2017 Orlando Magic Draft Preview: Who is Ike Anigbogu?

Ike Anigbogu looks like the modern NBA center. And he has a lot of those skills. But the UCLA center is raw and has a long way to go to get NBA ready.

The 2017 NBA Draft class does not have a lot of centers. That is just the random distribution for the Draft this year. There are not many centers.

Not that NBA teams care very much. The center in the traditional sense feels like a dinosaur — even as both the Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers employ rebound and defense-focused centers. It is not a heavy need. And it is not like the Orlando Magic have a shortage of centers right now anyway.

Outside of sharpshooter Lauri Markkanen, the center and “post” player prospects in this Draft are relatively short. It is not until around the time the Magic will pick at 25 when players like Ivan Rabb, Harry Giles and Ike Anigbogu are likely to be selected.

Each brings their own unique skills. But they are all three paint-bound centers in a league that is increasingly more perimeter based.

What the league asks of its centers is much different now. A good center has to be able to protect the rim, defend the paint and step out to stop pick and rolls. It requires a different kind of athlete than before.

That is where UCLA Bruins center Ike Anigbogu provides a lot of intrigue. His stats are still very meager — 4.7 points and 4.0 rebounds per game in 13.0 minutes per game as a freshman at UCLA. But he has the profile of that ideal center.

Anigbogu is athletic and able to finish above the rim. He can run the floor and attack the basket, able to score on putbacks and thunderous jams. Even in 13.0 minutes per game, he averaged 1.2 blocks per game. Anibogu was a force in the paint.

The promise Anigbogu brings is huge. If anything, he would have climbed even higher if he could get more playing time at UCLA on that star-studded team.