Graham Ike: Footwork and Force
Can Ike translate his physical dominance and finishing ability to the NBA level?
Standing at 6’9’’, Graham Ike is a relatively undersized big man. However, while opposing players may have a height advantage on him, Ike undoubtably brings more heart, motor, and toughness than the average player. This has shown through Ike’s remarkable development over his college career, going from a 3 star recruit at Wyoming to becoming the focal point of a lethal Gonzaga Bulldogs team. Will Ike be able to show similar levels of success and progression in the NBA? Let’s break down his game further.
Basic Stats (2024-2025): 22.9 MPG, 17.3 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 1.4 APG, 0.6 SPG, 0.6 BPG, 1.6 TO/G, 59.8% FG%, 39.4% 3P%,
Pros:
High motor player with strong offensive and defensive rebounding ability
10.8% Offensive Rebound Pct(75th percentile), 24.8% Defensive Rebound Pct(97th percentile)
Despite being a relatively undersized big at 6’9’’, Ike uses his physicality effectively to gain strong position when rebounding
Shows great touch at the rim and is a strong free throw shooter
Ike is shooting 75.7% on FG attempts at the rim(89th percentile), and he is particularly efficient when he is able to turn over his right shoulder and finish with his left hand
In post up situations, Ike does a great job at sealing his defender and securing good position in the post before receiving the ball, making for a much easier finish
80.5% free throw shooter- can make teams pay if they decide to foul him
Showcased his ability to be the focal point of an offense while still scoring efficiently
31.8% Usage Rate(99th percentile), yet Ike’s effective FG% is still 61.5%(86th percentile)
When operating as a roll man, Ike is comfortable catching the ball at the high post or outside of the paint and is able to score well off the catch for his size
.Cons:
Undisciplined at times and gets into foul trouble often
Ike is a solid shot blocker but sometimes bites on pump fakes and gets caught in the air, leading to quick fouls
While Ike is a physical player, he can be overly aggressive in some cases leading to unnecessary fouls
Ike has began to develop his three point shot during his time at Gonzaga, but he is still not a reliable shooter from the outside yet
Ike is shooting 39.4% from three on the year, which is a significant improvement from previous years. With that said, he only attempts 0.9 threes per game, and many of his looks are wide open/uncontested
Ike is a much improved shooter but is not at the level where he can reliably convert shots at the NBA level
Struggles to defend quicker players in isolation
On P&R’s, Ike will primarily play drop coverage, but when switched onto a guard or forward, opponents often looked to attack Ike off the dribble
While Ike is a good athlete, he lacks the footspeed to effectively cut off drives to the basket
In isolation possessions, opponents are shooting 14/25(56%) on the year against Ike
Final Take: Ike is an efficient big with a polished inside game and strong rebounding ability but needs to improve his shooting and lateral quickness to succeed in the NBA.
Draft Projection: Late 2nd round to Undrafted
Player Comp: Kevon Looney with more scoring upside