2004 | 7’0 | 7’7 WS | 242 LBS
Team: Indiana
Agent: CAA / Max Saidman
Best aggregate mock draft rank: 14 / Worst rank: N/A
2023-24 stats:
In 2023-24, Ware averaged 15.9 points, 9.9 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.9 blocks, and 0.6 steals per game. He shot 58.6 percent from the field, 42.5 percent from three, and 63.4 percent from the foul line.
Strengths:
* Exceptional rim protection abilities due to length and athleticism
* Proficient shooter with solid mechanics and efficiency, especially from three-point range
* Demonstrates efficiency around the rim and has shown glimpses of passing skills
* Impressive agility and footwork for a seven-footer
* Displays discipline in avoiding fouls, which is rare for players his age
* Coachable and understands his role on the court
* Consistently delivers double-double performances as a starter
* Shows adeptness in the pick-and-roll game and as a rim runner
* Maintains a throwback post-up game and adept finishing with both hands in the paint
* Expanding perimeter skills, including shooting from the corner three
Weaknesses:
* Struggles as a switchable defender and considered somewhat raw in overall skill set
* Inconsistencies in effort and physicality need improvement
* Was criticized in the past for being soft, lacking effort, and communication
Scotto's draft notes:
“Ware’s first year at Oregon, he was very soft, didn’t play hard, and didn’t say much,” an NBA executive told HoopsHype. “Now at Indiana, watching his film, I feel like he’s played a lot harder than he had at Oregon. He’s productive. They haven’t won much because some of the other guys they brought in haven’t worked out. Ware has held up his part of the deal and been impactful. He’s blocked shots, caught lobs, made a few shots, and shown he can step away from the basket. I think there’s some stuff there you can work with if he is a guy who’s going to play hard and become physical.”
“Ware is a very gifted player,” another executive told HoopsHype. “He just needs to be more consistent in his effort. We’ve all seen the box scores where he has a 20-10 game but also where he’s in single digits in points and rebounds. Like a lot of young big men, he needs to find that consistency effort-wise on a nightly basis. In the NBA, you’re playing 82 games, and hopefully another 16. He’s made some progress under coach Woodson at Indiana.”
Excerpts from HoopsHype’s Aggregate Mock Draft from colleague Michael Scotto, who contributed research to this story, can be found here.
