Thierry Darlan s BAL form has boosted his NBA Draft stock

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CAIRO -- Thierry Darlan's G League Ignite stint was not what he'd have hoped for, dealing with an injured ankle for much of it, but his form with Bangui SC at the Basketball Africa League has made his decision to enter the NBA Draft this year a good one.

Darlan's time at Ignite was affected by a dislocated ankle suffered last year in February at Basketball Without Borders (BWB) Global. Furthermore, heavy competition for places in the Ignite roster limited him to 18.1 minutes per game (MPG).

He posted a respectable 4.7 points per game (PPG) and 4.3 rebounds per game (RPG) but never showed the brilliance that had him talked about as a potential NBA Draft prospect straight out of high school at the NBA Academy Africa, prior to his injury.

Off the back of the dissolution of the Ignite, Darlan joined Bangui for the BAL. It was a risky decision. The team has had well-documented issues with player payments and instability among the roster and coaching staff.

Initially, it appeared Darlan might have made a mistake, as he struggled in the opening game on April 19 with 7 points and 4 rebounds as Ahly Benghazi beat Bangui 93-71.

After the game, Bangui coach François Enyegue acknowledged that Darlan's performance had fallen short of expectations: "He made some bad choices throughout the game, but at the end, this stats sheet does not represent who he is as a player.

"He played [19] minutes but at the end, it does not represent who he is and what he can do for this team and we are going to work on that."

By the time the next game against Khaman Maluach's City Oilers came around the following day, Darlan was playing as if none of the setbacks that he had faced along the way had ever occurred.

Darlan and fellow NBA Academy Africa product Maluach - the projected third pick in the 2025 draft who has signed for Duke - went back and forth in a riveting battle. Maluach posted 29 points and 11 rebounds, but it was Darlan's Bangui who won 101-88 and the homegrown hero contributed 22 points and 10 rebounds.

The 20-year-old 6-foot-7 guard followed up with 23 points and 14 rebounds in Monday's narrow defeat to defending champions Al Ahly of Egypt before inspiring Bangui to a shock 96-93 win in the Al Ahly Benghazi rematch on Wednesday with 26 points and 14 rebounds.

"It means a lot not only for me but for our people back home, too," Darlan said after the win over the Libyan champions. "We tried to work hard, bring the energy and represent our country as well.

"We just want to win at the end of the day. It doesn't matter the way we win."

On what inspired his improvement over the course of the BAL, he said: "I would say it's my teammates. They motivate me a lot. They've always been here to support me [and] told me what I need to hear to push myself on the court."

Darlan's stint with G League Ignite may have been frustrating in some aspects, but having set out to improve his defense over the course of the season, he at least feels confident that he came out of the experience a better player than he had been when he joined the team.

Darlan said when asked what he had improved over the past season: "I would probably say my defense and my playmaking. Right now, I can take some good decisions on the court. I can play for the other players and me."

On what he still hopes to improve, he said: "My shot. I need to work on it. Sometimes I make it, sometimes I miss. I need to stay focused on it - the mechanics, all that stuff."

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Despite his youth and room for improvement in his game, Darlan already appears to have grown into a leader within the Bangui setup.

His back-court teammate, Rolly Fula Nganga - an experienced player from DR Congo who has been equally influential for Bangui this season - acknowledged the weight of Darlan's voice in the dressing room after Wednesday's win.

"Thierry brings a lot of energy to the team. He's a very young player, with a lot to learn, but he talks a lot in practice and has a lot of brilliant ideas. We saw it against Al Ahly of Egypt," Fula said in the press conference after the Ahly Benghazi game.

"He makes everyone around him play better and practice better. He's a great young guy who brings great initiative to the team."

This corresponds with the observations of NBA Academy Africa technical director Roland Houston, who has noticed Darlan's maturity in recent years.

Houston told ESPN: "I think the biggest difference [between Darlan when he joined the academy and now] is his level of maturity. I think he gained a tremendous amount of experience being here at the academy. Our staff did a tremendous job helping him with his skill set [and becoming] a multi-dimensional player.

"He took that skill set with him to the G League, which was a growth experience for him. I think it was challenging, because he was in a position where he had to adjust to a different role and he learned from that. I think it's going to only benefit him moving forward."

For Kurt Wegscheider, who grew up with Darlan and now gets to represent the city in which they were both born, watching his rise has been inspiring.

Wegscheider said: "That (Darlan potentially being drafted) means a lot. You really need someone out there and I fully trust Thierry. He's a really good kid. We grew up together and he's an amazing talent, so we're all supporting Thierry right now."

Should he get drafted and have a career in the NBA, Darlan will likely look back on the decision to play in this year's BAL as the one that changed his life.

Houston told ESPN: "That's what the BAL is here for - to give the kids on the continent a platform, so timing is everything in sports and in life, so it's up to the NBA scouts to do their due diligence and evaluate.

"I think his performance here gave them a chance to get a different look at him and I think teams will look at him even more closely because of his performance in the BAL. I think it's great for everybody - I think it's great for Thierry, great for the BAL, great for the NBA scouts. I think it just worked out for everyone."