Overview
Nate Bittle arrived at Oregon as the 20th-ranked prospect in the 2021 high school class according to the RSCI. As a freshman he barely sniffed the rotation. As a sophomore he played behind N’Faly Dante and Kel’el Ware. An injury wiped out most of his redshirt junior year. By the time he finally took over as Oregon’s centerpiece this season, he was a five-year veteran with a clear identity. He averaged 16.8 points, 6.9 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.8 blocks in 31.1 minutes per game on a 47%/32%/73% shooting line. His prior season earned him All-Big Ten Third Team honors from the coaches, an All-Big Ten Defensive Team selection, an All-Big Ten Honorable Mention from the media and a Big Ten Player of the Week nod. He has also pulled in back-to-back NABC Pacific District Second Team selections and an invite to the NBA G League Elite Camp.
Analysis
Bittle’s most intriguing skill is his floor-spacing potential at the center spot. He has been a confident, high-volume three-point shooter throughout his college career, and the indicators around his shot suggest more growth is coming. The mechanics are unconventional, but the willingness to fire and the touch on his free throws point toward a real NBA jumper. Beyond the shooting, he is effective at orchestrating offense from the elbow, the post and the top of the key. He’s also shown to be effective as a traditional screen-and-roll or dunker’s spot big. Defensively, length gives him exactly the dimensions teams covet for a drop-coverage anchor. He pairs that length with discipline, rarely getting baited into the air and taking smart angles to deter rollers and ballhandlers alike.
Projection
Bittle projects as a stretch-five with defensive utility, but he can also work on the interior. His combination of length, touch and passing feel gives him one of the cleanest NBA blueprints in this class for a player his size. The three-and-D big man archetype is one of the rarest and most valuable in the league, and Bittle checks every theoretical box. Bittle’s game can draw NBA comparisons to Myles Turner, Wendell Carter Jr. and Brook Lopez. Whoever takes him will get a polished, plug-and-play backup center on Day 1, with the runway to grow into a long-term rotation piece as his jumper continues to climb.
— Profile by RotoWire.com