Malique Lewis and Izan Almansa Struggle To Make a Difference in NBL Playoffs

Malique Lewis and Izan Almansa have fluctuated between late second-round or undrafted prospects for the 2025 NBA Draft all season, and unfortunately, their play - or lack thereof - in the 2025 NBL Finals will have done nothing to change that. As their respective squads shortened their rotations for their most critical games of the season, Lewis and Almansa both saw significant cuts in playing time and were not able to capitalize on the limited opportunity they did receive.

Almansa saw himself completely removed from the Perth Wildcats rotation. The Wildcats played their starters 30-plus minutes per game, and Bryce Cotton and Dylan Windler were both bordering on playing the entire game. This conclusion is damaging for Almansa. After a season where he flexed versatility at both ends of the floor for the Wildcats, being able to switch on the perimeter and play drop coverage and offering a lob threat and floor spacing threat on offense, it’s clear the Wildcats didn’t trust those skills at a high level yet. Almansa wasn’t seen as a rookie season contributor anyway, but being deemed unplayable in the NBL playoffs hurts.

Lewis has had an unfair season with the South East Melbourne Phoenix, and thus, this ending isn’t surprising. He constantly tried to fit in around a team that regularly didn’t reciprocate. Lewis didn’t put up the best numbers to warrant more support from his teammates either, but nevertheless, a lot of his efforts this season were moot. This became abruptly apparent in the playoff, where Lewis finished with averages of four points, 3.3 rebounds, 1 block, and 0.3 steals on 27 percent shooting from the field and 43 percent from beyond the arc.

Lewis played only three total minutes in game two, as the Phoenix found other lineup combinations they were more confident in. What’s most concerning about this for Lewis is that his archetype, a tall, long, and athletic wing who can space the floor, is supposed to be the most malleable skillset in the entire sport across all professional leagues. The fact that the Phoenix deemed him largely unnecessary for their three-game series might be a very serious indictment of his overall skill level and how much he actually contributes to winning.

Again, this was a rough season for Lewis, where he often appeared to be doing everything he could to make it work with this squad, but he never seemed to be on the same page as his teammates. With that knowledge, his minutes shrinkage in the NBL Finals is something that was likely pre-planned and less an overall indictment of his game and skill set. Lewis should still be desirable as a late second-round project, given the overall appeal of his general skill set.

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