DraftExpress NBA Draft Prospect Profile: Nando De Colo, Stats, Comparisons, and Outlook

Roundup: Spectacular De Colo
April 23, 2008
As much as we’ve become accustomed to what Nando De Colo produces game in and game out, it still doesn’t get any less impressive. This past weekend he delivered another astounding performance, leading Cholet to a road victory over Pau-Orthez with 25 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals, earning our Player of the Week nomination in the process. He has emerged as an extremely reliable scorer, and averages over 20 points in the last 9 games with surprising ease, not forcing shots or situations.

In this particular game, De Colo often looked spectacular, with flashy plays such as a slashing move sneaking the ball behind his back in order to avoid an opponent and finishing with a perfect left-handed layup, or a superb behind-the-head pass off the dribble. Its remarkable how easy the game comes to him, how poised and naturally talented he looks. Either knocking down shots (he was money in the bank from the perimeter in this game), driving in heavy traffic (showcasing his excellent handles and footwork) or finding quick passing solutions in complicated situations (he enjoys a terrific feel for the game and easily sees the court), basketball seems effortless for him, and almost every single time he touched the ball resulted in something positive for his team.

As usual, the downside of his game came on the defensive end. Matched up with an athletic wing, he suffered containing his match-up’s cuts, often reacting late, being out of position or even ending up outmuscled. His average lateral quickness was eventually exposed again, although the fact that he’s playing as a combo guard and is not forced to guard the opposing playmaker relieves him from the task of having to challenge the quickest rivals (something that won’t happen in the NBA if he eventually ends up there). Indeed, and given his excellent display on the other end of the court, if De Colo showed a significantly better defensive level, we should be talking about a first-round caliber guy.

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Roundup: Tripkovic Strikes Back
March 26, 2008
De Colo is becoming the steadiest and most creative force on his team Cholet, which speaks volumes about his maturity and value as a player. At this point, he’s a guy oozing with confidence, but on top of that, he already a valuable guard, really talented, highly skilled and also rather gifted from a physical point of view. He has a nice set of tools and the feel for the game to make everything work.

Not highly explosive, instead De Colo brings to the table very good size for his position, a nice physical build –he’s already relatively strong and has no problem dealing with veterans-- and solid quickness. He’s athletic for European standards, but likely falls in the average category, at best, if we’re talking about the NBA.

Never a one-dimensional player, however De Colo shows preference for his jumper. He’s a solid gunner who can drop three-point shots on a regular basis, although mostly from standstill positions or just in easy and fluid off-the-dribble approaches. Once he gets inside the arc and closer to the basket, he shows more versatility on his release, off-the-dribble mechanics in wilder attempts, and even some slight fade-away moves if necessary. Eventually, he might rush his perimeter shots a bit too much, instead of looking for other options.

The French kid usually plays as a combo guard, sharing the playmaking duties with his teammates. However, you can see how naturally it comes for him to play the point. A very solid ball-handler, although improvable with his left, he shows nice court awareness and is willing to dish the ball as soon as he identifies a good option. He can play the drive-and-dish card, to exploit pick-and-roll options or just to move the ball from the perimeter, looking for three-point opportunities or entry passes; anyway, his solid court vision and understanding of the game allows him to find his teammates on a regular basis.

As aforementioned, he’s not a highly explosive guy, so it’s not like he can light up a rival at will. He can take his chances in the one-on-one game using his ball-handling and quickness, but often relies on screens, while he likes to attack with his right hand. He shows nice footwork and some solid ability to finish with lay-ups, also with his left hand. He proves to be a tough guy whenever he goes inside, taking contact, using his body, and not feeling intimidated. However, he could probably produce at a bigger rate here, considering his size and skills.

Defense is a matter of concern for De Colo. He shows limitations in his lateral quickness that jeopardizes his ability to successfully match up against quicker point guards (your everyday meal in the NBA). His activity is decent, but not great. However, he’s a smart guy who should be able to make up for his defensive shortcomings –up to a certain extent- with an extra degree of intensity, while taking advantage of his superior size.

Draft-wise, De Colo seems like a very probable bet to appear in the second round. The first round seems like a bit of a long shot at this point. He probably needs to erase the concerns about his defense in order to move his way in there.

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Roundup: Exploding De Colo
February 7, 2008
French guard Nando De Colo exploded this past week for a 37-point performance in the FIBA EuroCup. His offensive effort, nicely rounded out with 2 rebounds, 2 assists and 3 steals, paved the way for his team’s victory over Barons, although it was ultimately a futile effort, as the French squad failed to qualify for the next round.

De Colo is a bit of a late bloomer, a guy who didn’t play with the French Under-16 or 18 National Teams. Born in 1987, last season he already enjoyed consistent playing time with Cholet, and during the past summer, he emerged as the leader on the U-20 National Team. This season, he’s established himself as an important player in the French League, where he averages 12.8 points, 2.4 rebounds and 3.7 assists in 28 minutes per game. He even made the All-Star game, starting alongside the likes of Nicolas Batum and Marc-Antoine Pellin.

A pretty skilled combo guard, De Colo provides both solid passing ability and notable scoring power. Standing 6-5, enjoying a nice frame, but average in terms of athleticism, he shows a pretty nice physical profile for European basketball. Not very explosive, he takes advantage of his ball-handling skills, footwork and screens to slash towards the basket. He’s a solid shooter with range out to the three-point line, also being able to knock down shots off the dribble. Able to find his teammates off the drive, he shows nice court vision, while he emerges aggressive on the fastbreak.

Although De Colo can eventually overdo himself if he feels confident, as it happened in the game against Barons, he’s a pretty heady guy who seems to play beyond his age. He’s not oozing with untapped potential, but seems like a very interesting player in the making. It wouldn’t be surprising if he moved to a bigger squad next season, where NBA scouts could take a closer look at him before he becomes draft-eligible.

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