Khaman Maluach was one of the biggest prospects heading into the NBA Combine crash. The 18-year-old was widely regarded as an elite rim-runner, using his length to finish off lobs for easy scores or to shoot at the center of a defense that ranked among the best in the country’s efficiency metrics.
Maluach’s strengths also included his remarkable ability to defend on the perimeter with Duke’s switching defense.
Maluach’s Athletic Testing Falls Below Expectations
Maluach went into the NBA Combine with plenty of expectations, but his athletic testing has changed the draft conversation. He committed to Duke as a five-star prospect and had a remarkable freshman season with the program.
Khaman Maluach tested terribly at the combine
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In his freshman campaign, the former blue-chip recruit recorded an average of 8.6 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 0.5 assists per game. He also recorded 1.3 blocks while shooting 71.2% from the field. He was reliable at the line (76.6%) and made four 3-pointers to show.
The 18-year-old is seen as one of the most athletic prospects by analysts, scouts, and fans, but his athletic testing didn’t match his hype as one of the most athletic players at the NBA Combine crash.
When compared to other centers that were tested in the last six years, only 7 out of 50 players had a worse max vertical (30”), 3 out of 50 players had a worse standing vertical (24”), and only 5 out of 50 players had a worse three-quarter sprint (3.5 sec) than the 18-year-old.
In addition, just 4 out of 44 players had a worse shuttle run at 3.44 sec, and 42 out of 50 tested centers since 2020 had better lane agility than Maluach.
Maluach had the second-worst average ranking when his metrics in all the tests were computed, with Derik Queen taking the unwanted position of the player with the worst metrics.
The Duke star was outperformed in almost every metric by Hansen Yang, Rocco Zikarsky, Maxime Raynaud, and others, leading to conversations about his chances of being a top pick in the draft.
Maluach’s Talent Evident Despite Changed Draft Conversation
The conversation surrounding Maluach’s chances of being a top pick in the draft might have changed; however, the 18-year-old remains one of the biggest prospects to watch out for.
Maluach joined the NBA Academy Africa in 2021 and took part in the Nike Hoop Summit in April 2024 before playing for his country, South Sudan, at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
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The former blue-chip recruit is the fourth Duke player to make an early jump to the NBA draft, after freshman wing Kon Knueppel and junior guard Tyrese Proctor. In addition, freshman star Cooper Flagg joined the list as the favorite to be the No. 1 overall pick.
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