A Swedish player who passed through the NCAA before joining Australia, then entering the Draft: Bobi Klintman is not an ordinary candidate. The Cairns Taipans player chose to leave Wake Forest after only one year and try his luck in the NBL to show himself more. The bet is only half successful.
Because Bobi Klintman has an intriguing profile and reasons to believe in a real future in the NBA. But the pieces of the puzzle are slow to fall into place. “ Not all teams are fans of him » thus assures Sam Vecenie.
Profile
Job : power forward/winger
Size : 2m05
Weight : 96 kg
Team : Cairns Taipans (NBL)
Stats 2023/24: 9.7 points at 44.3%, 4.8 rebounds, 0.7 assists in 21.3 minutes
Strong points
– The ability to rule out the game. Without being a top shooter, the one we sometimes call “Bo” is decent enough to be monitored at 3-point (35.7% in Australia, 37.8% with Wake Forest a year earlier). Bobi Klintman plays almost exclusively in front of the rim and takes half of his shots from behind the arc. This ease associated with his size can make him an interesting “stretch four”.
– Athletic strengths. The Swede is one of the biggest forwards measured during the Draft Combine. Fast for his size, quick in the air to dunk, on paper he has the characteristics to play indifferently in both positions 3 and 4, particularly in defense. This profile fits perfectly with “no fixed position” basketball frequently used in the NBA today.
Weak points
– Concentration. Bobi Klintman lacks consistency, particularly in defense, between poor defensive rotations and questionable positioning. His wanderings and a lack of physical strength lead him to pile up the errors: 2.7 in 21 minutes in an Australian championship that is less athletically dense.
– The offensive game inside the arc. Very good in transition, Bobi Klintman still fishes in the half court. He lacks explosiveness and power against strong defenders, for a mediocre 46.3% shooting near the circle excluding counter-attacks. He is also not capable at this stage of creating his shot off the racket, due to lack of greater creativity in one-on-one situations.
Comparison
Bobi Klintman can be a complementary forward as Otto Porter may have been a few years ago… Just like stumbling in his progress like the former Wizards and Warriors player. If he manages to correct the dross in his game, he can get closer to the player that is PJ Washington today in Dallas.
Prognosis
End of first roundas a project of a title contender or as a possible bargaining chip.
