Eli Ndiaye: Relentless Role Player
Eli Ndiaye isn’t the guy filling up box scores, but his energy, defense, and hustle plays make him one of the most impactful glue guys in any rotation. Could his motor alone be his ticket to the next.
Eli John Ndiaye isn’t a statistical standout, with 3.4 points in 14.1 minutes per game during the 2024-25 season, but that ignores all the things the numbers don’t capture. At 6’8”, Ndiaye plays much bigger than that. He has the vertical athleticism and defensive versatility to switch, and the motor to win possession and pick up his fellow teammates. Ndiaye has so much room for offensive production to improve upon, but he has a chance to be a multi-positional defender, a guy who can be physical in traffic to grab offensive and defensive rebounds, and someone who can make an impact in transition, which makes him a fun developmental piece. Let's dive even deeper into what makes Eli John Ndiaye a prospect to keep an eye on.
Basic Stats (2024-2025): 14.1 MPG, 3.4 PPG, 0.4 APG, 2.6 RPG, 0.6 SPG, 0.2 BPG, 0.4 T/O, 39.1% FG
Pros:
Great Motor and Hustle Consistent Energy
Ndiaye consistently provides high energy on the floor, making plays that most probably don’t show up in the stat sheet but do give momentum to his team.Relentless Hustle Factor: His hard work shows up in his pursuit of loose balls as well as making the right plays each time down the court
Athleticism Explosive Vertical
Ndiaye's impressive vert assists him in finishing strong at the rim and contesting shots on the defensive end.
Agility and Quickness
His agility allows him to get through defenses, cut without the ball off screens, and stay in front of a variety of offensive players.
Defensive Versatility Multi-Positional Defender
Ndiaye is capable of defending multiple positions and gives his team tremendous flexibility in their defensive matchups.
Active Hands and Ability to Anticipate Offense: The ability to read the offense and the knack for being able to break up passes or disrupt the lane puts Ndiaye where he needs to be to create turnovers and score in transition.
Rebounding
Persistent Rebounder: Ndiaye's mix of athleticism and persistence makes him a force on the boards, often collecting rebounds over taller defenders.
Offensive Rebounding Threat: Ndiaye's ability to read the ball and get into positions creates second chances for the team.
.Cons:
Limited Offensive Production Limited Scoring
Ndiaye averaged 3.4 points during the 2024-2025 season, indicating very limited offensive production, and it is important for him to work on both being able to create offense, and efficiently score in games.
Shooting Proficiency Issue: Overall, Ndiaye's shooting percentages showed he was a below average shooter (39.1% from the field, 26.4% from 3). Restructuring his shot selection and improving his overall shot making is a primary area to improve in order for him to contribute more offensively in games
Underutilized Playmaking Potential
Limited Assists: Overall, Ndiaye averaged 0.4 assists per game, suggesting he was hardly ever engaged in generating offense for his teammates. If he develops both his vision and passing ability, and becomes a passing threat on the offensive end, I believe it will impact games for him at a whole different level.
Turnovers: Ndiaye averaged 0.4 turnovers per game, while this is generally a good number for the season if he starts to contribute to a greater degree offensively he will need to focus on protecting the ball and making good decisions with the ball in order to positively impact team possession.
Regularity and Background Unpredictable Playing
Variation in play from game-to-game can impact a player’s reliability as a contributor. To account for playing time, earning more predictable outputs will be important.
Limited Experience in High-Stakes Environments: Although Ndiaye played at a high-end European club, his experience in these high-stress situations typically remain unfinished. Having spent time in a competitive environment will only help him evolve as a player.
Final Take: Eli John Ndiaye is a 6'8" forward who plays with great energy, athleticism and positional versatility on the defensive end of the court. Offensively, he can impact the game through off-ball motion, scoring off cuts and showing some risk-reward in spot-up shooting situations. Defensively, he is agile on his feet and when appropriate, he is able to use his active hands and anticipation as a disruption to passing lanes as well as contest shots. Simply put, Eli plays with a relentless motor and a willingness to take on all hustle type plays are what makes him a valuable prospect on both ends of the floor.
Draft Projection: Undrafted
Player Comp: Thaddeus Young-Eli Ndiaye plays in a style similar to Thaddeus Young. Both are comparatively undersized forwards who utilize their athleticism, versatility and basketball IQ to make contributions. In a similar fashion to Young, Ndiaye is effective with off-ball movement and taking advantage of the scoring opportunities provided through transition or cutting opportunities. Defensively, both players are able to guard multiple positions and use their quickness and anticipation to disrupt players. Both players also have advantages from the perimeter as Ndiaye continues to develop in both perimeter shooting and play-making like Young; both players providing value as a versatile two-way role.