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Noah Penda has good playmaking skills. (Photo by Laurent Coust/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
SOPA Images via Getty Images
Summary: Penda plays with a veteran's mind and a winning mentality, offering connective playmaking, switchable defense, and high-level feel. He’ll need to improve his jumper to stick long-term, but his unselfish game and defensive utility give him a strong foundation.
Comparisons: Boris Diaw, Thabo Sefolosha
Strengths
Playmaking: He is a glorious passer who seemingly has vision of every player on the floor and the ability to make any pass. He’ll laser the ball across the floor and hit the bullseye for a corner 3-point shooter, or thread the needle into the paint. He can pass with either hand, and has a feel for looking off defenders too. While not a primary creator, Le Mans ran some offense through him despite his youth, using him at the post and elbows, and he ran an occasional pick-and-roll.
Role-player skills: He’ll set a screen. He looks for cutting chances. He’ll crash the boards if he needs to. He hustles hard up the floor. There isn’t much Penda won’t do that impacts winning, whether it’s the little things on offense or bringing constant effort on defense.
Defense: Penda has great defensive versatility with a long wingspan and lateral quickness for switching screens. At 225 pounds, he can also bang in the post or hold up as a help defender rotating into the paint. With such a high motor and a high IQ, he already plays beyond his years as a help defender while racking up steals, blocks, and deflections.
Concerns
Shooting: Penda made less than one-third of his 3s this past season, and didn't display much of an ability for hitting pull-ups or floaters from midrange. As a below-average shooter from the line, he has a long way to go to prove himself as a floor spacer.
Shot creation: He has a loose handle and is prone to getting stripped on post-ups and drives. He’s more of a straight-line driver.
Athleticism: He’s mostly a below-the-rim finisher, and because of his lack of creation skills, a lot of his layups end up tough and heavily contested.
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