NBA Draft Scouting Report: Florida State's Baba Miller
Baba Miller
Wing | Florida State
Height: 6'11” | Weight: 205 lbs
2024 Draft Age: 20.35
Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Prospect Profile
A versatile wing out of Spain, Miller was one of the top international prospects to go the college route last season. With that in mind, he missed the first 16 games of Florida State's season with a suspension.
He’s got a unique skillset that has arisen through a massive growth spurt. Just a few years ago he was a 6-foot-2 guard, but now stands at 6-foot-11. Not only did he grow almost eight inches, but he also kept the guard skills.
Miller isn’t a great shooter, but has shown major improvement on that front. His ability to knock down 3-pointers this season at Florida State will absolutely be his swing skill. His shooting numbers will have a drastic impact on where he’s taken in the draft after shooting 25% as a freshman.
What’s most concerning with his shot isn’t necessarily the frequency at which it goes in, but rather the mechanics. Miller brings the ball all the way down upon to his waist during his shooting motion, which really slows down release time tremendously. He will need to tweak those mechanics to become a more effective perimeter shooter at the next level.
For a guy that’s nearly a 7-footer, Miller has a really good handle. He’s able to break down bigger defenders and get to the cup. Due to his frame, he does struggle to finish in traffic and isn’t as good against physical defenders. However, if he’s able to add weight to his frame that should naturally improve. Right now he’s very thin and will need to get stronger.
While Miller has shown some post moves in the past, we’re not sold on him being that type of player at the next level yet. This once again goes back to the concerns with his frame. Even last season at Florida State, was going up against some extremely physical defenders and struggled.
Luckily for Miller, he won’t need to rely on having a post game to be successful at the next level. He’s a unique prospect at 6-foot-11 that can score in other ways unlike other players of his size.
The passing is another plus for Miller, who should generate good positional assists numbers. He’s comfortable dishing the ball with either hand and can even pass well on the move. This should really open things up offensively for his teams moving forward.
On the defensive end, Miller is also versatile. He’s tall enough to guard bigger players but has the lateral quickness to play on the perimeter. To be clear, he’s not as quick as other smaller guards and wings, but for a guy of his size he’s got great relative agility.
Miller has good timing on that end of the floor, which is why he’s a quality shot blocker. If he does get beat by his defender off the dribble, he’s able to block shots from behind. He’s a really good chase down rim protector and in general just covers a lot of ground defensively. Miller is also disruptive in passing lanes.
To this point there has been some concern about Miller’s level of effort and energy when things aren’t going right, but that could be resolved in the Florida State system with another full season.
His full name is Papa Ababacar Bartolome Miller, and he began playing in the Real Madrid organization at just 12 years old. By 17, he made Euroleague debut and recently won the Adidas Next Generation Tournament with Real Madrid. Now, he'll look to make a big step forward college level in year two.
There’s few prospects in this upcoming class that are as unique as Miller. He’s got a ton of upside, but just as much negative downside.
Highlights
Draft Projection
First-Round Pick in 2024 NBA Draft.
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