Michael Foster Jr was part of the revolutionary G League Ignite program after a decorated high school career as a top 100 prospect. On the year with the Ignite, Foster averaged 15.5 PPG, 9.5 RPG, 2.4 APG, 0.8 SPG, 2.1 BPG, and 2.4 TOPG on shooting splits of 47/28/78. Below is his full scouting report:
Name: Michael Foster
Height/Weight: 6’9/237
Wingspan/ standing reach: 7’0/9’1 ½
Hand size: 10
Position: PF
Pre-Draft team: G League Ignite
Tools: Finishing, frame
Pros:
- High level athletic finisher
- Good shooting touch
- Strong NBA body with long arms
- Decent handle
- Great rebounder
- Moves his feet well against drives
- Comfortable passing out of the post
Cons:
- Still needs to slim down and add muscle
- Shoots from behind his head; shot goes too far back
- Needs to get better at defending different P&R coverages
- Raw feel for the game
- Stepbacks can entirely remove him from plays defensively
Summary:
Michael Foster is an old-school power forward that lives 20 feet and in from the basket, using a lot of post ups and finishing off of cuts and pick & rolls. Foster improved his body as the season progressed, which is a testament to his work ethic. However, he still may be a liability on defense even with average footspeed, as he continues to better understand the game’s quick decisions at a high level. Foster, at the very least, will have a successful career in Europe where the post-up is still encouraged. He should stick around in the NBA for a few years, but ultimately unless he makes drastic changes to his play style, he will be tough to get meaningful minutes on winning teams.
Similar to: Omari Spellman, Amir Johnson
Projected draft range: 50-undrafted
Expected role: Post-minded big man with athletic finishing and rebounding prowess.
Unplayable if: He never sheds the raw label, and his jumper doesn’t translate + defense gets exposed easily. His play style might not fit today’s NBA, which could force him out of the league quickly.
Exceeds expectations if: Finishing, rebounding, and post-scoring fit a bench rotation role.
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