Barra Njie

Barra Njie, 5-10, PG, Sweden, 2001

Strengths
-Nice frame with long arms despite being undersized at the moment at around 5' 10” (although he may be slightly taller)
-Jet with the ball. Dynamic in transition. Quick twitch athlete. Impossible to keep in front at the U16 level. Lives in the lane. Changes speeds and directions on a dime with a slick handle that's quite advanced for his age. Doesn't need a ball screen to get into the paint. Uses hard in and outs and sweeping crossovers to get defenders leaning.
-Doesn't shy away from contact at the rim. Really tough kid. Finishes with either hand around the rim, often in creative fashion. Has a floater he can go to. Same hand-leg speed finishes. Very advanced around the rim for his age.
-Can be a bit turnover prone, but overall has a really nice feel for the game. Will whip it ahead in transition. Hits the roll man comfortably out of ball screens. At his best in drive and dish situations – excellent timing. Can throw lobs.
-Plays with a ton of confidence and poise for his age.
-Needs to improve as a shooter but it's not broken. Can make a pull up with time and space. Ball comes out okay, just needs some tweaks in his mechanics.
-Really competitive defensively. Can be very disruptive in the backcourt – 5.6 steals per 40. Can get over the top of screens. Quick to loose balls. Makes winning plays.
-Father is 6' 8”, brother is 6' 7”. Thinks he'll grow to around 6'4”.

Weaknesses
-Although he's expected to grow he's currently undersized at around 5' 10”. Limits his ability to see over the top of the defense. Will telegraph passes – 6.1 turnovers per 40. Taken advantage of by bigger guards on the defensive end.
-Lack of a consistent jumper really handicaps him in the half court. Defenses sag off which negates his best attribute – his penetrating ability. Shoots it flat. Turns down jumper after jumper. Needs to improve there.
-Can get a little bit wild going to the rim at times. Relies mostly on his quickness to get by. Will he still stand out athletically next to more explosive American guards?
-Never changes his face, which is a positive, but he's also not a very vocal leader. Quiet kid overall, which he'll have to work through as a point guard.
-Upside is very reliant on whether or not he grows.

Outlook
Njie, whose parents are from Gambia, could very well end up being the best NBA prospect (regardless of age) to come out of the Baltic Cup. He's quick and dynamic with the ball, has a nice feel for the game, is fearless going to the rim, competitive defensively, and is expected to wind up around 6' 4”, making him a legitimate NBA prospect. Njie will have to improve his perimeter jumper, but it's not broken and he has plenty of time to iron out some of his issues.