Oscar Tshiebwe trying to prove that 'dirty work' still matters in the NBA
INDIANAPOLIS -- Oscar Tshiebwe isn't trying to convince NBA teams that he is anything he isn't. But he is trying to remind teams that for as much as the game has changed, they still need players like him.
The Kentucky forward was the most heralded player at the Pacers' six-man draft workout Monday a former Wooden Award and Naismith Award winner, but he wasn't at all the player most certain to be draft. Mock drafts have him showing up toward the bottom of the second round. The Pacers could have a chance to select him with the last of their five picks at No. 55 in the 58-pick draft.
His pitch to teams is that he'll do the gritty things other players won't -- or can't -- do.
"If I become a beast for a team, I know the team has 3-point shooting," Tshiebwe said. "I know the team has all these positions, but something is missing and it's somebody who can go do the dirty work or rebound and try to fight and get position, grab an extra rebound, give it to the team. Shoot it again and if you miss, I'm going to fight again."
It's wild to consider that after a college career that was as decorated as Tshiebwe's was that he still has to convince anyone of anything. After two years at West Virginia that included a spot on the Big 12 All-Freshman team in 2019-20, the native of the Democratic Republic of the Congo transferred to Kentucky and became one of the most dominant players in college basketball. He was a consensus All-American in both of his seasons with the Wildcats and was the consensus national player of the year in 2021-22. He led all of Division I in rebounding both seasons, grabbing 15.1 boards per game in 2021-22 and 13.7 per game in 2022-23.
He also has a frame that exactly matches the power forward prototype, or at least what the power forward prototype used to be. He was listed at 6-9, 260 pounds and even at the very precise NBA Draft Combine, he measured 6-7 1/4 barefoot and 253.6 pounds, and it's pretty clear there's not much body fat on him. He plays bigger than that because he has a gigantic wingspan - 7-3 1/2 -- with a 9-foot standing reach. He doesn't have to jump very high to get rebounds, but he has a respectable 32 1/2-inch max vertical just in case he has to outleap somebody.
But like fellow recent All-American big men Trayce Jackson-Davis, Zach Edey and Kofi Cockburn and several other players who would have been one-and-dones in the more halfcourt-oriented NBA of the early 2000s, Tshiebwe is finding that the more wide-open NBA doesn't value dominant frontcourt forces the same way that it used to. Unless of course, those frontcourt forces can also shoot 3-pointers and generally operate on the perimeter.
Indiana's Jackson-Davis was critiqued for only attempting three 3-pointers in his college career and missing all three. Tshiebwe only tried two, both this season, and missed both of them. He operated as a true post player, getting 62.1% of his field goal attempts at the rim this season according to Hoop-Math.com.
So in a draft that includes Victor Wembanyama --the French phenom hitting step-back crossover 3-pointers at 7-5 -- and 6-9 wing Brandon Miller, who hit 106 3-pointers at Alabama last season, Tshiebwe seems like a relic of a forgotten era.
But as Tshiebwe points out, not everyone can shoot 3s all the time. Somebody has to grab the ball to finish possessions on defense and to try to continue them past the first shot on offense. He's happy to be that guy.
"The best thing I bring to a team is rebounding ability," Tshiebwe said. "It's a gift, it's effort, it's hard work. I watch Dennis Rodman. That man is a beast. He helped Michael Jordan to win a couple championships. ... My biggest thing is to get on a team and I can do the dirty work and help them win a championship."
He is aware that there's more he can do beyond rebounding, but there's also more he can improve on than taking outside shots. He said he's been keeping a diary from each of his workouts from what coaches and player development personnel have been telling him about his game to try to make him a better all-around player.
"Through this process, I'm learning a lot and my game is changing," Tshiebwe said. "I've been working out for over 10 teams now. Each team is teaching me something and I'm writing it down, and I keep getting better at those things. A team might teach me an angle screen, spacing, communicating, you have to know where you have to be. You have to know how to go for ball screens. You have to read your defender. You have to communicate more. You have to be able set a good screen, throw a pass. It's been great. I've been getting better."
Tshiebwe is working on his jump shot, both from beyond the 3-point line and mid-range and working on his handle and his passing. All of those have to be better than they are for him to be a well-rounded player. However, he also trusts that his ability to do the dirty work will get him on someone's roster, and give him a chance to stick.
"This has been part of my dream to go through this process and try to get in the league," Tshiebwe said. "This is something I've been thinking of since I started playing basketball."
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Pacers bring on Oscar Tshiebwe for draft workout
