Malik Dia Scouting Deepdive
Malik Dia is one of the most nimble big-men in all of college basketball. The 6'9”,250 pound junior is looking to continue to improve at Ole Miss and prove to teams he's worth a long-term investment.
The modern era of the transfer portal has allowed players to transfer down from power conference schools to a mid-major, shine, and then head right back to the power ranks. Malik Dia did just that, starting at Vanderbilt, transferring to Belmont where he started to catch NBA scouts’ eyes, and now he’s at Ole Miss where he’s looking to keep the momentum. What makes Dia such an interesting prospect? Let’s dive in.
The Physical Profile
Malik Dia is a boulder on the court. He measures at 6’9, 250 pounds, but you wouldn’t think it watching him run up-and-down the court. Despite his size, he’s quite agile, with an ability to make flashy spin moves in the paint to finish around the rim. His wingspan is roughly 7’0 which he uses to his advantage on the court. His physique fits as a perfect combo-forward with the shooting capabilities and maneuverability of a small forward while having the height and body build of a power forward.
Day’Ron Sharpe out of North Carolina stands at 6’9 and 265 pounds. The Brooklyn Net has a few extra pounds on Dia, but their body sizes are similar as both are listed with 7’0 wingspans. I wouldn’t be shocked to see Dia bulk up even more when he enters the professional ranks in a strength building program.
Trayce Jackson-Davis out of Indiana is another reasonable comparison. The Golden State Warrior is listed as 6’9, 245 pounds with a 7’0 wingspan. In fact, that makes Dia and Jackson-Davis nearly identical from a physique perspective, despite playing two very different types of games.
His vertical hasn’t been measured at the time of writing this report, however, he has a decent jump. He isn’t a flashy dunker, but he can get up there and throw it down or use his abilities to swat away a shot in the paint.
What’s the Vision?
Why would an NBA team take a chance on Malik Dia? For starters, he’s a versatile forward. At 6’9, 250 pounds, you would think he’d be slow on the court, but he’s quite the opposite. He has no problem getting up and down to switch between offense and defense and he actually has an incredible ability to drive in the paint. He can blow past the defense, juke, do a spin move and finish around the rim. He’s one of the more agile athletes for his size that I’ve seen in quite a while. I referenced Dia’s physique compares to that of Trayce Jackson-Davis, however, despite having very similar bodies, the two play completely different games. Jackson-Davison has attempted just one three-point shot across 81 games in his early NBA career, but Dia on the other hand would be treated as a shooter on his respective team, which truly represents the dynamic of players at this size.
Dia also has a solid shot for his size. This opens up a plethora of offensive opportunities as he can play in the paint, he can knock down shots from the mid-range, and he can drain threes. Last season at Belmont, Dia shot 34.1% from 3pt. He shoots a bit flatfooted compared to others, but that’s not necessarily a detrimental issue for his shot. From outside he’s a catch-and-shoot player, but when he gets low he is a prolific finisher around the rim. His mid-range shot gets a little questionable when he is coming off the dribble, but he's much better when running plays specifically through a catch-and-shoot opportunity.
Let’s talk about his passing. He passes like a guard with the body of a linebacker. This all ties back to his impressive agility, but he truly has some solid passing vision. At times, he’ll turn the ball over, but it seems like he is working on this aspect of his game. From what I’ve seen so far in the early parts of the new season, it seems like he’s taken a step forward. It’s worth noting that he’ll never lead a team in assists, but being able to move the ball at his size and position is a skill that translates well to the NBA.
Defensively, he is pretty stout in the paint, and I like that he’s not afraid to use his body. He won’t lead a team in blocks or steals, but don’t be shocked when he swats a couple here and there. When playing against non-power conference talent, he showed signs of being a strong blocker, but I would expect that to decrease now that he’s playing in a power conference and eventually in a professional setting. He’s able to use his agility to disrupt passing lanes as well. Again, he won’t average a lot in a professional league, however, he’ll do enough to make teams second guess trying to sneak a pass down low past him.
I’d like to briefly call out his rebounding abilities as well. He can clean up the glass just as well as a traditional center. He knows how to use his big body to bang around down low and he is not afraid to go after the ball. His agility and light feet are a big success piece here as he can outmaneuver many players of his similar size.
How Can It Break Down?
There are a couple of concerns that I envision could be problematic at the professional level. First, shooting off the dribble. I mentioned above that Dia can create offense for himself, but that success often comes when driving and finishing at the rim. When Dia takes a mid-range shot off his own dribble, it can be sporadic at times. This includes complete airballs on occasion. To make an impact at the NBA level, you have to be able to create offense for yourself if you aren’t an outstanding defender or floor general.
Second, shooting consistency. In particular his outside shoot. He has the capability of being a prolific scorer for someone of his size and position. In fact, while he was being recruited out of high school, his shooting abilities are one of the main reasons he started out at an SEC school in Vanderbilt. I fear that his numbers and performances last season were skewed by playing against some lessor talent. The Missouri Valley had several potential professional players, but not like what he will see this season. I’m intrigued to see how well he can shoot it playing at equal and better talent, if not, that’s going to be a big question mark on his draft card in the next season or two.
What’s the Pathway?
Malik Dia entered the NBA draft following the conclusion of the 2023-2024 season, but he ended up dropping out and heading to Ole Miss. I’m sure that Dia got plenty of valuable information from teams and coaches about what he needs to improve on, however, personally I would love to see him continue to improve on his shot creation. As mentioned, he fits perfectly as a combo-forward, but if he wants to elevate his agile physique as even more intriguing for scouts, then he needs to be able to knock down shots consistently. He’s currently best as a catch-and-shoot player but adding the ability to create for himself outside of the rim will make his skills infinitely better for his draft stock.
This season, he needs to seize the opportunities while playing against some of the top talent in college basketball throughout the SEC. The Missouri Valley was solid last season, but playing up against other potential NBA talent will allow us to truly understand what the potential here is and how his skills could potentially translate to the professional level. I want to see him continue to display his agility and be the shooter that he can be. The three-point shot is already there, so if he’s able to take it to another level of consistency, it’ll do wonders for his draft stock. Big men