Tools That Translate: How G League Ignite’s Thierry Darlan Became Clear Lottery Talent
While the upcoming draft class may not have a solidified generational superstar, the depth of talent set to enter the 2024 NBA Draft is remarkable. Whether it be college players, international prospects or athletes taking an alternate route to the league, there will be no shortage of options in both rounds.
Of any team across the globe, G League Ignite has the most individual NBA talent. When looking at the current roster, there’s at least eight players that will have a real shot at being selected in one of the next two drafts.
While each of these players are talented and deserve recognition, perhaps the most underrated of all is Thierry Darlan. He wasn’t able to make his debut against the Perth Wildcats last month, but will soon emerge as one of the best players in the upcoming class. He’s a lottery talent that has the tools and frame to ultimately finish the season as a potential top-ten pick.
Originally from Bangui — the largest city of the Central African Republic — Darlan comes from a deep basketball family. Both his grandfather and father played for the country’s national team, while his uncle played too and is also the current coach.
“I grew up with a family where everyone played basketball,” Darlan told Draft Digest in an interview. “I started playing when I was very young, maybe four years old. I started playing for my country’s senior team when I was 15 or 16. After that I had the opportunity to try out for the NBA Academy. Everything really started from there — that gave me the opportunity to show the world what I can do.”
Darlan himself represented the Central African Republic at the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 African Qualifiers. Prior to that, he really started getting recognized as an elite talent when he joined NBA Academy Africa.
Although he’s listed at 6-foot-6, Darlan told Draft Digest he’s grown to 6-foot-7 or 6-foot-8. Given he’s a guard, the positional size he brings to the court is remarkable. Not only is he a long, oversized backcourt prospect, but Darlan also has a unique skillset.
The 19-year-old is an elite shooter for his size, which is something that has already caught the attention of NBA teams. Especially in a 3-point driven league, that’s a skill that can help make an instant impact on winning. For Darlan, the shooting success comes down to consistency and preparation.
“I keep the same shot every time. Even if you look at my old video, it’s gonna be the same shot. I just walk in and prove it.”
Read Full Thierry Darlan Scouting Report
He would go on to describe his shooting regimen, which is also something he tries to keep consistent to ensure he maintains the level of success he’s seen as a shooter.
“I like to start under the basket with one hand, shoot it, then move back a little bit. Next is a jumpshot in the midrange, then the 3-point shot. You do catch-and-shoot, then after a while things like one-dribble shots," he said.
Not only can Darlan shoot the ball well, but he also possesses natural lead guard instincts. He’s a fantastic playmaker and also passes the ball extremely well. On a loaded Ignite team with several other primary initiators, it will be interesting to see how much he can showcase these abilities in the 2023-24 G League season.
This rare combination of size and offensive upside is what some of the most prolific scorers in the NBA posses. As such, it’s no surprise some of the players Darlan likes to watch fit that criteria.
“I don't want to lie when I started to watch those [NBA] players, I didn’t watch just one. I watch different kinds of players that have my height and can dribble and shoot. For example Paul George, Shai [Gilgeous-Alexander], Luka [Doncic]. Just bigger guys that can handle the ball,” Darlan told Draft Digest.
Defensively, Darlan is active and disruptive while leveraging his length on that end. He’s stronger than his frame would suggest and is a good positional shot blocker. With that in mind, that’s the side of the floor in which he needs to show more consistency if he wants to increase his draft stock and be in the early lottery conversation.
Darlan is aware of the need to develop his defense to emerge as an elite two-way talent and is focused on doing just that.
“What I need to improve right now is my defense because here it’s very high level and everybody's physical,” said Darlan when asked what he needs to improve on most this season. “I try to work hard to move my legs quick. That’s the only thing right now, I’m really focused on my defense."
Ignite had been recruiting Darlan since long before he inked a deal in the G League, but made first contact with him during the 2022 Basketball Without Borders Africa camp in Cairo when he was named MVP.
“The first time they recruited me was in Cairo with Shareef [Abdur-Rahim]. Then they came back again to visit me in Senegal to explain the opportunity they could give to me in order to grow and improve my game.”
While Ignite had its eyes on Darlan for quite some time, the underrated prospect will have a chance to become a much more well known name over the course of the next few months. He’s the type of player that would fit on any NBA team and could be an offensive catalyst from day one.
Although he’s on an extremely talented team, don’t be surprised if Thierry Darlan ends up being the best prospect on this Ignite roster.
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