Could Texas Forward Dylan Disu Make a Late NBA Draft Push?
Primer
Dylan Disu had an interesting nickname early on at Vanderbilt, where he played his first two collegiate seasons before transferring back to his native Austin to attend the University of Texas.
Teammates and coaches called him "Bambi."
Why?
Because of his awkward, lanky movement style at the time; often, he'd be out of control in transition, or occasionally put himself in turnover-prone situations. So the nickname stuck for a while.
Until it didn't. He outgrew "Bambi."
A vestigial element leftover from this physical phase of his career is of great benefit to him; his unorthodox way of moving when either dribbling, backing down an opponent, or even Euro-stepping, makes it very difficult to defend him up straight.
Remember the buzzword "verticality"?
The term refers to the fact that defenders, when jumping up to contest someone, are supposed to remain vertical, as opposed to leaning into the offensive player, which is now called a foul most of the time.
Whether that's a fair way to judge defense is up for debate, of course, but as is the case with most basketball rules, this one benefits the team trying to score.
What this means for Dylan Disu is that he's able to draw fouls more easily due to his movements; his array of fakes makes him a dependable scorer at the college level, which he demonstrated against Iowa State on February 6 with 28 points, including 5-for-5 from the charity stripe and 3-for-6 on three-pointers.
At Texas, he plays a starring role as one of the primary focal points of the offensive game plan.
But this won't be how he's used in pro ball.
Role in the NBA
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At the next level, Disu is more acclimated to playing as a stretch big than as a pure post. He's suited especially for spot-up shooting, and his efficiency from deep this season has been beyond impressive – currently, he's hitting 52.6% of his 3-point shots on three attempts per game.
Arguably the most important leap for Disu to make it into the NBA is his shooting ability, and he is backing up the deep shooting with a very solid 76% at the free-throw line on 3.2 takes per.
However, the path to a successful NBA career for him involves a couple of important steps beyond his improved stroke.
The first? Regaining some of his tenacity on the boards.
He needs to more consistently demonstrate the motor that once led him to be the SEC's leading rebounder as a sophomore at Vanderbilt. He was an absolute force in 2019-2020, a relentless hound that would not be denied the rock, recording over nine rebounds a game before a season-ending injury sidelined him for nearly a year.
Additionally, the second step is becoming a better defender – he's not bad now, but if he can become a legitimate three-and-D threat, his NBA career exponentially increases in longevity. Half of 3-and-D is defense, but unfortunately, Disu has a few major flaws that could make the transition into this role very difficult.
The Obstacles
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The primary thing holding Dylan Disu back is lacking explosive athleticism and strength. At 6-foot-9, he's not big enough to overpower all defenders with his height, which is something a guy like forward Jabari Smith Jr. from the Houston Rockets can do, for example.
Disu also can't explode past a defender for a dunk, and can't attack closeouts because he doesn't have any kind of burst or quick first step to get him past an over-committed player on the perimeter.
His finesse-based low-post game translating seems a bit of a tall order as well, as he has a strange, low release from 10-to-15 feet that looks as if it could be easily blocked by players with longer wingspans.
He gets himself into foul trouble quite a bit, also. While averaging 1.2 blocks per game, he also averages 3.5 personal fouls, which has forced him to the bench in several important games this season.
This is something NBA coaches will note on the scouting report, putting a big target on his back in defensive switch situations, especially against quick guards.
The other problem is that he can be muscled in the low post by stronger forwards and centers, which has been evident this season as a part of a confluence of factors leading to Texas' inability to protect the defensive glass.
This hole in the armor has caused several losses for the Longhorns, particularly in Big 12 conference play, where physicality is the backbone of the culture. This includes a Feb. 6 loss to Iowa State, where the Cyclones recorded 16 offensive rebounds.
Should Disu become better on the glass, his draft stock, and the Longhorns team, would be much better off for it. What this will require is serious work in the weight room.
At the moment, he weighs 225 pounds, which is not slight, but not big enough to bang with the power forwards of the NBA.
Considering he does not have a Dillon Mitchell-like ability to jump out of the gym as previously mentioned, barbells and protein shakes need to become Disu's best friend. He has to play the defensive post, as he's not quick enough laterally to play defense on the perimeter in the NBA, or in college, for that matter.
Luckily, Texas has an excellent strength and conditioning coach in Cory Schlesinger, a migrant from the Phoenix Suns who no doubt understands the assignment. It will be fascinating to watch how they will get Dylan Disu's body to look the part.
Current State
As it stands now, Dylan Disu is probably an undrafted free agent who could compete for a two-way contract. In a 2024 draft class not known for being particularly deep, he may have found the perfect year to try and breakthrough.
He is unfortunately 23 years old, but we've seen upperclassmen drafted, often with decent success. Guys like the 2023 NBA Draft's 30th pick, 23-year-old forward Kobe Brown from Missouri, can give Disu hope about his draft eligibility despite being nearly old enough to rent a car.
Hopefully he can put into action the steps necessary to cement himself as at least a candidate to play, at some point, in the NBA. He may end up in the NBL or Europe as well.
But as of right now, he definitely has some work to do to make his Association dreams come true.
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