player looked like one of the best guards in the league already and it was announced that he signed a contract with Paris as soon as the season ended. Hifi is a projected late second round pick, drafting him and following his performance for Paris next season might make sense for some NBA teams. 

STATS

• Averages:

33 games, 30.4 min, 16.8 pts, 2.7 reb (0.5 off reb), 3.4 ast, 1.3 stl, ( 56.1% 2FG%, 34.5% 3P%, 84.1% FT%)

• Per40:

22.5 pts, 3.9 reb (0.6 off reb), 4.2 ast, 1.7 stl

• Advanced Stats:

116.4 ORTG, 110.6 DRTG, 59.9 TS%, 1.7 OREB%, 8.1 DREB%, 5.0 REB%, 21.3 AST%, 2.4 STL%

STRENGTHS

• Quick feet and first step, good motor. Uses it to his advantage on both ends.
• Solid slasher with explosiveness, his power drives to the rim are hard to defend.
• Skilled ball handler with some consistency issues but has high potential 
• Runs the floor well, the ideal guard for open court and transition plays.
• Upside is really high as a scorer around the paint, creative finisher with both hands.
• Has ambition for the game, plays every game as it’s the final.
• Promising on-ball defender with timely reflexes and competitiveness, does everything to bother his matchups. 
• Can operate Pick and rolls and create opportunities for his teammates.
• Does not shy away from clutch moments, looks confident.
• Intriguing shot-contesting instincts from midrange and behind the 3-point line. 

IMPROVEMENT AREAS

• Questionable shot selection. Might force things too much or shoot way early in the shot clock.
• Not a natural playmaker. Court vision is promising but is not ready to be the primary ball handler at NBA level.
• Inconsistent shooter for now. Better from midrange pull ups and has potential to become a good catch and shoot player. Hits some hard off the dribble shots behind the 3-point line too but nor reliable yet.
• Passing touch needs work, can commit easy turnovers.
• Has trouble defending drives without fouling, especially against players with more size and athleticism. 
• Not a good help defender, shows upside on off-ball defense with deflections but often loses his matchup or has bad timing on help defense.
• Has the attitude of someone who is in a rush, needs to find the balance between being aggressive on the floor and controlling the pace of the game at the same time.
• Decision-making needs progress. 

OUTLOOK

NBA teams are going to look at Nadir Hifi mainly for draft and stash purposes. To me, his skillset and size do not exactly fit the league as of now but it would also be a smart choice to get his rights, wait and see what he does for Paris in the EuroCup and his development as a player in general. If Hifi works on his shot and become more reliable behind the 3-point line, improve his playmaking and athleticism, he can be relevant. Does his ceiling worth drafting him in the late second round? I believe yes, it does! Hifi can bring the energy that a team needs from bench, run the floor, fight for every possession, create his own shots and create for others in a pace that NBA teams would really like. On the other hand, there are many question marks about him such as he’s going to be the shortest player on the court most of the time but he might not be very productive as the primary ball handler, also he is not the best defender against athletic players which could cause problems in the NBA. It would not surprise me to see Hifi go undrafted or drafted in the second round but Hifi’s next season in Europe might make some organizations regret their decisions later.

Played his game and was arguably the best player at the camp (the best. not to be confused with the player with the highest upside!). He played a lot with the ball and was creating shooting opportunities for his teammates and even more often for himself. He made some attractive no-look and between the legs passes that led to easy dunks. With his advanced handles – probably the best ball handler at the camp – and quick change of pace, he managed to create the separation for quite open looks. Shot selection was sometimes a little iffy but that is his game and you need to give him the freedom to play it. Was scoring on all three levels and was amongst the best scorers at the camp. 

Team: Le Portel

Birth: 2002

Position: Guard

17.1 points, 2.9 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.4 steals, 3.9/6.8 2FG (58.1 %), 1.8/5.3 3FG (33.3%) 4/4.7 FT (85.3%)

LNB has been one of the most followed leagues in Europe this season, especially for one particular man. However, there are many prospects that are making their names known. One of the breakout performers of the season is Le Portel’s guard Nadir Hifi. The 2002-born player has averaged 17.1 points, 2.9 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.4 steals this season in France and looked like one of the best guards in the league already. He got selected to the LNB All Star game and he was the MVP of December 2022. Hifi seems ready to show his game in the European competition level.

STRENGTHS

• Quick feet and first step, good motor. Turns them into his advantage on both ends.
• Solid slasher with explosiveness, his power drives to the rim are hard to defend. Disrupts the defense and can find the open man.
• Skilled ball handler with some consistency issues but has high potential 
• Runs the floor well, the ideal guard for fast break opportunities and transition plays.
• Upside is really high as a scorer around the paint, creative with the ability to finish with both hands.
• Impressive ambition for the game, plays every game as it’s the final.
• Good on-ball defender with timely reflexes and competitiveness, does everything to bother his matchups. 
• Can operate Pick and rolls and create opportunities for his teammates.
• Does not shy away from clutch moments, looks confident.
• Intriguing shot-contesting instincts from midrange and behind the 3-point line. 
• Reliable from the free throw line. Shot 85.3% this season in all competitions.

WEAKNESSES

• Questionable shot selection. Might force things too much or shoot way early in the shot clock.
• Not a natural playmaker. Court vision is promising but might not be ready to be the primary ball handler at EuroLeague level yet.
• Inconsistent shooter for now. Better from midrange pull ups and has potential to become a good catch and shoot player. Hits some hard off the dribble shots behind the 3-point line too, shooting is not one of his biggest weaknesses but not reliable yet.
• Passing touch needs work, can commit easy turnovers.
• Has trouble defending drives without fouling, especially against players with more size and athleticism. 
• Not a good help defender, shows upside on off-ball defense with deflections but often loses his matchup or has bad timing on help defense.
• Has the attitude of someone who is in a rush, needs to find the balance between being aggressive on the floor and controlling the pace of the game at the same time.
• Decision-making needs progress. 

OUTLOOK

Hifi is having a great season, it is not hard to predict that the top French teams from EuroLeague and EuroCup and bunch of other EuroLeague organizations are probably considering him on their roster for next season and he is ready for that next step. He can also be an intriguing second round draft and stash option for some NBA teams if the fit is right. His size and athleticism will be some of the question marks about a possible chance of him making it to the NBA. I believe in him in terms of his shooting and decision-making as he gains more experience in bigger stages. With his skill-set, explosiveness and the energy that he brings, he belongs in the EuroLeague and there is no reason for that not to happen in the near future.