2020 NBA Draft thread
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Thread by @DraftExpress: A source tells ESPN that the NBA has sent emails informing select players they've been selected to attend the NBA Combine, with a disclaimer…
Thread by @DraftExpress: A source tells ESPN that the NBA has sent emails informing select players they've been selected to attend the NBA Co a disclaimer that no decisions have been made about a date, format, location, or even if a Combine will actually…
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"They still hope to be involved in some sort of a draft combine and, if permitted, have several top prospects come to their facility for a private workout," Slater writes. "Wiseman is high atop the list of guys they’d want to scrutinize in person."
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NBA rumors: James Wiseman ‘high' on Warriors' list for NBA draft workouts
James Wiseman might be the most talented prospect in the 2020 NBA Draft class. A top recruit coming out of high school, Wiseman’s college career was cut short by an NCAA rule that saw him penalized for money his family received from Memphis head coach Penny Hardaway while Wiseman was still in...
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AZUOLAS TUBELIS
Vitals
Physical Tools
Strengths
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Vitals
| DOB: 03/22/2002 | Nationality: Lithuania | Team: Lietuvos Rytas |
| Height: 6’9” | Wingspan: 6’11” | Weight: 243 lbs |
| Current Offensive Roles: Drive Creator, Catch-and-Finish Interior Scorer, Gravity Passer | ||
| Current Defensive Range: 3-5 |
Physical Tools
Strengths
- Possesses a combination of size, length, mobility and agility that should allow him to keep up physically with taller forwards and some centers.
- Requisite size for a big forward/small center role at 6’9” with a 6’11” wingspan. Has functional length/standing reach, which he uses to finish at the rim with extension, get contested rebounds, contest shots on the interior and play the passing lanes in the perimeter.
- Physically developed given his age. Has a strong 243 lbs frame with wide shoulders; could fill up even more with a proper strength and conditioning program. Strong lower body that allows him to hold his own against opponents in the post; it’s really hard for opponents to create space on the interior against him out of sheer physicality.
- Agile vertical athlete, able to play above the rim with a head full of steam, elevates well off of one foot. Has a quick second jump which helps him fight for rebounds and contest shots.
- Shows above average open court speed for his size. Targeted often in transition offense given his open court speed and his ability to play above the rim. Fast to get back in transition defense, able to chase opponents down and contest/block their shots. Frequently outruns opponents in transition.
- Better vertical athlete with a head full of steam. Relies on standing reach more than elevation from a standstill to get rebounds and contest shots on the interior, could prove to be a disadvantage if he’s matched up against bigger centers. His second jump is quick but not especially powerful.
- His coordination and lateral mobility are more functional on the open court and without the ball. Can get tangled up with the ball in tight spaces.
Azuolas Tubelis Scouting Report - The Stepien
Vitals DOB: 03/22/2002 Nationality: Lithuania Team: Lietuvos Rytas Height: 6’9” Wingspan: 6’11” Weight: 243 lbs Current Offensive Roles: Drive Creator, Catch-and-Finish Interior Scorer, Gravity Passer Current Defensive Range: 3-5 Physical...
www.thestepien.com
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On-Ball Scoring
Handles: Above average speed with the ball in his hands for his size, especially in the open court and in straight lines. This allows him to initiate and run transition with the ball in his hands and be effective at attacking closeouts in straight lines.
Shows simple but fluid fakes and crossovers both to his left and to his right, which he’s able to utilize to get bigger defenders off-balance. Has shown flashes of advanced dribble moves like stutters and hesitation dribbles.
Despite the occasional fake or eurostep on the move, he lacks a degree of shiftiness and ability to change directions with the ball, which makes him get tangled up with the ball and prone to turnovers in traffic or against pressure.
Drive Initiation: Has a quick first step for his size, which allows him to exploit slower centers who come out to defend him on the perimeter. Has a powerful second step, which allows him to gain momentum/power after turning the corner. His legs are above average in terms of length, which allows him to take long strides to get to the rim and pick up his dribble early on the drive.
Able to initiate short and mid-distance drives coming out of post-ups. Shows a good combination of footwork and strength. He’s able to quickly turn around out of a post-up and attack facing up.
Finishing at the Rim: Combination of strong frame and length allows him to create space out of physicality on drives, and finish at the rim against contact. Gets really good extension on his finishes, being able to convert in tough angles despite a certain lack of flexibility.
While he’s not extremely explosive vertically, he’s able to elevate both off one or two feet, and finish at the rim with power. He comes at the rim with powerful momentum off of his second and third steps, especially when he gets a straight line to the rim.
Will need to develop his right-hand finishing, as he can be too left-hand dominant. He’s prone to pass up easy shots with his right hand in favor of tougher, more contested shots with his left hand
www.thestepien.com
Handles: Above average speed with the ball in his hands for his size, especially in the open court and in straight lines. This allows him to initiate and run transition with the ball in his hands and be effective at attacking closeouts in straight lines.
Shows simple but fluid fakes and crossovers both to his left and to his right, which he’s able to utilize to get bigger defenders off-balance. Has shown flashes of advanced dribble moves like stutters and hesitation dribbles.
Despite the occasional fake or eurostep on the move, he lacks a degree of shiftiness and ability to change directions with the ball, which makes him get tangled up with the ball and prone to turnovers in traffic or against pressure.
Drive Initiation: Has a quick first step for his size, which allows him to exploit slower centers who come out to defend him on the perimeter. Has a powerful second step, which allows him to gain momentum/power after turning the corner. His legs are above average in terms of length, which allows him to take long strides to get to the rim and pick up his dribble early on the drive.
Able to initiate short and mid-distance drives coming out of post-ups. Shows a good combination of footwork and strength. He’s able to quickly turn around out of a post-up and attack facing up.
Finishing at the Rim: Combination of strong frame and length allows him to create space out of physicality on drives, and finish at the rim against contact. Gets really good extension on his finishes, being able to convert in tough angles despite a certain lack of flexibility.
While he’s not extremely explosive vertically, he’s able to elevate both off one or two feet, and finish at the rim with power. He comes at the rim with powerful momentum off of his second and third steps, especially when he gets a straight line to the rim.
Will need to develop his right-hand finishing, as he can be too left-hand dominant. He’s prone to pass up easy shots with his right hand in favor of tougher, more contested shots with his left hand
Azuolas Tubelis Scouting Report - The Stepien
Vitals DOB: 03/22/2002 Nationality: Lithuania Team: Lietuvos Rytas Height: 6’9” Wingspan: 6’11” Weight: 243 lbs Current Offensive Roles: Drive Creator, Catch-and-Finish Interior Scorer, Gravity Passer Current Defensive Range: 3-5 Physical...
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Playmaking
Movement Passing: Despite his score-first mentality as a driver and the fact that he lacks a degree of versatility in his reads and deliveries, he still reacts well to defenders on the move, being able to make kick out passes as a driver. Shows awareness of open shooters and teammates in the corner. Acts occasionally as a transition initiator after coming up with rebounds in the defensive end of the floor.
Stationary Passing: Shows flashes of post passing, operates as an inside-out passer: gets into a post-up to draw defenders in and passes to the perimeter once he sees the open man. Lithuania U18 teams ran a lot of the offense through Tubelis in the post. Has some versatility in his stationary deliveries, being able to get the ball to teammates on the weakside, but should improve his accuracy as a passer.
Shooting
Mechanics Overview:
www.thestepien.com
| AST/TOV Per 36 | A:TO Ratio | AST% / TOV% |
| 2.0 / 3.3 | 0.61 | 10.6% / 14.5% |
Movement Passing: Despite his score-first mentality as a driver and the fact that he lacks a degree of versatility in his reads and deliveries, he still reacts well to defenders on the move, being able to make kick out passes as a driver. Shows awareness of open shooters and teammates in the corner. Acts occasionally as a transition initiator after coming up with rebounds in the defensive end of the floor.
Stationary Passing: Shows flashes of post passing, operates as an inside-out passer: gets into a post-up to draw defenders in and passes to the perimeter once he sees the open man. Lithuania U18 teams ran a lot of the offense through Tubelis in the post. Has some versatility in his stationary deliveries, being able to get the ball to teammates on the weakside, but should improve his accuracy as a passer.
Shooting
| 3P% | 3PM/3PA per 36 | 3PAr | FT% |
| 19.3% | 0.4/2.3 | .133 | 59.8% |
Mechanics Overview:
- Stance & Upforce: Feet pointing forwards but are generally too close together, could use a bit more separation to improve balance. Short jump, barely flexing his knees. Fully extended body on the jump.
- Shooting Motion & Release: Two-motion shot, bringing the ball above his head. High release point. Takes guiding hand off the ball too soon, doesn’t hold his followthrough on most occasions, shows better results when fully extending his shooting arm after the shot.
- Continuity & Touch: Shot looks segmented, doesn’t flow from the gather to his shooting motion. Touch comes and goes, prone to airballs and bad misses, most of his misses are long/short.
Azuolas Tubelis Scouting Report - The Stepien
Vitals DOB: 03/22/2002 Nationality: Lithuania Team: Lietuvos Rytas Height: 6’9” Wingspan: 6’11” Weight: 243 lbs Current Offensive Roles: Drive Creator, Catch-and-Finish Interior Scorer, Gravity Passer Current Defensive Range: 3-5 Physical...
www.thestepien.com
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Defense
Point of Attack & Drive Coverage: Uses his combination of size, length, body control and lateral mobility to pressure opponents at the point-of-attack. Shows quick hands to take digs at the ball at the point-of-attack, pressuring ball-handlers into mistakes and turnovers. Able to stay in front of most forwards and cover their drives all the way to the rim. Can occasionally be late to react to his opponent’s first step, but he’s able to recover at the rim given his lateral mobility and quickness to turn his hips relative to his size.
Interior Defense: Splits time between the primary and secondary rim protector role. Disciplined interior defender that knows how to contest shots from a standstill and use his chest to absorb contact. Shows quickness to react and optimal timing to contest and block shots on the interior. Depends more on his combination of strength and timing to be effective as a rim protector than on his vertical burst off a standstill.
Strong post-up defender, his lower body strength allows him to hold his own against taller defenders; really hard for opponents to move him off of his spots or create space in these situations.
Disciplined rebounder who shows consistent motor on the boards. Uses his length, frame and quick second jump to fight and get contested rebounds through crowds and at high points.
Off-Ball / Team Defense: Reacts quickly to defensive breakdowns all over the court. In the paint, he shows awareness and timing to rotate from the corner and protect the rim on a secondary level. On the perimeter, he’s generally the first one to close out on open shooters.
Tends to play drop coverage when defending pick-and-rolls; while generally he stays in the optimal spot to disrupt both the pass and the shot, it becomes predictable and exploitable by opponents who are able to punish the space he gives them with mid-range pull-ups.
Approach: Shows a consistent high motor, plays with effort and makes plays all over the court. Comes back quickly on defense in transition. Rarely gives up on a defensive play. Communicates effectively with teammates on switches and team defense, doesn’t leave gaps that can be exploited by opponents.
Projected NBA Roles
On-Ball Scoring / Mismatch Driver: While he has been effective at creating drives off of his combination of fluidity & quickness relative to his size, Tubelis will probably be better suited as an opportunistic driver at the NBA level, being able to attack closeouts and take advantage of slower, bigger centers who come out and guard him on the perimeter.
Shooting / Non-Shooter to Off-Ball Floor-Spacer: Given his mechanical issues, his lack of shooting versatility and his statistical profile, believing Tubelis as an Off-Ball Floor-Spacer is an optimistic projection. It’s likely that his outcome in this area will be the biggest swing to his projection and ceiling as an NBA prospect.
Playmaking / Gravity Passer: Despite his flashes of recognition, especially coming out of short rolls, Tubelis is not likely to develop into a secondary handler given his current lack of versatility as a playmaker on the move and his track record with turnovers. With that being said, Tubelis shows enough recognition on the move to be effective as a passer off drives and short rolls, taking advantage of defensive helps.
Defense / Versatile Frontcourt: Given his combination of mobility, size/strength, motor and IQ, it’s easy to envision Tubelis as a versatile defender who can cover multiple positions. His optimal position should be as a big forward or as a small center who can defend on the interior part-time, protect the rim as a help-side defender, come out to the perimeter to guard bigger forwards, and switch onto guards when needed.
www.thestepien.com
| STL / BLK per 36 | STL% / BLK% |
| 2.0 / 1.9 | 2.8% / 5.2% |
Point of Attack & Drive Coverage: Uses his combination of size, length, body control and lateral mobility to pressure opponents at the point-of-attack. Shows quick hands to take digs at the ball at the point-of-attack, pressuring ball-handlers into mistakes and turnovers. Able to stay in front of most forwards and cover their drives all the way to the rim. Can occasionally be late to react to his opponent’s first step, but he’s able to recover at the rim given his lateral mobility and quickness to turn his hips relative to his size.
Interior Defense: Splits time between the primary and secondary rim protector role. Disciplined interior defender that knows how to contest shots from a standstill and use his chest to absorb contact. Shows quickness to react and optimal timing to contest and block shots on the interior. Depends more on his combination of strength and timing to be effective as a rim protector than on his vertical burst off a standstill.
Strong post-up defender, his lower body strength allows him to hold his own against taller defenders; really hard for opponents to move him off of his spots or create space in these situations.
Disciplined rebounder who shows consistent motor on the boards. Uses his length, frame and quick second jump to fight and get contested rebounds through crowds and at high points.
Off-Ball / Team Defense: Reacts quickly to defensive breakdowns all over the court. In the paint, he shows awareness and timing to rotate from the corner and protect the rim on a secondary level. On the perimeter, he’s generally the first one to close out on open shooters.
Tends to play drop coverage when defending pick-and-rolls; while generally he stays in the optimal spot to disrupt both the pass and the shot, it becomes predictable and exploitable by opponents who are able to punish the space he gives them with mid-range pull-ups.
Approach: Shows a consistent high motor, plays with effort and makes plays all over the court. Comes back quickly on defense in transition. Rarely gives up on a defensive play. Communicates effectively with teammates on switches and team defense, doesn’t leave gaps that can be exploited by opponents.
Projected NBA Roles
On-Ball Scoring / Mismatch Driver: While he has been effective at creating drives off of his combination of fluidity & quickness relative to his size, Tubelis will probably be better suited as an opportunistic driver at the NBA level, being able to attack closeouts and take advantage of slower, bigger centers who come out and guard him on the perimeter.
Shooting / Non-Shooter to Off-Ball Floor-Spacer: Given his mechanical issues, his lack of shooting versatility and his statistical profile, believing Tubelis as an Off-Ball Floor-Spacer is an optimistic projection. It’s likely that his outcome in this area will be the biggest swing to his projection and ceiling as an NBA prospect.
Playmaking / Gravity Passer: Despite his flashes of recognition, especially coming out of short rolls, Tubelis is not likely to develop into a secondary handler given his current lack of versatility as a playmaker on the move and his track record with turnovers. With that being said, Tubelis shows enough recognition on the move to be effective as a passer off drives and short rolls, taking advantage of defensive helps.
Defense / Versatile Frontcourt: Given his combination of mobility, size/strength, motor and IQ, it’s easy to envision Tubelis as a versatile defender who can cover multiple positions. His optimal position should be as a big forward or as a small center who can defend on the interior part-time, protect the rim as a help-side defender, come out to the perimeter to guard bigger forwards, and switch onto guards when needed.
Azuolas Tubelis Scouting Report - The Stepien
Vitals DOB: 03/22/2002 Nationality: Lithuania Team: Lietuvos Rytas Height: 6’9” Wingspan: 6’11” Weight: 243 lbs Current Offensive Roles: Drive Creator, Catch-and-Finish Interior Scorer, Gravity Passer Current Defensive Range: 3-5 Physical...
www.thestepien.com
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Desmond Bane (TCU, currently ranked #42 on ESPN’s top 100)
Desmond Bane has probably been the most underrated player from national media outlets all year. I thought about excluding him from this series because he’s clearly a first round player to me, but since he isn’t in ESPN’s top 35, I want to give him the recognition he deserves. The individual videos won’t be as long as I do with others, but I want to touch on a few things. Like I said, I think Bane is clearly a first round prospect and he’s close to being a sure top 20 prospect.
The thing that I don’t understand with Bane is that he’s been an elite shooter for multiple years, but people still question his shot because of his unorthodox form. Over his four years at TCU, he has a 43.3 3PT% on 575 total attempts. According to Barttorvik.com, since 2008, there have been 9 players from a high-major school who have shot >42% from 3 on over 500 career attempts and over 18% usage. Here is that list (sorted by BPM):
The point of the picture isn’t to show a bunch of successful NBA players (because it doesn’t), but to show the kind of company Bane is in with his shooting success. Anyone who consistently watches college basketball each and every year knows how elite some of those shooters were, so why doesn’t Desmond Bane get the same recognition? The crazy thing is that everyone besides Doug McDermott and Desmond Bane on that list is 6’3″ or shorter, so that sounds like an advantage for Bane.
To keep things simple, Bane easily has NBA range and has been an incredible spot up shooter. Here are his numbers on ‘Spot Up No Dribble’ 3s over his college career, along with some clips to show his NBA range.
Desmond Bane has probably been the most underrated player from national media outlets all year. I thought about excluding him from this series because he’s clearly a first round player to me, but since he isn’t in ESPN’s top 35, I want to give him the recognition he deserves. The individual videos won’t be as long as I do with others, but I want to touch on a few things. Like I said, I think Bane is clearly a first round prospect and he’s close to being a sure top 20 prospect.
The thing that I don’t understand with Bane is that he’s been an elite shooter for multiple years, but people still question his shot because of his unorthodox form. Over his four years at TCU, he has a 43.3 3PT% on 575 total attempts. According to Barttorvik.com, since 2008, there have been 9 players from a high-major school who have shot >42% from 3 on over 500 career attempts and over 18% usage. Here is that list (sorted by BPM):
The point of the picture isn’t to show a bunch of successful NBA players (because it doesn’t), but to show the kind of company Bane is in with his shooting success. Anyone who consistently watches college basketball each and every year knows how elite some of those shooters were, so why doesn’t Desmond Bane get the same recognition? The crazy thing is that everyone besides Doug McDermott and Desmond Bane on that list is 6’3″ or shorter, so that sounds like an advantage for Bane.
To keep things simple, Bane easily has NBA range and has been an incredible spot up shooter. Here are his numbers on ‘Spot Up No Dribble’ 3s over his college career, along with some clips to show his NBA range.
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Even with Bane’s unorthodox form, he’s an impressive movement shooter. According to my good friend and colleague, Spencer Pearlman, Bane shot 42.3% (33/78) on pure movement C&S attempts. He does a really good job at getting his feet set quickly, which allows him to get into his shot quicker. He also does a good job creating space to set up screens and can read the defense.
Because of how great of a shooter Bane is, defenses closeout hard on him. Being able to use a pump fake to either attack closeouts or take a side dribble to create space for a 3 is something that I like to see from great shooters. If players are chased off the line without the ability to pull up or attack the rim, their spacing is somewhat limited on hard closeouts. Fortunately, Bane is able to take advantage of defenses if they try running him off the line, even if an improvement area is using his frame and body to get to the rim more often.
These two Klay Thompson clips above are by no means me trying to make a comparison between the two – the intent is to show how certain skills are successful at the next level.
I think we’ve established that Bane is one of the best shooters in this class, so let’s move onto other parts of his game. Let’s look at his ability to impact the game off-the-ball without shooting. His off-ball movement is so important and he is constantly showing his awareness with cuts, relocating, etc. In this first clip below, he knows to backdoor when the defense is overplaying / denying, and he passes it to the corner for the assist. In the following two clips, you can see him take advantage of his scoring/shooting gravity, which leads to open shots for his teammates.
In addition to being a serious threat off-the-ball, Bane is also an impressive on-ball player. He has taken some big steps forward as a passer and was a really good shooter off-the-dribble this year, ranking in the 92nd percentile (1.068 PPP) on off-the-dribble jumpers in the halfcourt. Here are a few of Bane’s shots off-the-dribble this year. While Bane’s role at the next level wouldn’t be to self create regularly, he’s a capable pick and roll scorer and has a nice stepback to create some space.
www.thestepien.com
Because of how great of a shooter Bane is, defenses closeout hard on him. Being able to use a pump fake to either attack closeouts or take a side dribble to create space for a 3 is something that I like to see from great shooters. If players are chased off the line without the ability to pull up or attack the rim, their spacing is somewhat limited on hard closeouts. Fortunately, Bane is able to take advantage of defenses if they try running him off the line, even if an improvement area is using his frame and body to get to the rim more often.
These two Klay Thompson clips above are by no means me trying to make a comparison between the two – the intent is to show how certain skills are successful at the next level.
I think we’ve established that Bane is one of the best shooters in this class, so let’s move onto other parts of his game. Let’s look at his ability to impact the game off-the-ball without shooting. His off-ball movement is so important and he is constantly showing his awareness with cuts, relocating, etc. In this first clip below, he knows to backdoor when the defense is overplaying / denying, and he passes it to the corner for the assist. In the following two clips, you can see him take advantage of his scoring/shooting gravity, which leads to open shots for his teammates.
In addition to being a serious threat off-the-ball, Bane is also an impressive on-ball player. He has taken some big steps forward as a passer and was a really good shooter off-the-dribble this year, ranking in the 92nd percentile (1.068 PPP) on off-the-dribble jumpers in the halfcourt. Here are a few of Bane’s shots off-the-dribble this year. While Bane’s role at the next level wouldn’t be to self create regularly, he’s a capable pick and roll scorer and has a nice stepback to create some space.
Potential Draft Values (2nd Round / UDFA) Part II - The Stepien
Welcome back to the second installment of my series about potential 2nd rounders or undrafted players who have paths to being productive in the NBA. In the first piece of this...
www.thestepien.com
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As mentioned above, Bane has taken significant steps forward as a passer, and it was very clear this year. Being a capable PnR scorer and passer can allow him to potentially have more responsibilities on the floor, even though he’s mostly going to be an off-ball player. Regardless, it’s still good to show other skills. Bane can make a variety of passes on-ball. While he’s more comfortable with crosscourt skip passes when he’s going right, he can make passes going either direction, and can also make wraparound or baseline passes. Finally, he has shown some solid passes over the top to roll man.
Overall, Bane is such an easy fit offensively How many other players in this class are have the skillset that Bane has? He’s one of the best shooters in the class with good shot versatility (spot up, off-movement, and off-the-dribble), who can also score and pass out of the pick and roll. He’s also one of the best off-ball movers in the class because of his high IQ and can leverage his off-ball movement, shooting gravity, and passing to create open shots for teammates. On top of all of that, he’s not a ball dominant player. I realize that I’ve been talking about Bane forever, but that’s because I feel pretty strongly about him as a prospect. Even though I’m a big fan of his defensive IQ, I’ll make this section shorter so we can keep it moving.
Below are a few clips that shows Bane’s awareness and energy on the defensive end. These first two clips vs Texas are ones that immediately stood out, specifically his hustle and how much ground he covered on each possession.
As I mentioned in the previous piece, I have worked with the Professional Basketball Combine (PBC) over the last two years. Desmond Bane attended the combine last year and I got the chance to spend some time and talk with him. Additionally, Jon Chepkevich recorded an NBA Draft Remote Film Room with him. Aside from being a great basketball player, Bane is a hard worker and just a genuine, down to earth person.
Teams shouldn’t be overthinking this. Yes, Bane is a senior, but he brings a lot to the floor and is an easy fit on pretty much every team in the NBA. I’d feel very comfortable taking him in the 1st round and would even consider him a top 20 prospect.
www.thestepien.com
Overall, Bane is such an easy fit offensively How many other players in this class are have the skillset that Bane has? He’s one of the best shooters in the class with good shot versatility (spot up, off-movement, and off-the-dribble), who can also score and pass out of the pick and roll. He’s also one of the best off-ball movers in the class because of his high IQ and can leverage his off-ball movement, shooting gravity, and passing to create open shots for teammates. On top of all of that, he’s not a ball dominant player. I realize that I’ve been talking about Bane forever, but that’s because I feel pretty strongly about him as a prospect. Even though I’m a big fan of his defensive IQ, I’ll make this section shorter so we can keep it moving.
Below are a few clips that shows Bane’s awareness and energy on the defensive end. These first two clips vs Texas are ones that immediately stood out, specifically his hustle and how much ground he covered on each possession.
As I mentioned in the previous piece, I have worked with the Professional Basketball Combine (PBC) over the last two years. Desmond Bane attended the combine last year and I got the chance to spend some time and talk with him. Additionally, Jon Chepkevich recorded an NBA Draft Remote Film Room with him. Aside from being a great basketball player, Bane is a hard worker and just a genuine, down to earth person.
Teams shouldn’t be overthinking this. Yes, Bane is a senior, but he brings a lot to the floor and is an easy fit on pretty much every team in the NBA. I’d feel very comfortable taking him in the 1st round and would even consider him a top 20 prospect.
Potential Draft Values (2nd Round / UDFA) Part II - The Stepien
Welcome back to the second installment of my series about potential 2nd rounders or undrafted players who have paths to being productive in the NBA. In the first piece of this...
www.thestepien.com
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Nate Hinton (Houston, currently #68 on ESPN’s top 100)
Nate Hinton seemed to fly under-the-radar this year mostly due to the fact that most people expected him to return to Houston for another season. Up until he announced that he was forgoing his final two seasons of eligibility to remain in the draft, he had been left off of mock drafts and out of most top 80 boards from the national media sites. Even though he has gotten more attention since, it still seems like he is getting overlooked a little and a smart team might get a steal on draft night.
While more and more players have started getting the label of being a ‘3-D’ prospect – even when it’s not totally accurate – Hinton is the prototypical ‘3-D’ prospect. He’s a good shooter, shooting 38.7% ( 46-119) from 3 on just under 4 attempts per game this past year and is a career 80% (128-160) free throw shooter. He’s a good defender with limited weaknesses on that end, and the unique thing about Hinton is that he’s an elite rebounder for his size. His impact on the offensive glass is so apparent and awesome to watch.
It feels weird to say that someone’s elite skill is rebounding when they are listed at 6’5″, but that’s the case for Hinton. According to Barttorvik.com, there were only two players from the top 7 conferences (ACC, SEC, Big 12, Big Ten, Pac-12, Big East, and American) who met the following filters:
Height ≤ 6’6″, D-REB% ≥ 20%, O-REB ≥ 8%
The two players were Nate Hinton and Chris Clarke. Chris Clarke is an interesting player, but his offense is a big question mark because of his inability to shoot. While mentioning Clarke, he’s someone that I’d at least give an exhibit-10 to.
Here are some clips of Hinton’s shot. He has a nice, quick release which helps him gets his shots off and it seems like he’ll be a solid catch & shoot threat.
Before we move onto some areas for improvement on the offensive end, let’s take a look at a few defensive clips. As mentioned before, he doesn’t have many weaknesses on the defensive end – although he could improve limiting penetration a bit more. He’s a solid perimeter defender (even with allowing some penetration), a smart team defender, and his intensity and impact are always present. Just watch this play below and see how much ground he covers. Even though he takes a gamble on the post-entry, you can see him trying to get back to his side of the court and return to his man before he came up with the steal.
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Nate Hinton seemed to fly under-the-radar this year mostly due to the fact that most people expected him to return to Houston for another season. Up until he announced that he was forgoing his final two seasons of eligibility to remain in the draft, he had been left off of mock drafts and out of most top 80 boards from the national media sites. Even though he has gotten more attention since, it still seems like he is getting overlooked a little and a smart team might get a steal on draft night.
While more and more players have started getting the label of being a ‘3-D’ prospect – even when it’s not totally accurate – Hinton is the prototypical ‘3-D’ prospect. He’s a good shooter, shooting 38.7% ( 46-119) from 3 on just under 4 attempts per game this past year and is a career 80% (128-160) free throw shooter. He’s a good defender with limited weaknesses on that end, and the unique thing about Hinton is that he’s an elite rebounder for his size. His impact on the offensive glass is so apparent and awesome to watch.
It feels weird to say that someone’s elite skill is rebounding when they are listed at 6’5″, but that’s the case for Hinton. According to Barttorvik.com, there were only two players from the top 7 conferences (ACC, SEC, Big 12, Big Ten, Pac-12, Big East, and American) who met the following filters:
Height ≤ 6’6″, D-REB% ≥ 20%, O-REB ≥ 8%
The two players were Nate Hinton and Chris Clarke. Chris Clarke is an interesting player, but his offense is a big question mark because of his inability to shoot. While mentioning Clarke, he’s someone that I’d at least give an exhibit-10 to.
Here are some clips of Hinton’s shot. He has a nice, quick release which helps him gets his shots off and it seems like he’ll be a solid catch & shoot threat.
Before we move onto some areas for improvement on the offensive end, let’s take a look at a few defensive clips. As mentioned before, he doesn’t have many weaknesses on the defensive end – although he could improve limiting penetration a bit more. He’s a solid perimeter defender (even with allowing some penetration), a smart team defender, and his intensity and impact are always present. Just watch this play below and see how much ground he covers. Even though he takes a gamble on the post-entry, you can see him trying to get back to his side of the court and return to his man before he came up with the steal.
Potential Draft Values (2nd Round / UDFA) Part II - The Stepien
Welcome back to the second installment of my series about potential 2nd rounders or undrafted players who have paths to being productive in the NBA. In the first piece of this...
www.thestepien.com
#1hiphopjunki3
Go Spurs Go!!
One thing I’d like to see Hinton improve is attacking the basket and finishing. He should be able to do a better job at leveraging his shot to attack closeouts. He’s comfortable with a dribble pull up against a closeout (although he can still improve efficiency), but normally doesn’t fully attack the basket in those situations. Improving his pull up and finishing efficiency attacking closeouts, while also increasing his volume attacking the basket would be beneficial to Hinton. Being a good shooter and then knocking down a shot like this below is where Hinton can bring offensive value (plus his offensive rebounding).
Hinton has shown flashes of shooting OTD (as shown above), but can improve his efficiency there. Having more consistent footwork heading into shots is something that might be able to help out.
Overall, Hinton is a good 3-D prospect who can provide value on both ends of the floor with his shooting, rebounding, and defense. While Hinton hasn’t been a great shooter at the college level, and has never been a high volume shooter, there’s reason to be optimistic about his shooting projection. I think it’s likely that he can improve his 3 point volume as well. While he might not be the most intriguing prospect, I believe he should be drafted with a top 40-45 pick this year, at the very least. Currently ranked at #68 on ESPN’s top 100 board is too low for my liking.
www.thestepien.com
Hinton has shown flashes of shooting OTD (as shown above), but can improve his efficiency there. Having more consistent footwork heading into shots is something that might be able to help out.
Overall, Hinton is a good 3-D prospect who can provide value on both ends of the floor with his shooting, rebounding, and defense. While Hinton hasn’t been a great shooter at the college level, and has never been a high volume shooter, there’s reason to be optimistic about his shooting projection. I think it’s likely that he can improve his 3 point volume as well. While he might not be the most intriguing prospect, I believe he should be drafted with a top 40-45 pick this year, at the very least. Currently ranked at #68 on ESPN’s top 100 board is too low for my liking.
Potential Draft Values (2nd Round / UDFA) Part II - The Stepien
Welcome back to the second installment of my series about potential 2nd rounders or undrafted players who have paths to being productive in the NBA. In the first piece of this...
www.thestepien.com
Future knick
#1hiphopjunki3
Go Spurs Go!!
Maybe so......
I honestly think they are hyping him a little too much but the guy definitely has some talent.
The last thing the Knicks need though is another power forward. LMAO. He might be able to play some 3 though
Knick fans would riot if they drafted him