Malik Reneau Scouting Report
The former five-star recruit and top 30 prospect emerged as an efficient scorer and nimble big man at Indiana. Now, he's headed to the University of Miami in a make-or-break year.
After spending the past three years at Indiana, Malik Reneau hit the transfer portal and landed at the University of Miami. The former five-star recruit and top 30 prospect emerged as an efficient scorer and nimble big man that can give opposing defenders headaches, but he’ll look to raise his draft stock on a Miami team that wants to win immediately. What does a potential NBA career look like for Reneau, and what does he need to work on this season? Let’s dive in.
The Physical Profile
Reneau stands in at 6’9 and weighs 232 pounds. His wingspan reportedly falls between 7’2 or 7’3. While his vertical hasn’t been measured yet, he has shown off some strong dunks, representing that there is no doubt he is skilled here. Let’s take a look at a couple of current NBA comparisons that I see similarities in:
One player that comes to mind is Jalen Smith of the Chicago Bulls. Smith has come a long way from averaging just two points and 1.4 rebounds in his rookie season for the Suns. Smith is listed as 6’10 and 215 pounds, so not too far off from Reneau’s body build. However, the similarities in their playing styles, especially in Smith’s early career, are uncanny. Smith has developed as a more versatile offensive player, while also taking steps forward on the defensive end. For Reneau, he should aim to have a similar career growth trajectory. Smith is lanky and finishes well around the rim, while Reneau is quicker and poses more of a nimble threat.
Another player that I see similarities in is, former IU standout Trayce Jackson-Davis of the Golden State Warriors. Jackson-Davis stands at 6’9 and weighs 245 pounds, and he’s emerged as a legitimate NBA player with many doubting him. For a 6’9 player that has taken just four three-point shots across 130 games so far, Reneau should consider modeling himself after him. Jackson-Davis emerged as an efficient offensive weapon, while posing as a menace on the glass. Both players are prolific finishers inside the paint, while I believe that Jackson-Davis is a better rebounder. However, I think that Reneau can improve to reach the same level.
For a 6’9, 232 pound forward, Reneau moves very quickly. He loves to score in the transition, both with finishing shots around the rim and flushing a strong dunk down to cap off a fastbreak. Overall, he is a strong athlete, and he isn’t afraid to use his physique to his advantage to bully opponents down low. It’s easy to see why he’s successful in the paint as he features strong control of his feet, which gives him an unusual nimbleness for a player of his size.
What’s the Vision?
Malik Reneau’s offensive game from inside the arc is one of the 6’9 forward’s selling points. While the average points per game dropped from 15.4 to 13.3 over the last two seasons, his overall offensive efficiency increased from 106.6 to 114.1. His shooting percentages dipped just a bit as well, as his effective field goal percentage fell from 57.9% where he finished 144th in the country to 55.8% last year. At the rim, he shot 66% from the floor where he took 73% of his field goal attempts. His entire offensive game primarily comes within five feet of the basket as he doesn’t feature much of a mid-range game. Reneau does have a crafty knack to finish strong around the rim, while also showing off a nice left-handed hook shot. It’s worth calling out though that he rarely swaps hands when finishing shots. The majority of his finishes around the rim come off the left hand. He’s strong enough and he's excellent in the post up to allow him to get past this, but at the next level he could become predictable on offense.
On the glass, Reneau is about as good as it gets at his percentage. He finished last season with a strong 18.7% defensive rebounding percentage and an 8.3% offensive rebounding percentage. Both jumped to 18.8 and 8.9 in conference games. He loves playing in the paint and his quickness paired with his length gives him an advantage to nab rebounds on both sides of the court. What I’d love to see even more of is a quick turnaround shot on offensive boards. He’s a strong interior player, but he could elevate his game by nabbing an offensive rebound and quickly turning around for a short hook shot or cut to the rim.
One area that Reneau has a surprisingly underrated skillset is his playmaking. A season ago, he finished with a 20.3 assist rate, then this past season he finished with a 19.3 assist rate. He improved dramatically with his turnovers, going from a 20.3 turnover rate to just 14.5 last year. He clearly has strong court vision, which if he can become more of a threat from outside, he could easily become an incredible versatile forward. He does a great job of lobbing in a ball to a cutting center ready to finish around the rim. He does so while using his length as an advantage to maintain control of the ball. He isn’t going to become a drive-and-kick forward, but he doesn’t have to in order to be efficient.
Defensively, he’s adequate enough. He finished with a 2.6% block percentage and a 2.0% steal percentage, which are both career highs. He’s taken a step forward at the defensive end throughout each season in college basketball and he has a chance to do the same once again. He’s quick enough and strong enough to become a problem on the interior. I’d love to see him utilize his length more to clog the lanes and fend off driving opponents. The talent is there; he just needs to tap into it a bit more.
How Can It Break Down?
Reneau is a three-point liability. Over the course of three seasons, he’s taken just 77 shots from outside, knocking down 20 as he’s shot 25.9%. Last season, he shot just 12.5% from beyond the arc. On catch-and-shoot opportunities he finished with a miserable 13% effective field goal percentage. In the modern era of the NBA, the only players that can get by in a large role are traditional centers that impact the game on the defensive end while being lockdown offensive options in the paint. These players usually hover the 7’0 range, but at 6’9 if Reneau wants to solidify himself as a legitimate NBA prospect, he’ll have to work on developing the ability to shoot from outside. Currently, it’s a bit of an albatross on his potential NBA longevity as he primarily serves as a one-track offensive player.
What’s the Pathway?
Right now, Reneau is in a bit of an interesting position. He has the raw talent to become a legitimate NBA player; however, he just hasn’t been able to get over the hump and launch himself into larger conversations. Here are a couple of areas that I would like to see Reneau improve in the coming season:
Defense – Reneau isn’t bad on defense by any means, but I want to see more. He primarily played in the post at Indiana, but he still finished less than one block and one steal per game, while finishing with a sub-three percent blocking percentage. He has the length and the athleticism to be a game changer on defense. If he can’t improve his shooting abilities, then improving on the defensive end will help balance out his skillset and increase his overall draft stock.
Three-point shooting – If Reneau wants to lock himself in as a legitimate NBA player, he simply has to get better at shooting. He looked like he could take a step forward in his sophomore season when finishing 15 of his 45 shots to shoot 33%, but he took two steps backwards last year. I’m not for sure if it’s so much a skill issue, but rather a confidence issue. When he takes a shot, he looks robotic and clunky. He doesn’t have to shoot 40%, but he has to open up more opportunities for himself to score outside of inside the paint.
At this point, I don’t think that Reneau is on the board for the second round of the NBA Draft. He features no mid-range capabilities, while also being wildly uncomfortable from beyond the arc. This is going to be a make-or-break year for the forward. He doesn’t have to become a prolific shooter outside of the paint, but if he could shoot 30% from outside and improve on the catch-and-shoot then his draft stock would skyrocket.