NOVI SAD, Serbia -- Some NBA scouts see an early bloomer -- a maxed-out 6-foot-8 bruiser who feasts on frail 16-year-old European bigs in ways that may not translate to the highest levels. Others see an uber-productive small-ball center perfectly suited for the modern NBA.
That's the conundrum of Usman Garuba, one of the most polarizing 16-and-under prospects in all of Europe.
Since joining Real Madrid as an 11-year-old and eventually dominating the 2016 U16s at age 14 with an MVP performance, Garuba's NBA outlook has been a hot topic of conversation in scouting circles.
That debate continued at the 2018 U16 Euros here in Serbia, where the Spanish-Nigerian became only the second player in FIBA history (along with Aaron Gordon in 2011) to average at least 20 points, 20 rebounds, 2.5 steals, 2.5 blocks and 4.5 assists per 40 minutes, helping lead Spain to a silver medal finish. While Croatia's Roko Prkacin won MVP and looked arguably like the top long-term prospect, Garuba led the tournament in rebounds, PER (43.1), points per 40, defensive rating and win shares.
"I have to show other players to play very tough, physically -- show them the way to win," Garuba told ESPN.com. "In my first club, they showed me that I must play every game with intensity, with power, energy."
Garuba is as competitive as any youth prospect you'll find, and that motor, coupled with his developed physical profile, has helped him become one of the more productive FIBA players we've seen to date. At 6-foot-8 with a 7-foot-2 wingspan and a chiseled, proportionate 231-pound frame, Garuba is built like a grown man, with physical dimensions similar to those of Tristan Thompson, OG Anunoby and Draymond Green when they were entering the NBA.
Scouting the under-16 level is typically about identifying the potential late bloomers with physical upside and a strong skill base, and Garuba doesn't exactly fit the description. But there's more nuance to Garuba's game than sheer physical dominance, and the NBA's ever-transforming center position helps a prospect in his mold, as he possesses more-than-adequate physical capabilities to play center in today's game, alleviating some concerns about his still-developing shooting stroke.
Even with clear questions about his upside, Garuba checks the majority of boxes needed to play a role as a small-ball center, continuing a trend of new-age, undersized, bouncy yet shaky-shooting bigs like Duke's Zion Williamson and Golden State's Jordan Bell.
So how, exactly, does the hard-playing, instinctual Garuba fit at the next level?
1. Switch-ability
Garuba is a monster defender who shines in switch situations thanks to his ability to play low, slide with guards and use his wingspan to rip opponents while staying in a stance. A former futbol keeper growing up -- although he admitted he "wasn't that good" -- Garuba has outstanding reaction time on the ball, with some of the quickest hands you'll see from a young big man. He uses his length and anticipatory skills to deflect passes as the primary or helpside defender.
He's still learning the ins and outs of defensive discipline as he too often bites on fakes and takes poor angles on closeouts, but the effort level, quickness, length and reaction time are certainly there for him to be an elite switch defender at the highest level, while also possessing ridiculous defensive range to get out to shooters. Five to 10 years ago, Garuba might have been viewed as an unskilled, undersized power forward who doesn't have the size to bang with traditional centers on defense. In today's game, though, he's an ideal 1-5 defender with the switch credentials to thrive in most any system.
2. Rim protection
When he's not stonewalling guards after switches, Garuba is rotating from the weak side for blocks, averaging a solid 2.9 per 40 minutes over 66 games in our database. He's not yet an elite rim protector, as his awareness and fundamentals can improve, but he shows tremendous flashes, covering ground in the blink of an eye with impressive timing to erase shots at the rim.
As we outlined last August, it's important for small-ball centers to be able to switch onto the perimeter and protect the rim in today's NBA. Garuba is more than capable of doing both.
3. Rebounds everything
Any time Garuba had an underwhelming offensive game or looked lost on the defensive end, he always had his rebounding prowess to fall back on. It's far and away his most translatable NBA skill; he averages a career 19.1 rebounds per 40 minutes, according to our database.
Not only is Garuba ultracompetitive on the glass, but he's also extremely quick and instinctual. He reads the ball off the rim incredibly well and either works to secure the ball in traffic or tap the ball to a teammate, even if his hands can be a tad shaky at times. He's able to chase down rebounds well outside his area on both ends of the floor and doesn't have a problem doing the little things to create extra possessions.
Bigs who really only add value on the glass in the Reggie Evans or Kenneth Faried mold aren't as prevalent in today's NBA, but that skill, combined with his defensive versatility, makes him a strong candidate to stick as a role player.
4. Playmaking potential
There are plenty of rugged, explosive, high-energy big men stuck on the NBA's fringe, but what makes Garuba different is his potential as a playmaker.
"I think I can be a Draymond Green-type player -- Paul Millsap," Garuba said. "I want to be more as a playmaker. For example, I want to be like Ben Simmons, [Giannis] Antetokounmpo, that type of player."
His handle is often shoulder-high and sloppy, and his ability to execute passes comes and goes, but the vision is there. Once Garuba secures a defensive rebound, he regularly ignites fast breaks with two or three bust-out dribbles, dashing to half court in a blur before firing the ball to an open teammate. He's comfortable locating shooters on both sides of the floor out of the post, and he can play out of dribble handoffs.
It isn't always pretty, but he has considerable passing instincts. With the success that a player like Jordan Bell has had as a short-roll passing center with shooters around him at Golden State, it's easy to envision Garuba playing a similar role as he develops.
5. Finishing in space
Because of his quick feet, long arms and ability to elevate on space, Garuba has potential as a ball-screen finisher. He's not quite a lob threat or a finesse scorer right now, but he figures to benefit greatly from a spaced floor. He played alongside another non-shooting big man at the U16 level and used a lot of his possessions out of the post as a go-to scorer, which exposed his limitations and surely won't be his role at the highest levels.
Garuba showed us glimpses of his finishing potential when he catches on the move, attacking closeouts with a quick and powerful first step before exploding off either leg. When used as a diver or driver with a spaced floor, Garuba should see a jump in his at-rim percentages.
The drawbacks?
Save outliers such as Dario Saric and Ricky Rubio, FIBA youth stars generally don't turn into the best international NBA players. Garuba is the polar opposite of the late bloomer scouts seek out, with little physical potential left -- to such a degree that some still question the legitimacy of his March 9, 2002, birthday. (He was born in Madrid.)
"First of all, I am 16 years old," Garuba said with a smile when we asked about his background.
Then there's his lack of shooting. Although he's made considerable strides since he shot 34.8 percent from the free throw line two years ago, Garuba is missing a degree of natural touch. With his right elbow locked in and his wrist cocked, the ball comes off the side of his hand at times, and he rarely finishes his follow-through with a hard snap of the wrist.
On top of that, his handle can be sloppy, his offensive footwork is often awkward and rigid, he doesn't quite have short-roll push shots to rely on, his off hand is a bit shaky, he's not a threat to punish switches in the post, and his decision making is still developing. But as he's shown with his slight offensive improvement, Garuba -- praised for his work ethic -- is clearly pushing to add more skill to his game.
"I want to play as a power forward in the future, and I think that shooting is the most important thing that I have to improve," Garuba said.
While he's not wrong about the importance of improving his shooting, Garuba must continue to embrace playing as a modern center, as that's his best chance of sticking in the NBA. Playing mostly at the under-18 level with Real Madrid, Garuba should be back in front of scouts for the 2019 Adidas Next Generation Tournament and eventually the 2019 under-18 European Championships, should he elect to play.
Garuba has an agreement with Real Madrid for two more seasons and said he's not planning on going elsewhere before he's eligible for the draft in 2021. It remains to be seen how many minutes he'll be able to earn over the course of the next couple of years. From now until then, Garuba will likely be a highly debated prospect.
While it's easy to nitpick his shortcomings and envision him struggling to adjust to higher levels on the offensive end of the floor, there's a market for players in his mold. As the NBA continues to evolve, Garuba's switch-ability, overall defensive prowess and positional playmaking as a modern center should become more valuable so long as his development doesn't stagnate.