Welcome back to this year’s NBA Draft preview series. To see other prospects, be sure to check out the other previews here.

The Good

Tarris Reed chose Michigan to begin his collegiate career, then transferred to UConn after his sophomore year and immediately won Big East Sixth Man of the Year as a junior. His senior leap was enormous: 14.7 points, 9.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 2.0 blocks in 27.3 minutes per game on 61% from the field, anchoring a UConn team that marched all the way to the National Championship before falling to Michigan. He was named All-Big East First Team, NCAA East Region Most Outstanding Player, and earned a spot on the Final Four All-Tournament Team after a 31-point, 27-rebound onslaught against Furman. He’s shown a calm and composed game along with an ability to win at every level.

Immense physical frame. Tarris has ideal size for an NBA big, rakes for arms, and still looks like he could continue to put on muscle without impacting his mobility.

He sets screens that are so brutal players tend to avoid him on the defensive end altogether. This opens up all kinds of dimensions to his team’s pick-and-roll playstyle, as Tarris can either completely body a defending player chasing his point guard, or he can use his gravity to slip screens and cut to the rim where he finishes very efficiently.

Tarris is simply an impactful player on both ends of the floor. While he doesn’t necessarily create for himself or shoot the ball, the spacing he can create by being a quick mover and strong screener still opens up the floor for his teammates.

Tarris Reed impact statistics provided by draftballr.com

Tarris’ 17.8% assist rate is on the higher end among centers. The passing development is what separates him and why he’s rocketed up my board the more I’ve watched him. Tarris has exceptional passing vision for his position, and was one of the best passers on one of college basketball’s best offences at UConn. The ability to read a collapsing defense and deliver from the elbow or short roll is a durable, high-value trait that a team like the Raptors desperately need, especially if they continue to look at moving Jakob Poeltl.

Tarris averaged 2.0 blocks per game, showcasing his ability to protect the rim both as a primary defender and help-side presence. He uses his 9’2″ standing reach, massive frame, and impressive defensive instincts to alter shots and impact plays around the basket. He displays solid timing and awareness rotating over, while also holding his own in on-ball interior situations.. Despite being one of the heavier players in the class, he’s a very capable lateral defender and has active hands. His massive frame means he doesn’t need to cover much ground in order to be impactful.

Tarris also has an impressive array of post-moves and has no issue beating defenders 1v1 in the paint. His footwork is clean and precise, and beat other NBA-bound bigs like Florida’s Rueben Chinyelu and Duke’s Patrick Ngongba II. He’s not just a bully-baller in the post either, as Tarris has really soft touch and can finish in a variety of ways.

The Bad

Pretty much all of Tarris’ offence comes at the rim. Maybe down the line he could develop into a player who puts up one or two shots from outside the arc, but until then expect most of his contributions on offence to come from post-play or off cuts and rolls.

He’s a very strong rim protector, and has the type of defensive game that would’ve put him in lottery conversations back during the throwback big days. That being said, his size and stature does raise some concerns about how his perimeter defence will translate against faster NBA offences. He also struggles to navigate screens.

Tarris’ fouls are a little on the high side, but nothing immediately concerning. I would expect his foul discipline to improve with time.

There really isn’t much to pick apart about Tarris’ game aside from his free throw rate and tendency to foul.

Tarris Reed 6 Factor Stats provided by draftballr.com

The Fit

Dan Tolzman mentioned the Raps are looking for a lob threat and rim-protecting big, whether they find that in the draft or free agency. With Sandro Mamukelashvili’s future in Toronto looking uncertain, the desire to address the center position carries an added sense of urgency. Tarris almost exactly fits what the Raptors are looking for.

Tarris would be the best selection of the bigs in the Raptors’ range and would immediately contribute on the defensive end as well as a connective presence on offence. Keeping the ball moving while also providing an imposing backline defender for Scottie Barnes would give some much needed synergetic juice to the team’s roster, while also granting them their big man of the future under a cost-controlled long-term contract. This would also allow the Raptors to continue on their current timeline, rather than worrying about developing a long-term project.

Conclusion

Tarris is a physically imposing, smart, playmaking big whose defensive limitations are manageable if paired with good perimeter defenders and whose offensive value is anchored in finishes and assists rather than shot creation. That being said, he simply has the best all-around game for bigs in this class, and I think the greater NBA media has been sleeping on him due to his age. The fact of the matter is that Tarris Reed can be an instant contributor while also looking at a 10+ year NBA career due to his in-demand skillset and veteran, winning mentality.

Consensus NBA Draft Range: 19-30

Brendan’s Ranking: 15th

Floor Projection: Reliable rotation big due to an always-in-demand skillset and strong physical profile. Lack of offensive development keeps him in rotation level.

Ceiling Projection: Starting big on a contending team. Fundamental skillset and continued physical growth results in a big who every team wants on their roster. Elite rebounding presence, does all the little things, one of the best passing bigs in the league.