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Tacko Fall could be more than his height, but that is the start

By Philip Rossman-Reich

FORT WORTH, TX - FEBRUARY 10: UCF Knights center Tacko Fall (#24) plays defense during the American Athletic Conference college basketball game between the UCF Knights and SMU Mustangs on February 10, 2019 at Moody Coliseum in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Matthew Visinsky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
FORT WORTH, TX - FEBRUARY 10: UCF Knights center Tacko Fall (#24) plays defense during the American Athletic Conference college basketball game between the UCF Knights and SMU Mustangs on February 10, 2019 at Moody Coliseum in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Matthew Visinsky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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Tacko Fall, UCF Knights, UConn Huskies
STORRS, CT – JANUARY 10: UCF Knights Center Tacko Fall (24) shoots over UConn Huskies Forward David Onuorah (34) and UConn Huskies Guard Christian Vital (1) during the game as the UConn Huskies host the UCF Knights on January 10, 2018 at the Gampel Pavilion in Storrs, Connecticut. (Photo by Williams Paul/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

Size can matter

But that gets to the very heart of the issue with Tacko Fall and his NBA prospects.

He has improved his stamina, playing 24.9 minutes per game last year, and the Knights even played a lot more man-to-man defense with Fall on the floor last year rather than falling back into a zone.

But his play there was still limited. He has better athleticism for a player his size, but it is not athleticism enough to get out on the perimeter and defend pick and rolls. That will remain a weakness for him.

His offensive game is further developed, but still fairly simple. And he will always have to fight for his spot on the block. Fall is not about to step out on the perimeter any time soon and shoot jumpers — his free throw form at 36.2 percent got progressively worse throughout his career.

There is no notion Fall will go in the first round. He is a potential second-round pick. The kind of guy a team takes a flyer on because he has a unique skill set and physical makeup that no one can ignore.

But the NBA is going faster and nimbler. Fall would have been a clear first-round pick even a decade ago when the “can’t teach height” philosophy still reigned.

That approach is still true to some extent, of course. And it is why Fall will get a look.

But the league is more about positional versatility, shooting and mobility. Even from big men. Centers create value for themselves by their ability to defend the perimeter and step out and hit the 3-pointer.

Fall does not do either of those things. And he probably will not.

Instead, Fall will have to carve out minutes as a specialist.