NBA Draft week is here as the Last Word on Pro Basketball staff profiles potential draft prospects, featuring Karim Mane. Mane is a 6-foot-5 guard who played with Vanier College from 2017-20 in Saint-Laurent, Quebec, Canada. While Mane sits outside of ESPN’s top-60 prospects, his services may result in a late-round draft selection.
The NBA Draft Profile of Karim Mane
Karim Mane – College/National Career
Mane enjoyed a decorated collegiate career playing in Canada. In Mane’s second season with Vanier, he averaged 15.4 points and 6.9 rebounds. As a result, his team went 16-0 in the regular season. Mane won the Quebec Student Sports Federation title and won the RSEQ Player of the Year and earned a Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) All-Canadian Honors. In the following season, he averaged 15.9 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 5.4 assists per game. Vanier won his second-straight RSEQ championship and he would be named again in the CCAA All-Canadian.
However, a turning point for Karim Mane was playing well in the FIBA U19 World Cup in Greece for Team Canada. According to Douglas Gelevan of CBC News, this was when Mane became a viable NBA prospect.
“He got to the rim and finished. He dunked it on people,” said David DeAverio, who was an assistant coach for Canada’s U19 team. According to Givony and Mike Schmitz of ESPN, Mane averaged 11.7 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game with Team Canada.
Strengths and Weaknesses
According to Kyle Irving of NBA Canada, Mane has a variety of dribbling moves. He can also separate himself or attack the basket, allowing him to get his own shot. Furthermore, he can finish a basketball even when taking contact and is a combo guard that has terrific length and athleticism.
Lastly, according to The ScoreCrow, Mane has shown an ability to improve because of his work ethic. In his first year at Vanier College, his outside shot was only 20 percent. Now his outside shooting range sits close to 40 percent. He is also a good rebounder for his size and has great speed.
One point of contention in Mane’s game is a recent history of injuries. According to Givony of ESPN, Mane’s draft stock takes a hit after playing injuries the past year, and while playing in the weaker competition of Canada. Lastly, Mane is a streaky shooter right now at 20-years-old according to Troy Pierce of The ScoreCrow.
NBA Player Comparison and Draft Projection
Mane has been compared to Jrue Holiday in NBA circles. The 20-year-old agrees with this comparison, who mentioned he had modeled his game after Holiday during an interview with ESPN.
“I’ve heard people compare me to Jrue Holiday, who is a player I study quite a bit,” said Mane.
Man possesses similar jump shot mechanics to Holiday. Additionally, both showcase a proven ability to defend the perimeter.
ESPN’s Givony ranks the Saint Laurent, Quebec product as a five-star recruit. Mane is currently ranked 61st, which is just outside the 60th pick. Of course, the 60th pick marks the final pick of the 2020 NBA Draft. However, many experts expect Mane to be selected late in the second round of this year’s draft.
Per source, Karim Mane has interviewed with over 25+ teams during the draft process, the most recent ones being with the Brooklyn Nets and Washington Wizards.
Very popular prep-to-pro prospect. Has been training in Canada. Projected to be selected.
— Jake (@jakeweingarten) November 9, 2020
Mane is in demand, and he might be the only Canadian selected in the 2020 NBA draft. The last time a Canadian was not selected in the NBA draft was 2009, according to Edilson J. Silva of Basketball Buzz. It’s also unusual to see draft selections from Canadian colleges, however, this might prove to NBA pundits that quality players are coming from colleges/universities north of the border.
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