Uncle’s In-Depth Tristan Da Silva Scouting Report

**Who is Tristan Da Silva?**

Tristan Da Silva is a 6’9″ tweener forward coming off a standout senior year at Colorado. Known for his versatile offensive skills akin to Kyle Kuzma, Tristan is this year’s “Most Likely to Be Jaime Jaquez Jr.” winner. He’s set to immediately contribute as a valuable role player in the NBA.

Da Silva is intelligent, adaptable, and performs well both on and off the ball. His ability to thrive as a #3 or #4 scoring option—spotting up from three, attacking closeouts, and exploiting mismatches—makes him a potent offensive threat. Yet, questions linger about his transition to the NBA due to his athletic, strength, and length limitations. In college he was a solid defender but due to his physical limitations his defense is a big question mark for me.

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**NBA Fit:**

I’m all in on players who bring versatility and a high basketball IQ to the table. Da Silva fits this mold perfectly as a high-floor, low-ceiling prospect likely to excel as either a starter or a key bench player, depending on the team’s needs. Ideally, he should be paired with a strong, versatile forward or a defensive anchor to compensate for his limitations.

Da Silva is on my short list of players I would love for the Raptors to draft at #19. His fit next to Scottie and Co. is arguably the best out of the available prospects when we will be selecting. Furthermore, Da Silva is ready to contribute today and fits the BBQ timeline. If he can become the high end role player that I think he can be he would be a perfect forward to pair with Scottie.

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**Strengths:**

– Versatile offensive player
– Smart player
– Makes good cuts
– Uses his size on mismatches
– Has some 3-level scoring potential with step back middys off the dribble
– Has a little back to the basket game with short hooks when guarded by smaller defenders
– Not afraid to shoot the ball
– Capable of creating his own offense
– He was the guy at Colorado
– Is a smart and willing passer
– Has a nice turnaround jumper
– Shows ability to create offense off of screens
– Good shooter
– Knows how to get open with off ball movement
– Has projectable NBA role as a versatile scoring forward able to play off ball and provide on ball creation in a pinch.
– Can go coast-to-coast off rebounds
– Not afraid to take big shots
– Good hands on defense
– Smart team defender
– Has a high motor on defense. Willing to do the little things.
– Can protect the rim in a pinch as a help defender

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**Weaknesses:**

– Not very athletic
– Not very long
– Will his lack of athleticism limit his ability to create his offense
– Needs to get stronger if he is going to be a PF/SF
– He is the definition of a tweener. He is not athletic enough to be a wing but he is not strong enough and lacks the frame for an NBA power forward
– Will he be able to get all the way to the hole in the NBA?
– Seemed to struggle when guarded by larger defenders where he isn’t able to leverage his size
– Will his defense transfer in the NBA?
– Questions about his lateral quickness when switched onto quick wings and guards
– Questions about his strength when asked to guard true power forwards
– He will most likely never be a good rebounder

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**Stats and Analytics:**

Here are Tristan Da Silva’s senior year stats and advanced stats at Colorado:

**Senior Year Stats:**

– **GP/GS:** 34/34
– **Minutes:** 33.8
– **FG%:** 49.3
– **3PT%:** 39.5 on 4.8 3PA
– **FT%:** 83.5
– **Rebounds:** 5.1
– **Assists:** 2.4
– **Steals:** 1.1
– **Blocks:** 0.6
– **Points:** 16.0

**Advanced Stats (Senior Year):**

– **PER:** 19.8
– **Offensive BPM:** 5.0
– **Defensive BPM:** 2.1
– **Overall BPM:** 7.1
– **Usage Rate:** 22.5%
– **True Shooting %:** 60.6%

– **Isolation & Driving**: Only 3.6% of possessions in isolation and drove 8.4% of the time, highlighting limited on-ball activity.
– **Spot-Up Shooting**:
– Ranks in the 94th percentile for spot-up scoring with 1.237 points per possession (PPP) this season.
– 82nd percentile in shooting off the catch with 1.19 PPP.
– Shot 40.3% from three overall, increasing to 48.1% when unguarded.
– **Historical Performance**:
– Last season, scored 1.11 PPP in spot-up situations (84th percentile) and 1.21 PPP shooting off the catch (85th percentile).
– Shot 39.6% from three last season.

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**NBA Comparison:**

Tristan shows elements of both Kyle Kuzma and Jaime Jaquez Jr. in his style of play, offering a promising outlook for his NBA career.

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**Game Tape:**

For a closer look at Da Silva’s playing style and skills, check out his game tape [here](https://youtu.be/oSnQEV4hm70?si=uOOJaUCSpOt_0JUp).

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What are your thoughts on Tristan’s fit in the NBA? Let’s discuss!

by unclekarl_