For the past two offseasons, we have been looking at players coming to the NBA after playing at least as season overseas. With the lockout, we are going to have plenty of time on our hands.  With that being said, I plan on doing scouting reports for each of the 30 first round picks from this past draft.

Past Editions: Kyrie Irving (#1) | Derrick Williams (#2) | Tristan Thompson (#4) | Jonas Valanciunas (#5) | Jan Vesely (#6)| Bismack Biyombo (#7) | Brandon Knight (#8) | Kemba Walker (#9) | Jimmer Fredette (#10) | Klay Thompson (#11) | Alec Burks (#12) | Markieff Morris (#13) | Marcus Morris (#14) | #15 Kawhi Leonard

With the 16th overall selection in the draft, the Philadelphia Sixers selected Nikola Vucevic, a 6’10″ big from USC who is very talented offensively and underrated as a defender.  As the lockout continues, Vucevic has been playing overseas, first with Montenegro in EuroBasket and now with KK Buducnost.

Strengths

Post Offense

Standing at 6’10″ Nikola Vucevic is a big body who had a height advantage over most of his defenders.  Smartly, USC decided to use this size to their advantage by posting Vucevic over 42% of the time.  When he makes the catch on the block, Vucevic is at his best when he is turning around his left shoulder.  This means when he makes the catch on the left block, he’s turning to the middle and when he is making the catch on the right block, he is turning towards the baseline.  In terms of PPP when turning around his left shoulder, Vucevic posted a PPP of 1.111 on the left block and a PPP 1.182 on the right block (both numbers in the top 15 percent of all college players).  His go to move on the block when making his turn around his left shoulder is the hook shot, a shot he attempted 62% of the time.  On those attempts he shot 64.6%, and it makes sense, considering he has a wingspan of 7’4.5″ that hook shot is pretty much unblockable:

On the left block, Vucevic does a great job of establishing position and then once he gets position in the paint, he is able to turn to the middle, extend for the hook, and use his great touch to get a shot over the defense.  On the right block, Vucevic does a great job of faking towards the middle and then turning baseline for the hook.  That quick little fake to the middle is able get the defense off of Vucevic’s back giving him space to get the hook shot up.

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For the past two offseasons, we have been looking at players coming to the NBA after playing at least as season overseas. With the lockout, we are going to have plenty of time on our hands.  With that being said, I plan on doing scouting reports for each of the 30 first round picks from this past draft.

Past Editions: Kyrie Irving (#1) | Derrick Williams (#2) | Tristan Thompson (#4) | Jonas Valanciunas (#5) | Jan Vesely (#6)| Bismack Biyombo (#7) | Brandon Knight (#8) | Kemba Walker (#9) | Jimmer Fredette (#10) | Klay Thompson (#11) | Alec Burks (#12) | Markieff Morris (#13) | Marcus Morris (#14)

Out of nowhere, the Spurs made a trade for Kawhi Leonard, a player that they seemed to be very high on.  So high, they were willing to trade back-up point guard, and Gregg Popovich favorite, George Hill to Indiana so they could acquire Leonard.

Strengths

Forcing Turnovers

If I were to pick out Leonard’s biggest strength, it would be his on ball defense.  Maybe the biggest indicator of how good he is defensively is his ability to force turnovers when defending ball handlers, both in isolation situations and in the pick and roll.  When in isolation situations, Leonard forced a turnover 23.8% of the time, holding opponents to 37.5% shootings.  In pick and roll situations where he defended the ball handler, Leonard 23.7% of the time, giving up a PPP of just 0.658 (putting him in the top 35% of all college players).  The first thing that you notice about Leonard on tape is his length.  He has an incredibly long wingspan, 7’3″ according to DraftExpress, and that allows him to do things defensively that some other defenders can’t do:

With that length, he doesn’t have to reach in on dribble penetration, allowing him to stay in front and bother drives by being in the passing lanes (again with his long arms). However, when the offensive player does stick the ball in front of him, his hands are quick enough to go for the steal without drawing contact or committing a foul.

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For the past two offseasons, we have been looking at players coming to the NBA after playing at least as season overseas. With the lockout, we are going to have plenty of time on our hands.  With that being said, I plan on doing scouting reports for each of the 30 first round picks from this past draft.

Past Editions: Kyrie Irving (#1) | Derrick Williams (#2) | Tristan Thompson (#4) | Jonas Valanciunas (#5) | Jan Vesely (#6)| Bismack Biyombo (#7) | Brandon Knight (#8) | Kemba Walker (#9) | Jimmer Fredette (#10) | Klay Thompson (#11) | Alec Burks (#12) | Markieff Morris (#13)

Immediately after his brother Markieff was selected by the Phoenix Suns, Marcus Morris was drafted by the Houston Rockets.  It is hard to tell the Morris brothers apart just by looking at them, but when you look at their game, it is obvious that they play differently, even when they both have success doing the same thing.

Strengths

Post Play

Much like his brother, who was selected one spot higher, Marcus Morris scored at an elite rate this past season when playing in the post.  Out of the 155 post up possessions, Morris scored 182 points, posting a PPP of 1.174, placing him in the top 3% of all NCAA players in the post, while shooting 61.5%.  Unlike his brother, who is also great at playing in the post, position doesn’t really matter to Marcus, because he is much better when facing up out of post situations.  While facing up, Morris is able to use his shooting ability and his quickness to put a lot of pressure on the defense, resulting in a lot of success.  When he faces up, Morris posts a PPP of 1.18 while shooting 64.3%.  Maybe more impressive is the fact that he draws a ton of fouls when facing up, drawing contact 21% of the time:

There are a few reasons why Morris is successful when facing up.  First, he’s quick for his position.  One of Morris’ favorite move is catching with his back to the basket, a quick sweep as he faces up, and then attack the baseline.  It’s a great move and before the defender knows it, Morris is usually by them.  However, but what really makes him effective is that he has the ability to counter that move and attack the middle if the baseline is taken away.  Combine that with his ability to face up and knock down a jumper if you play off of him, and Morris is very hard to stop on the block.

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For the past two offseasons, we have been looking at players coming to the NBA after playing at least as season overseas. With the lockout, we are going to have plenty of time on our hands.  With that being said, I plan on doing scouting reports for each of the 30 first round picks from this past draft.

Past Editions: Kyrie Irving (#1) | Derrick Williams (#2) | Tristan Thompson (#4) | Jonas Valanciunas (#5) | Jan Vesely (#6)| Bismack Biyombo (#7) | Brandon Knight (#8) | Kemba Walker (#9) | Jimmer Fredette (#10) | Klay Thompson (#11) | Alec Burks (#12)

With the 13th pick, the Phoenix Suns drafted forward and twin, Markieff Morris.  For the past couple of seasons, it seemed that the Suns have employed the worst brother of a NBA tandem, but with the selection of Markieff Morris, the Suns might have finally got the better brother on their team.

Strengths

Post Play

This past season with the Kansas Jayhawks, Markieff Morris really showed that he knows how to play with his back to the basket.  34.1% of his touches on offense were post touches, and he was able to uses those possessions very efficiently.  Out of the 157 post possessions that Morris had this past season, he scored 152 points, posting a PPP of 0.968, which put him in the top 16% among all college players while shooting 50.9%.  Counting foul shots, Morris scored on 51% of his post possessions.  One of the things that makes Morris so effective in the post is that he knows how to use his body to work for position allowing him to get exactly where he wants before he makes the catch on the block:

What I like about Morris and his post game is that he is a smart player.  In the above clip, Morris wants the basketball right on the block, however his defender fronts him.  Instead of trying to get in front and making more work for himself, he simply puts his arm into his defender’s back and pins him, providing a passing lane for his teammate at the top of the key.  Once he makes the catch, he recognizes that he needs to go up quickly to avoid the help coming on the weakside.

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For the past two offseasons, we have been looking at players coming to the NBA after playing at least as season overseas. With the lockout, we are going to have plenty of time on our hands.  With that being said, I plan on doing scouting reports for each of the 30 first round picks from this past draft.

Past Editions: Kyrie Irving (#1) | Derrick Williams (#2) | Tristan Thompson (#4) | Jonas Valanciunas (#5) | Jan Vesely (#6)| Bismack Biyombo (#7) | Brandon Knight (#8) | Kemba Walker (#9) | Jimmer Fredette (#10) | Klay Thompson (#11)

In the past two seasons, Alec Burks really exploded onto the scene as a wing who can put up numbers and get to the rim.  His final season at Colorado was enough to convince the Utah Jazz, who don’t really have a penetrating wing on their roster, to use their second lottery pick on him.

Strengths

Creating His Own Offense

Most likely Alec Burks best skill is his ability to create his own offense, using his dribble to beat his man, get in the lane, and finish at the rim.  In isolation situations, Burks has posted a PPP of 0.897, which places him among the top 23% of all college players last season.  Burks is very quick and he is a very good ball handler, and that allows him to beat defenders:

When in isolation situations, Burks quickness is on display when he changes direction.  Usually, Burks drives to the rim consist of at least one change of direction cross-over dribble, putting the defender on his heels and allowing him to get to the rim.  Once he does get to the rim, Burks has a soft touch that allows him to convert a high percentage of shots.  On shot attempts “around the rim” as labeled by Synergy, Burks posts a PPP of 1.242 (which puts him in the top 25% among all college players) on shooting percentage of 59.7%.

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For the past two offseasons, we have been looking at players coming to the NBA after playing at least as season overseas. With the lockout, we are going to have plenty of time on our hands.  With that being said, I plan on doing scouting reports for each of the 30 first round picks from this past draft.

Past Editions: Kyrie Irving (#1) | Derrick Williams (#2) | Tristan Thompson (#4) | Jonas Valanciunas (#5) | Jan Vesely (#6)| Bismack Biyombo (#7) | Brandon Knight (#8) | Kemba Walker (#9) | Jimmer Fredette (#10)

There is no question that Jimmer Fredette was in that group of elite shooters among the players available in the 2011 draft.  Right along with him was Klay Thompson, who the Golden State Warriors drafted one spot behind him.

Strengths

Shooting

There is no question that Thompson’s biggest strength is his shooting ability.  Thompson has a very smooth, yet quick, repeatable shooting stroke with a release point that is higher than most.  Thompson feasted on the perimeter last year with Washington State, knocking down 40.3% of all the jump shots he took (64.3% of all shots he took last year), while posting a PPP 1.094 on those shots (placing him among the top 15% of all NCAA players last year).

The area where Thompson is most impressive is in catch and shoot situations.  This past season, Thompson shot 50% in catch and shoot situations where he was considered “unguarded” by Synergy sports, posting an eFG% of 71.4%:

Thompson’s shooting form is very repeatable and very easy.  Anytime he is open in a catch and shoot situation, it is a pretty good bet that he is going to be able to knock down the shot.  What helps him get open is his ability to work off of the basketball and use screens.  Despite not being the most athletic guy, Thompson is smart enough and good enough to get a little bit of separation working off of the ball and at his height (6’7″) and with his high release, that little bit of separation is all he needs to be able to get a shot off:

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For the past two offseasons, we have been looking at players coming to the NBA after playing at least as season overseas. With the lockout, we are going to have plenty of time on our hands.  With that being said, I plan on doing scouting reports for each of the 30 first round picks from this past draft.

Past Editions: Kyrie Irving (#1) | Derrick Williams (#2) | Tristan Thompson (#4) | Jonas Valanciunas (#5) | Jan Vesely (#6)| Bismack Biyombo (#7) | Brandon Knight (#8) | Kemba Walker (#9)

Jimmer Fredette.  I don’t know if there is a more polarizing draft pick in this year’s draft class.  There are some who think he will be a bust, some who think he will be an average player, and everyone else who is flocking to see him where ever he goes thinks he will be a superstar.  The Kings made a few interesting moves to be able to draft Fredette, and here is a look at his strengths and weaknesses.

Strengths

Shooting Ability

The fascination with Jimmer Fredette starts with his shooting ability, where he seems to show unlimited range, and is a threat to take and make a shot as soon as he crosses half-court.  The type of shot doesn’t matter to Fredette, who can knock down threes off of the dribble, coming off of screens, or in catch and shoot situations. Within BYU’s offense, Fredette has the freedom to shoot whenever he wants, and that is such a threat to the defense because he can knock down both open and closely contested shots consistently.

Read more…

For the past two offseasons, we have been looking at players coming to the NBA after playing at least as season overseas. With the lockout, we are going to have plenty of time on our hands.  With that being said, I plan on doing scouting reports for each of the 30 first round picks from this past draft.

Past Editions: Kyrie Irving (#1) | Derrick Williams (#2) | Tristan Thompson (#4) | Jonas Valanciunas (#5) | Jan Vesely (#6)| Bismack Biyombo (#7) | Brandon Knight (#8)

Despite having a similar player in D.J. Augustin, the Charlotte Bobcats took Kemba Walker with the ninth pick when he dropped to them in the draft.  What’s interesting is that even though they play in similar ways, Charlotte’s coaching staff is making noise about playing Augustin and Walker together.

Strengths

Scoring Off The Pick And Roll

When Walker is looking for his own shot coming off of a ball screen, he is a very dangerous player.  He does a good job of creating space for his shot, but what makes him really special is his ability to get to the rim when coming off of a ball screen.  Walker was in the top 15% of all college players (in terms of PPP) when taking it all the way to the rim coming off of a ball screen drawing a foul 33.3% of the time (Basically, every three times Walker attacked the rim off of a screen, he went to the free throw line):

What makes Walker so tough to cover when coming off of a ball screen is that he has a combination of quickness and shooting ability.  Walker is a good enough shooter that if you go under the screen, he is going to pull up and knock down the jumper.  This means that defenses need to try to go over screens while hedging.  Walker is simply too quick and is able to take advantage by driving by the hedge man and getting into the lane (while not shying away from contact).  Finally, he is good enough with the ball that he won’t turn it over often (only turned it over 3% of the time when attacking the rim).

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For the past two offseasons, we have been looking at players coming to the NBA after playing at least as season overseas. With the lockout, we are going to have plenty of time on our hands.  With that being said, I plan on doing scouting reports for each of the 30 first round picks from this past draft.

Past Editions: Kyrie Irving (#1) | Derrick Williams (#2) | Tristan Thompson (#4) | Jonas Valanciunas (#5) | Jan Vesely (#6)| Bismack Biyombo (#7)

Out of all the draft prospects who were projected to go in the early lottery, Brandon Knight was definitely the most interesting.  That’s because he had widest range of projections.  There were rumblings that he could go second or third, but if he got passed up there, who knows where he could fall.  Eventually, he fell to Detroit, who had the 8th pick in the draft.

Strengths

Getting In The Lane/Finishing

Despite not being a crazy athletic ball handler like a Derrick Rose or John Wall, Knight simply has a knack to get into the lane with relative ease.  He has a quick first step and and uses hesitation/misdirection moves very well, allowing him to get his defender on his hip and get by him on his way to the paint.  Off of the catch, Knight loves using the jab step and it is easy to see why, he does a great job of using it to catch his defender leaning one way or the other and then takes advantage, going by him with the dribble:

Again, unlike a Derrick Rose or a John Wall, Knight isn’t going to explode to the rim and finish with powerful dunks.  He’s simply not that type of athlete.  However, that doesn’t mean he isn’t able to score once he gets into the paint.  According to Synergy, on shots around the basket Knight shoots 62.4%.  Knight has a great touch and he loves to use that touch when shooting a variety of floaters over bigger help defenders:

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For the past two offseasons, we have been looking at players coming to the NBA after playing at least as season overseas. With the lockout, we are going to have plenty of time on our hands.  With that being said, I plan on doing scouting reports for each of the 30 first round picks from this past draft.

Past Editions: Kyrie Irving (#1) | Derrick Williams (#2) | Tristan Thompson (#4) | Jan Vesely (#6) | Bismack Biyombo (#7)

As I mentioned when looking at Tristan Thompson, Jonas Valanciunas to the Cavs was looking like a lock, but as we got closer to draft night, it was getting more and more up in the air, partially due to Valanciunas’ buy-out forcing him to stay overseas for a year and partially due to how impressed they were with Thompson’s workouts.  As we all know, the Cavs took Thompson allowing Jonas Valanciunas to fall in the Raptors, who need a true center, lap.

Strengths

Off Ball Offense

Valanciunas’ biggest strength offensively is when he is working off of the basketball cutting and in pick and roll sets, and his international team, Lietuvos Rytas was smart enough to build Valanciunas’ offense around that, as 43.3% of his offense was either cuts or pick and rolls (if you want to add offensive rebounds, off ball offense makes up 65.1% of Valanciunas’ offense).

As the roll man in pick and roll sets (23.2% of all offensive possessions) Valanciunas posted a PPP of 1.434, which puts him in the top 4% of all international players as he shot 74.7%.  Valanciunas rolled to the rim 97% of the time in pick and roll sets (slipping the screen the remaining 3%), showing his ability to find lanes when rolling to the rim, making the catch, and getting the ball on the rim:

Valanciunas doesn’t set the best screens and that probably needs to be improved upon (though we have seen guys like David Lee, David West, and Amar’e Stoudemire have success without setting the best screens), but when he is rolling to the rim he does just about everything right.  He makes himself available and once he makes the catch, he is going right up with it and has the ability to finish over the help defender (something we also saw during the u19 tournament).

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