2020 NBA Draft thread

[#1hiphopjunki3]

Key notes from ’19-20:

• Generally high to very high shooting efficiency from all over
• Notably low free-throw rate of .221; has not gotten to the line reliably
• Mediocre free throw percentage as compared to other shooting efficiencies
• Shot an impressive 70.1% from 0-5 feet (not pictured)
• Terrific STOCK rate of 3.2/40 minutes
• Has not generated a ton of off-ball possessions centered around cutting/curling action
• Very high activity levels and efficiency in transition

IV. Physical Profile & Miscellaneous

• August 23rd, 2000 D.O.B. (19.63 years old)
• C&S release time a relatively consistent ~0.7 seconds
• Estimated 6’6″ without shoes, boasting a potential 6’9.5″ wingspan
• Estimated 36″ max vertical leap
• B-plus athlete for archetype
• Slim but athletic build at an estimated 200 lbs featuring balanced mass distribution, similarly “long” feet
• Exceedingly impressive motor
• May be slightly bow-legged — is wobbly balance partly a product of this?
• Wolf track: legs cross in front of one another, forming a single-track line with his path
• Actively maximizing burst with 1) energy output, 2) full-fledged angling of torso ~parallel to floor
• Propensity to move upon the catch in conjunction with a pivot shift, or to move both feet simultaneously to start the dribble drive; often gets called for travels upon move initiation from perimeter
• Looks more fluid with pull-ups and more advanced maneuvers when driving to his left
• Not a particularly physical player

VII. Overall Outlook
It requires no great level of prescience to see Devin Vassell with the potential to immediately contribute in the NBA next season: he is a consummate team defender with an outstanding work ethic, and possesses plug-and-play tools to produce in an at least one major offensive facet. He does not come without flaws entirely–certain physical qualities and current skill development-related questions come together in a way that pose very fair questions about his prospective shot creation abilities, for example–but for a team looking for his particular mold in the 2020 draft, he is likely the top option. Expect Devin Vassell (boasting the highest Gradient Score to date at 2.00) to be a surefire first round pick, with top 10 stock in the right situation.

Devin Vassell Scouting Report - The Stepien

I. Offense Pluses Legitimate above-the-head release on his jumpshot with a high trajectory. Shows great wrist involvement and has a quick release. Vassell demonstrates solid footwork and preemptive rhythmic adjustments...

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[#1hiphopjunki3]

Athleticism / Frame Overview: Quick on his feet (and has nice anticipation and technique), covers ground well laterally, and has nice hip turns, but not a great vertical athlete with much pop and not very fast in a straight line. Quick
Mentality Overview: Team-first player. Picks spots on offense, hustles on defense / looks to help.
Offensive Role: Spacing big, can have an offense run through him as ancillary playmaker.
Defensive Role: Team defender. Not an anchor, but someone who can provide support / do the little things. Solid defensive playmaker

Killian Tillie Scouting Report - The Stepien

Net Rating (+/- in parentheses): +25 (+13.3) Athleticism / Frame Overview: Quick on his feet (and has nice anticipation and technique), covers ground well laterally, and has nice hip turns,...

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[#1hiphopjunki3]

Offense

Finishing: Very good finisher in the paint. Even though he does not have much pop in the paint, Tillie has fantastic touch with either hand, can take contact, good footwork, and a quick release with the ability to finish in tight spaces. Even with the lack of pop, he was still only blocked twice in the halfcourt this season – he really does a nice job keeping the ball away from the defense. Good sense of timing around the basket, as well – not someone who will rush a look. Good cutter off ball, who cuts ready to catch and make his move. Not particularly quick with his cuts, but does a solid job setting it up and is ready to finish immediately on the catch. His lack of length is another problem, but Tillie does a nice job using the length he does have to get his shots up. Soft touch on runners/floaters.

Post Up: Soft touch in the paint, though right hand dominant – when he turns into/over his right shoulder, he’s taking a fadeaway jumper. Does a nice job using his size against smaller players (and is physical as well against bigs, often bumping them off their position); sets up spin moves, drop sets, and fades with bumps on the defender; and has fluid, and effective, footwork. When he has the mismatch or the ability to seal the defender in front (especially off switches), Tillie does a nice job providing a lead passing lane for an over-the-top look. No “useless dribbles” – each one has a purpose. Does not always see the help coming on the catch and can force a look, but not very common. Has faceup ability going forward due to shooting ability and ability to see the court (passing threat)

Post Passing: Might force a shot here and there in the paint, but is overall a very good passer out of the post. Does a nice job kicking it out when he sees the defense coming from in front, but most importantly he makes quick decisions here – when he sees the help defender coming, he’s giving the ball up immediately. Comfortable dribbling out to get a better angle to pass, or to take the defense with him and clear more space

Killian Tillie Scouting Report - The Stepien

Net Rating (+/- in parentheses): +25 (+13.3) Athleticism / Frame Overview: Quick on his feet (and has nice anticipation and technique), covers ground well laterally, and has nice hip turns,...

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[#1hiphopjunki3]

Shooting: High-level shooting big with deep range. Beautiful/smooth mechanics, natural dip (which he can speed up under pressure and has shown the ability to shoot without it), compact form, nice set in the upper and lower body, no unneeded movements, etc. Hands out and ready to catch the ball. Does not get rattled by defenders closing out on him – great both with a clean look and with defenders closing out on him. According to Ryan’s data (@5th_factor on Twitter), Tillie shot 19/41 from NBA three. (The data here is a bit spotty, as ESPN’s distances can be questionable and it does not include all games.) Not someone who will create shots for himself off the bounce, but is an elite C&S shooter including PnP ability out to three – 15/29 (69% adjusted FG%, 44 points). Needs shots created for him along the perimeter – of the 33 tracked threes, 32 were assisted. Due to athletic limitations, Tillie will not be a movement shooter through screens, but he does do a nice job finding the open space on the perimeter with basic relocations. Not someone who attacks closeouts for pullup Js, but it is something he can likely develop given how fluid a shooter he is.

Shot IQ: Very smart shot IQ. Aside from a few forced shots in the post, Tillie does a really nice job taking smart/open looks – not someone who is going to force a shot just to get it up. Shot chart and selection fits perfectly for a modern stretch big, with only 5 shots taken from the midrange – all paint and threes. Even though his post up frequency will likely go down in the NBA, the ability to beat smaller players on switches is a skill that is nice to have in the bag. Not someone who you have to worry about breaking from the offense.

Handle: Good, fluid handle. Gets a bit loose with his left hand on drives in the half court, but still does a nice job maintaining overall control. Nice job using his body to protect the ball against his defender and potential diggers. Comfortable handling in space and under pressure, and will be able to grab and go in transition as the lead ballhandler. Not someone who will break out multiple dribble moves in a row, but has shown the ability to adjust to defenses and use a dribble move to get away from the defense when necessary. As of right now, Tillie is more of a straight-line driver / someone who can rip and attack. However he is not someone who will blow by players from a standstill or off a catch – he attacks and tends to drive with the defender on his hip.

Passing: Read and react passer, but processes the court really quickly – pretty much no delay from what he sees on the court to making his decision. Sees all 3 levels of the court when facing up, and can hit all 3 levels. Very good passing big with good vision, nice touch, and quick decision-making. (Note, has some random accuracy blips.) Does a nice job cutting to the open spot, to provide an outlet into an interior / high-low pass – elite high-low passer. Has shown the ability to pass on the move / off dribbles, but there is not a huge sample size here (probably due to his role with Gonzaga and playing with another big occupying the paint/midrange) – pretty easy projection here.

PnR (General): Versatile PnR player due to his ability to score efficiently as a roll man, pop from 3, pop and take guys off the bounce on closeouts, and use his short-roll passing potential to create for others. Slips screens more than he actually sets them, but gives him a bit more time to attack a moving defense. Beautiful footwork in the PnR – can sometimes take an extra step, but usually does a great job opening up to the pass immediately on the screen slip.

PnR Scoring: As mentioned above, he is a legitimately good PnR roll man – 19/23 in the paint finishing off rolls. He does a nice job using his strength and length to finish in the paint, in addition to his soft touch with either hand. However, I think his athletic limitations might hurt him a bit here going forward. Though he does have solid burst/acceleration downhill on the catch, I do not think it will be enough to offset the vertical pop and length of NBA defenders. Has good footwork here, opening well to the ball, but can sometimes take an extra half-step/waits a half-second too long at the screen level – if he fixes this, it will help him get into the paint a little sooner, which might raise his PnR finishing (and passing potential). Does not have much vertical pop, so his vertical spacing is somewhat limited too – will probably be a big who collapses defenses by catches and then making his move, instead of being someone who collapses defenses simply by diving. Has some potential in PnP and has shown good footwork here, but needs to improve his shooting ability first.

Killian Tillie Scouting Report - The Stepien

Net Rating (+/- in parentheses): +25 (+13.3) Athleticism / Frame Overview: Quick on his feet (and has nice anticipation and technique), covers ground well laterally, and has nice hip turns,...

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[#1hiphopjunki3]

Defense:

Awareness / Team Defense: Smart team defender, high IQ, and not someone who gives up on plays/rotations – will finish plays through to the end and make hustle plays out of area. His head is always on a swivel and appears to do a good job communicating on defense, as well. Knows positioning well, does a nice job knowing when/where to rotate both on the interior and along the perimeter, does a nice job helping on cutters when necessary, and tags cutters well. Would like to see him keep his hands out a bit more, but he has quick hands / arms – hands aren’t always out, but he does a nice job reacting to the pass and bringing the up. Nice defensive playmaker in the passing lanes (quick hands/arms are key here), though could be better if he did keep his hands out a bit more…and, of course, this is just better technique, as it takes away passing lanes from the bat, and makes it so your hands have to cover less ground on the reaction. Can protect the rim a bit, though is not a high-level rim protector – has shown some ability protecting the rim with blocks from the weakside (not an elite weakside rim protector, but his quick processing time helps him here).

Rim Protection: Lack of athleticism / vertical pop hurts Tillie here, but he reads and reacts quickly to what he sees – not necessarily someone who can cover a lot of ground quickly, but he sees and reacts immediately. He’s a smart positional defender, and uses his length well, but lacks high end potential as a rim protector. Smart rotations on the interior, and though he’s not a major vertical pop guy, he does a nice job getting off the floor pretty quickly. Does a good job knowing when it’s “safe” to leave his man to help – timing on the help is good. Nice job using the length he does have to contest shots. Tillie’s strength (though not outlier strong, he has good functional strength) makes it difficult to fully dislodge him also in the paint, forcing the offensive player to take a shot with Tillie in his face. (Overly physical players can get the better of Tillie, but he does a nice job against most.) Nice job sliding and jumping without delay – his quick load time helps offshoot the lack of pop, and helps him contest shots on drives. Can be late on some rotations in the paint, but not often. Nice job staying vertical, but also knows how to adjust his hand placement to better change the shot – right hand, left hand, etc., this is something that shows a bit when he’s contesting downhill drives. Overall, though his positioning and timing is pretty good, his lack of pop/length limits his overall potential as a rim protector going forward.

Post Defense: Even though Tillie is not particularly strong, he plays physically and has functional strength that he uses. Stronger and more physical players can better Tillie in the post, but he is not someone who will just give in – he battles. Flashes the ability of keeping his center of gravity low on backdowns/using his lower body as leverage, making him harder to move. However, he does sometimes rely a bit too much on his chest and stands taller when taking bumps from the offensive player, instead of taking the hit while keeping a lower center of gravity/stronger leverage point. Can battle in the post with bigs and is not someone who gives up against bigger players. When defending faceups, Tillie does a nice job sliding his feet/moving laterally to beat the offensive player to his spot…however, after sliding, if the offensive player attacks the rim with his back to the basket, Tillie can be slow to getting to the low center of gravity he flashes on regular post ups. Does a nice job positioning himself using his quad to take away the offensive player’s strong hand move.

PnR Defense: Needs some work here. He is not a drop big due to his lack of length/pop, so he will likely be seeing more hedges and recovers or switches in PnR coverage. The issue here is that Tillie does not have the ability to explode out from a standstill and recover quickly to the shooter, so if he’s hedging, he’ll require help defense to give him an extra half-second to recover. When the big rolls, Tillie again is not particularly quick recovering downhill – part of this can be alleviated by the angle he takes and keeping his hands in the passing lane, but quick decision-makers (and bigs that slip) can probably exploit him here as well. Tillie shows flashes of getting out to shooters, but even here he’s not that quick out (and his hand is often down, though this is something that can be fixed) – I think his straight-line speed limits him a bit here, overall. When Tillie was able to get back to his man, he did a nice job closing out ready to move – had nice anticipation here too on the drive. If hedging, the team defense / weak-side high man has to be ready to help and give Tillie some time to recover. Tillie can hold up a bit in switch scenarios due to being light on his feet and great anticipation – would not recommend switching him against super shifty/explosive first step Gs, but he can hold up in a pinch. If the ballhandler is able to get an angle on Tillie, his quick jump off movement helps contest even with his lack of elite pop/length – also does a nice job contesting with the hand closest to the ballhandler

Killian Tillie Scouting Report - The Stepien

Net Rating (+/- in parentheses): +25 (+13.3) Athleticism / Frame Overview: Quick on his feet (and has nice anticipation and technique), covers ground well laterally, and has nice hip turns,...

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[#1hiphopjunki3]

Shot Contests / Closeouts: Needs a little work here, but two issues are simple fixes. Simple fix (1): would like to see him do a little better job keeping his hand high on the closeouts, as he can keep them down and bring them up at the last minute to contest. Simple fix (2), close out a bit closer to the shooter – he can also close out a bit short on the shooter instead of fully getting out. As mentioned above in the PnR defense segment, his straight-line speed out to shooters isn’t particularly good, which is something that can limit him. He does a nice job trying to get out, and his positioning off ball is good so he’s not often trying to scramble out, but the lack of speed still impacts his effectiveness. When Tillie is able to get out, he does a nice job staying active and ready to move – anticipation and quickness helps him adjust immediately to the receiving player put the ball on the floor.

Off Ball (Screen) Defense: Not someone I want chasing movement shooters off screens due to his lack of speed. However, he is not someone who loses his man because he’s not paying attention – nice job keeping his head on a swivel. Tillie does a really nice job being aware of where his man is on the court while seeing the action as well.

Man (ISO) Defense: Nimble in space and light on his feet, despite not being very quick. Does a nice job cutting guys off, forcing re-directions, and staying with them. (Should watch his hands because he is prone to putting them both on the ballhandler as he drives, which will be called as a foul in the NBA.) Stop and go moves (and hesitations) can throw him a little bit and he can lose his body, but Tillie does a good job still trying to contest, though sometimes he’s a bit too far from the play to actually have an impact here. Needs to make sure he’s not resting on his heels, as ballhandlers can take him off the bounce – he can get back into the picture, but it will be more difficult against bigger and better athletes in the NBA. Stance is also a bit slouched over and he doesn’t really get into an active stance, which might be limiting some of his lateral quickness – a non-active (hunched over) stance, means less core tightness, which means worse energy transference through from the feet up. Watching individual clips in slow motion, you can actually see the lack of core strength/balance on the dribble moves that throw him – the hips rise, then his upper body rises, and he looks wobbly.

Footwork: Footwork is usually pretty good. He does a nice job sliding, flipping hips, and remaining in a slide. Hip turns are good as well – no unnecessary steps, does a nice job opening his hips without giving up a direct angle to the lane. When defending smaller/quicker players, Tillie can get shook a bit / taken off balance with dribble moves – you can see him cross his feet a bit and lose balance. It doesn’t happen very often, but core strength/balance is something that should be worked on. He is also a bit prone to crossing his feet going downhill full speed making it a little easier to dislodge him, but generally does a nice job here – just something that happens occasionally.

Potential Switchability: Has the potential to be pretty switchable. Is not someone I would want defending very shifty players, or those with explosive first steps, but Tillie’s quickness/lightness on his feet and anticipation bode well going forward. Help should be available if the offensive player gets an angle on him and is able to drive/create a lane, but Tillie can hold up in a pinch against most wings and many Gs. Again, it’s really the shifty / quick (explosive first step) guards that I’d try to avoid switching.

Killian Tillie Scouting Report - The Stepien

Net Rating (+/- in parentheses): +25 (+13.3) Athleticism / Frame Overview: Quick on his feet (and has nice anticipation and technique), covers ground well laterally, and has nice hip turns,...

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[#1hiphopjunki3]

Athleticism / Frame Overview: Not a good vertical athlete, but moves well laterally – not super quick, but his anticipation helps him here. Fluid flip turns and can flip consecutively, when needed…though not super quick. Solid strength for his size – maybe a little room to add more weight. His last tested wingspan and reach are both below average for PG – reported wingspan by 2 inches and reach by 1.75 inches. His lack of burst, high-level lateral quickness, or pop makes his poor measurements a bit more harming…but his IQ and feel help offset it.
Mentality Overview: Competitive, high IQ player. Does not take plays off. Game manager on both ends.
Offensive Role: Game manager PG. Runs the offense, but ideally not used as a primary creator. High IQ.
Defensive Role: Point of attack/PG defender. Likely one position, maybe some small ball 2 defense. Competitive, high IQ.

Tre Jones Scouting Report 2020 - The Stepien

Net Rating: +15 Athleticism / Frame Overview: Not a good vertical athlete, but moves well laterally – not super quick, but his anticipation helps him here. Fluid flip turns...

www.thestepien.com

 

[#1hiphopjunki3]

Offense:

Finishing: Poor finisher, though shows some shifty downhill attacks leading to some nice finishes – nice job using change of pace to get the defender off balance and attack downhill. Touch around the rim looked a bit worse compared to last year with an increase in responsibilities, but still displayed nice touch on runners. Not someone who can dislodge defenders on the drive, or take contact particularly well in the paint. Does a pretty nice job keeping the ball away/shielding the ball from his man on drives (does not have the ball poked free), but diggers have had success in disrupting his drives/forcing turnovers. If he does feel the ball starting to get poked out when he’s going for the finish in the paint, he brings his off-hand onto the ball to help secure it. Does not have much pop in the paint and jumps out more than up…which is problematic considering his size and touch, and lead to 10 shots blocked in the paint in the halfcourt. Only 28/66 out in the paint out of PnRs/ISOs (20/47 excluding jumpers and runners).

Shooting: Not a great shooter yet, but the touch he has on runners and the improvements he made from last year potentially projects an upward trend going forward – will likely not be someone who defenses can just ignore off ball. Form-wise, the ball comes off his hands with a bit too much wrist action, head can be leaning back on the release throwing off his balance a bit, and his left hand placement can be on top of the ball too much rather than on the sides. Though the left hand placement is not always an indicator of being a poor shooter, with Tre it looks like it’s an impediment on some shots as he does not remove it in time on some shots to prevent it from interfering with the release. In addition, the loadup is a bit slow – he catches the ball, brings it left, brings his feet in, and then gets into the shooting motion. The slower release leads to the lower percentages on contested shots. I think the loadup can be fixed and will help his play off ball – as he speeds up the catch into the release, contesting defenses will not be able to affect his shot as easily as they can now. Some shots have hitches (nothing requiring a shot overhaul, but something to point out – less prevalent than last year) but do not. Does a nice job getting his right arm aligned with the rim. Has the ability to pulllup off the bounce going either way, but defenders can poke their hands in to disrupt the shot. 19/39 from NBA 3, according to Ryan’s data (@5th_factor on Twitter) – a little murky because the location data is not always accurate, though, but a datapoint nonetheless

Shot Versatility / Creation: Good stationary C&S shooter – 19/43 on no dribble jumpers, though defenders closing out has an impact on his percentages due to the slow loadup. In terms of running off screens, until Tre speeds up his footwork / release, he will likely not be someone running off screens. However, I do think he will be someone who can hit shots off basic relocation – he has shown the ability to do this already, with inconsistent results, and the IQ to know where to cut / how to space properly. On-ball creation, Tre does a nice job getting to his spots off the bounce and has the ability to shoot off a left or right-handed dribble. As mentioned above, Tre does a fantastic job squaring up to the basket in the air regardless of the final dribble off a downhill attack. Though the results are not consistent yet, he has shown nice flashes hitting these – if he is able to start hitting these at a consistent clip, it should help alleviate some PnR scoring shortcomings that come from his poor finishing ability. Tre has also shown the ability to self-create for himself and make room for pullup jumpers, in addition to piecing together a few dribble moves to get to his spots (be it from midrange or the rim – notwithstanding his poor finishing ability, the ability to get into the paint is still there). Has ability to pull up in transition when he has time to set – not particularly efficient here yet, but flashes have been good – 7/21 on above the break 3s. Off the bounce, Tre does a fantastic job squaring up in air off a dribble from either hand. However, as with his C&S form, his guide hand plays an impact here as well, leading to inconsistent results. Some shots look smooth with the guide hand more on the side, but then others have it on top and in front, blocking a clean release. Nice ability to space from above the break in the halfcourt (non-transition attempts) – 25/63.

Tre Jones Scouting Report 2020 - The Stepien

Net Rating: +15 Athleticism / Frame Overview: Not a good vertical athlete, but moves well laterally – not super quick, but his anticipation helps him here. Fluid flip turns...

www.thestepien.com

 

[#1hiphopjunki3]

Shot IQ: Good shot IQ. Does a nice job getting to his spots in the halfcourt and not forcing many shots he shouldn’t be taking. Might miss the occasional swing pass or kickout on drives, but not someone who will shut down ball movement to try and create looks for himself. Takes a good amount of jumpers from midrange and doesn’t hit them at a high clip (39/108), but these are good looks he’s able to get in the flow of the offense…and frankly, they are looks he’ll have to take/make because of his poor finishing ability – he has to be able to hit these to pull defenders towards him in PnR. Basically, even he does a good job getting to his spots and takes shots he is comfortable with taking, can make, and has to take due to defensive scheming and trying to open up lanes a bit more. I would like to see him up his volume from three a bit more, though.

Handle: Good handle and uses it, in conjunction with his change of pace, to get free from defenders. Really does a nice job piecing moves together to throw the defense and create a bit of space on the perimeter, or get downhill. Pretty full package in terms of what he can do. Nice job lulling the defender to sleep by slowing down, and then changing speed to get his driving lane. Does not have great burst off the bounce, but his change of pace dribble, hesitation, and in-and-out do a nice job keeping the defender off balance and giving him room to attack. Keeps crossovers low and does a nice job changing directions, through plant-crossovers, spins, etc. Can dribble into traffic, allowing defenders to poke their hands in to disrupt his handle. Would like to see him use his body a bit more to keep the defender away from poking the ball away from behind. Not many live-ball dribbling turnovers, but he is prone to losing the ball and recovering on the perimeter as he’s making his move. Handle turnovers appear to come from his man being caught behind and reaching in. Needs to do a better job protecting the ball going into a pass or shot – ball gets away from him in the transition period, as it looks like he brings the ball a bit too far out of his body. (Might have smaller hands, too?

Passing: Reactive passer – reads the court and then passes. A “game manager” initiator who does a nice job getting everyone in position and making a read to get the offense moving, including swing passes. However, he does not have great vision – most reads are simple ones, which limits playmaking ability (in addition to his height). Accuracy can use some work and decision-making between the type of pass (chest vs bounce), and angle taken passing the ball, can use some work. Generally speaking, he does a nice job making decisions passing the ball – the biggest issue for him here, however, is he is prone to giving in under pressure and forcing a pass he should not be making. Needs to do a better job moving from his handle to a pass – ball can slip away from him, or positioning off the pass (angle from which he’s passing) might provide an opportunity for defenses to poke their hand in. Generally speaking, he does a nice job making decisions passing the ball – the biggest issue for him here, however, is he is prone to giving in under pressure and forcing a pass he should not be making. Nice passer in transition too, doing a good job getting his team in the right spot and pushing the pace. Solid D&K passer as well, though a bit limited with defenses sitting on his finishing ability. All in all, he’s more of a game-managing passer – someone who makes the smart read to get the offense moving, but not someone who can run an offense by himself without a set system in place (and preferably other playmakers) due to his lack of high-level reads (and a lack of athleticism that is not able to create simpler looks for team by collapsing the defense). Smart passer, though

Tre Jones Scouting Report 2020 - The Stepien

Net Rating: +15 Athleticism / Frame Overview: Not a good vertical athlete, but moves well laterally – not super quick, but his anticipation helps him here. Fluid flip turns...

www.thestepien.com

 

[#1hiphopjunki3]

PnR (General): Not a very nuanced PnR playmaker, but does a nice job getting to his spots. Would like to see him try to get into the paint a bit more before kicking it out. Shows flashes of setting up screens / snaking, but does not happen that often. Not particularly turnover prone – high TO% no Synergy includes many turnovers after he had completed the pass. Good decision-maker overall, both deciding when to shoot / pass. Has nice change of pace to get defender off balance. Nice split between passing and shooting, though his efficiency has to improve (especially in the paint).

PnR Passing: Not an advanced PnR passer – really just takes what the defense gives him. Has not shown much ability in manipulating the defense with pass fakes/head fakes. Does a nice job taking both defenders, when possible, leading to easier kickouts to the perimeter or the roll man if there is an opening. Nice job keeping his head up, but the reads he makes are simple ones. Sometimes zones in on a particular read he wants to make when there is an easier pass available, leading to forced looks and the receiving player with limited options upon the catch. Not super turnover prone passing the ball, but can force the ball to teammates where there is not a viable passing lane available (the high TO% on Synergy includes turnovers from teammates after the pass and being stripped). biggest strength here is probably quick decision-making, getting rid of the ball to an open teammate while the defense is still moving. Has shown some flashes driving and kicking after hesitations going downhill, but he’s more east-west than north-south in the PnR. Much more comfortable hitting the perimeter than passing to the screener – a couple of flashes with lobs and pocket passes, but not many at all. His downhill attacks off the screen often stop at the elbow before making a decision, making him a little easier to defend – poor finishing ability hurts him here as well because his poor finishing ability does not call for extra help. *It should be noted that he was more willing to hit the role man last year, so the drop-off might be team dependent.*

PnR Scoring: Tre’s PnR scoring potential is heavily dependent, if not fully dependent, on his ability to hit pullup jumpers and hit runners. Right now, Tre has issues finishing in the paint – 16/37 in the paint overall. Defenses will likely be willing to risk someone like Tre, who does not have much vertical pop in the paint, in 1 on 1 coverage at the rim instead of giving up a mid-range jumper…meaning, if he does not have that jumper to go to, teams can sit on him as a scorer and play the pass pretty heavily. Tre shot 21/57 on all jumpers out of the PnR, a percentage that has to get higher. Digging into a bit deeper, he also shot 5/11 on 3s off the PnR when the defender goes under the screen or just walking into the pullup 3. Tre has the ability to hit shots off the bounce from midrange, but, as I have mentioned multiple times already, the results are not consistent yet the middle game is especially important for him considering how inefficient he is at the rim. If the 3 remains a shot he can beat defenses by (not necessarily at 45%), when defenses go over the screen, he’ll need another way to beat them – pullup jumpers from the elbows could be that shot

Tre Jones Scouting Report 2020 - The Stepien

Net Rating: +15 Athleticism / Frame Overview: Not a good vertical athlete, but moves well laterally – not super quick, but his anticipation helps him here. Fluid flip turns...

www.thestepien.com

 

[#1hiphopjunki3]

Defense:

Awareness / Team Defense: High IQ team defender, but had a drop this year with an increase in usage/larger offensive role – all around on defense, not just team defense. Does a nice job playing positional defense when defending off ball, talks on defense and points out where everyone needs to be, stunts/tags off ball, etc. Nice job positioning himself to help and stay within a distance to get back to his man without major scrambling. Game manager on defense, making sure team is on the same page. Not someone who makes rotations on the interior to protect the rim, but does a nice job helping off his man along the perimeter when necessary – to keep the shell, go to open man/next pass, etc. Nice job tagging the roll and recovering to his assignment, when playing help defense. Head is on a swivel keeping track of his man and the actions. Nice defensive playmaker reading the passing lanes and knowing where to position himself – opportunistic shooting the gap and knowing when/where to go for the steal without jeopardizing the team defense– as with his ISO defense, his high-level anticipation/IQ really shows here. Can get a bit too aggressive at times, but it’s not a recurring issue. Super quick hands reaching in from behind / on the side.

Rim Protection: N/A for team-defense. Size and lack of pop limits him here as a weakside rim protector. Smart defender, but few rotations on the interior this season. Rim protection numbers from the shot chart are boosted by help defense. Did a solid job contesting on ball paint shots – was able to take bumps, had solid timing, and was able to get back in front of the ballhandler going downhill…However, his size/length and athletic limitations hurt him here against bigger and more athletic players – even in college, players were able to shoot/finish over him, despite Tre being right there contesting.

PnR Defense: Good PnR defender. Though he can get screener off and play from behind on some plays, Tre does a nice job getting back into the play and either playing from behind if the ballhandler is heading downhill or getting back to his assignment on the perimeter – rarely does he just give up. Nice footwork at the point of attack with a 2 plant/3 step get through. Has shown the ability to get skinny and over the top of screens or simply beat the screen high before the screener can set. However, he is also prone to relaxing at the point of attack (or reaching in at an inopportune time) when he thinks the ballhandler is about to attack, leading to driving lanes for the ballhandler – might be some miscommunications involved here as well, though. Lack of size/length precludes him from being switchable going forward – if there is a forced switch, team defense needs to be on point to either help immediately on a post or have another defender readily available to switch Tre off the screener.

Tre Jones Scouting Report 2020 - The Stepien

Net Rating: +15 Athleticism / Frame Overview: Not a good vertical athlete, but moves well laterally – not super quick, but his anticipation helps him here. Fluid flip turns...

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Shot Contests / Closeouts: Nice job closing out – hustles out to shooters. Pretty clean form and does not give up clear driving lanes – does not really overextend or open up his hips too much. Nice job staying neutral and in his stance, ready to move when necessary. Does not have great athleticism (speed or pop) when getting out to shooters, but is able to get out and recover nonetheless even when in help because of his good positioning off ball. Contesting bigger 3/D wings might be problematic because of his lack of pop, though.

Off Ball Defense: Good off ball defender. Does a nice job getting through screens and getting back into the play, even when screened / bumped off slightly from his trailing position. Does a good job contesting from the side / back when necessary. Smart with the angles he takes, and tries shooting the gap for steals here. Comfortable having him defending movement shooters in off-ball actions. Also does a nice job seeing the ball and man, not being taken off guard by his assignment moving off screens or relocating.

Man (ISO) Defense: Good isolation defender, even though he does not have great athletic tools. He’s quick, but not super quick – he makes his money in isolation with his anticipation beating the ballhandler to the spot. Also does a nice job getting downhill pretty quickly and changing directions/flipping hips (more fluid than immediate quickness here, though). Slides well laterally. If the ballhandler gets an angle to drive, Tre usually does a nice job getting back in the play. He is prone to crossing his feet on occasion and opening his hips too much, both after flipping his hips on drives and just going from a neutral stance to angling the ballhandler a specific direction. Can also be caught resting on his heels. Also can get a bit too close to the defender before he makes his move, or on the initial dribble, which can give the ballhandler a half second to get ahead. As with PnR defense, he is prone to relaxing in his stance on occasion, giving ballhandler a moment to exploit. Quick hands.

Footwork: His stance is a bit too hunched over / forward, though it looked a bit better this year. Slides well, has flashed absolutely beautiful technique changing directions/flipping hips on drives – planting the outside/lead foot, and pivoting on the inside (though sometimes can open too far). Hip turns are fluid, though not super quick – does not rely on an extra step as he’s flipping them. His actual footwork is solid and slides well – may cross his feet on occasion, but it’s not a super common occurrence. Would like to see him improve his balance/core strength a bit more, because when going downhill/moving full speed, he is susceptible to stop and go moves. As mentioned above, though he does not always have an opportunity to get over the screen, Jones’ footwork in the PnR is generally good with 3 steps/2 plants and over. However, he has to stop relaxing at the POA when he thinks the ballhandler is about to attack.

Potential Switchability: Not switchable. Though he does play with some physicality, his strength and size limitations pretty much limits him to being a PG defender, with some potential ability defending smaller 2s

Tre Jones Scouting Report 2020 - The Stepien

Net Rating: +15 Athleticism / Frame Overview: Not a good vertical athlete, but moves well laterally – not super quick, but his anticipation helps him here. Fluid flip turns...

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I’m guessing that much of the perception difference between the two is that Achiuwa is a one-and-done and Reed is a junior. Reed, indeed, is older than Achiuwa … by three whole months. They both will be 21 on opening night. The biggest “difference” between the two is an insignificant one. Meanwhile, let’s talk about defense, since that’s the main selling point of each. Achiuwa is indeed quite good at this end. But Reed is a freaking beast. I don’t think you need to devour tape 24/7 to conclude that Reed is a superior defender; though both players can harass guards effectively with their long arms and lateral quickness, Reed is the better of the two and his fast hands are a game-changer. The numbers back it up too: He had the highest steal rate of any significant draft prospect at any position, despite playing inside on a terrible team that rarely left him in position to succeed


So why is he not seen as a lottery pick? Lewis does have some minor warts that keep him out of the truly elite group. His passing is more “adequate” than “special,” and his slight build could be a problem. You’d maybe like to see a bit more of a blow-by gear in the half court, too; Lewis has great straight-line speed but glides into his first step at times. That said … he’s a young point guard with size, shooting and some pop as a leaper. He’s blazing fast in transition, has a secure handle, generates a ton of space on step-backs, can make reads in pick and roll, and is more than capable of guarding the position. Statistically, his markers were all hugely positive (high rates of steals and blocks, good shooting) and the tape backs it up

Hollinger: Five takes on NBA Draft prospects where I’m against the consensus

In comparing his evaluation of prospects to where they are ranked by the most prominent draftologists, Hollinger noticed some differences.

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19-year-old Argentinian forward Leandro Bolmaro has declared for the 2020 NBA Draft per AS.com. Bolmaro has spent the last two seasons with Barcelona in Spain. He played for Barcelona’s second club, Barcelona II, in 2018-19 and split time between the main club and second club this season.
The 6’7’’ Bolmaro is rated as a late first round pick by most draft analysts. Bolmaro is a solid scorer and playmaker. He was a much-improved shooter in this second season in the Barcelona system.
Bolmaro has a good nose for the ball, as he averaged over a steal per game in each of the last two seasons. He’ll need to improve his strength to compete at the NBA level. That will allow him to defend NBA players and to be a competitive rebounder.
Some teams view Bolmaro as a player who could be a “draft and stash” candidate. He won’t turn 20 years old until just before the start of the 2020-21 season. With Bolmaro needing to add strength and being relatively inexperienced on the highest levels in Europe, he could spend another season or two overseas

Argentinian forward Leandro Bolmaro, 19, declares for 2020 NBA Draft - ProBasketballTalk | NBC Sports

Bolmaro has spent the last two seasons in the Barcelona system in Spain

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Athleticism / Frame Overview: Strong, very good frame, quick hips and moves well laterally. Powerful jumper off two feet, less so off one (especially in traffic). Can get up quickly in traffic, but not high (especially without loading). Would like to see him work on his pop without getting both feet underneath him – quicken the ability to load into the jump.

Mentality Overview: Energy big, confident in game, but needs to stay more within his roll. Nice motor, though would like to see him play a bit more physical.

Offensive Role: Energy big. Someone who thrives in transition, in PnR, and maybe basic C&S (in time, maybe PnP). Nice free throw rate. Crashes offensive glass.

Defensive Role: Versatile 4 defender, but can get some minutes at the 5 as he continues to fill out and can be switchable on the perimeter. Crashes defensive glass.

Precious Achiuwa Scouting Report - The Stepien

Net Rating: +12. Athleticism / Frame Overview: Strong, very good frame, quick hips and moves well laterally. Powerful jumper off two feet, less so off one (especially in...

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Finishing: Not a great finisher – more power and strength based than touch. 15 dunks in the halfcourt, 13 and-1s…but also 13 shots blocked. 63% in the halfcourt on non-post ups and putbacks and 21/37 on putbacks. Does not rise that well (high) in traffic or through bumps, but can get up pretty quickly and beat the defense on the catch. Does a nice job taking contact and getting the shot up, but the touch takes away from some and-1s (and a higher finishing percentage in general). Right hand dominant in traffic, some left handed finishes against single coverage though. Part of the lower percentage for his size / length / overall athleticism is he forces plenty of shots on drives and on drop-offs, missing open passes out to the perimeter when the defense closes on him. More vertical pop and ability to use strength off two feet. Flashes some scoop finishes with his either hand off one foot, but there’s not much pop…this can be bypassed getting the defender on his hip on the roll, but if there’s weakside help or a bigger defender, the shot might get blocked. I like his acceleration on the catch off the catch or roll when he’s not crowded on the catch – picks up speed pretty well. Solid cutter off ball with nice timing on dives to the rim, so he could fit next to a good short roll passer as the diving 4 – not someone who sets the cut up, though…just someone who takes advantage of open lanes (which is still good). Lower finishing number relative to his position / future position is partially due to playing as the 4 next to another big, which probably hurts his finishing ability at least somewhat (including on cuts) because he is often faced with a crowded paint à so the numbers could increase a bit with a bit more spacing on the court. Also needs to stop bringing the ball down in the paint.

PnR Ability: Not a short roll passer, but can catch and put the ball on the floor on the move – if the defense tries cutting him short on space to move, he’s comfortable shifting to the right…but if there is little room to move, he’ll force a shot. Had a couple of short roll passes, but they did not end in good looks and he missed some pretty simply short roll passes that went to forced looks at the rim instead – might be something to unlock here based on the recognition and other “short-roll-esque” passes, but it will likely not be a big part of his game. I really like the footwork in the PnR opening up to the pass without an extra step. Does not have the quickest release though after the screen. I like how he is able to get to the rim fluidly on the catch. Does not have much pop off one foot on the roll. Solid hands on the catch, but not great.

Post Ups: Not someone I want making decisions out of the post, or creating for himself. Has basic footwork, which isn’t very good, in addition to average touch. He does a nice job sealing the defender in front to get easy lead passes over the top against smaller players, so posting up in a pinch when he has a mismatch is possible…just not someone I’d trust on regular post ups. With his first step, he might be able to develop a faceup game if the jumper becomes somewhat of a viable option due to his comfortability handling and quick first step, but it’s not something I’d go to often. Not a passer out of the post – not someone who will kick it out and reposition / repost with better position.

Precious Achiuwa Scouting Report - The Stepien

Net Rating: +12. Athleticism / Frame Overview: Strong, very good frame, quick hips and moves well laterally. Powerful jumper off two feet, less so off one (especially in...

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Shooting: Inconsistent shooter. Strictly speaking about his shooting mechanics / form in the upper body, it’s pretty solid. The ball comes off his hands softly, he has a nice follow through (though lets his hand down quickly after the release), a consistent release, no hitch, nice release point, etc. His lower body really kills his shot – aside from not being squared up either fully, or even having his right foot pointing to the rim, Precious turns his body on the shot well to the left, which leads to very erratic results. He really has to stop turning, because the mechanics on his shot are solid and, in theory, they project pretty well as a C&S player. When he has room to shoot, the turn is less blatant, but it is still there. In the pictures below, I am trying to show how his mechanics are pretty consistent, but the lower body turn changes when he’s closed out on.

Shot Versatility: Not much shot versatility, nor would I project there to be. He will not be someone running off screens, and his footwork as a shooter needs a lot of work…so it could be a while before he ever gets to passable PnP potential, if he gets there at all. If he fixes his footwork, I can see basic C&S in his arsenal and maybe a PnP here and there….but his bread and butter J will be C&S. Not someone I want taking jumpers off the dribble, besides maybe basic pullups off one or two dribbles straight line dribbles – nothing more than that, probably.

Shot IQ: Not a huge fan of his shot selection. 57% of his attempts in the halfcourt are at the rim, which is a bit low for someone with his skillset. Though it is true playing with another big hurts spacing and forces him to the perimeter a bit more than he should be playing right now, instead of passing up jumpers or wild runners / takes to the rim, he takes them. Misses passing lanes on drives and takes some pretty contested jumpers he should be swinging to his teammate. He has taken 20 “pure” C&S jumpers (no dribble) against 24 off the dribble jumpers…which, for someone with his skillset, should be swapped at the very least…though, in truth, he should not be taking any off the bounce jumpers right now, unless they’re maybe simple pullups…but even that, I’d pass on pretty easily for a better look from a teammate. Needs to work on playing within himself a bit more and turning down shots he might want to take, but are bad shots and should not take.
Handle: Solid handle package, but it is loose and wild at times. Picking up speed can lead to turnovers as the ball gets away from him. Can drive in a straight-line and has a really nice first step for a true 4 – can catch and go, or attack on the rip through and beat his man. Shows some flashes of spin moves, crosses, and hesitations, but they’re not smooth enough or consistent enough to really go to – you can see the handle get looser the longer he’s handling and/or the more advanced the move is he’s trying to make. Makes questionable handling decisions driving into traffic / going into an extra defender. Has a nice first step, which should make him a basic face up threat in the PnP (if the jumper comes or there is space to attack). Not someone I would trust handling in crowded areas or for more than a few dribbles in the halfcourt, unless he has plenty of room. Can grab and go in transition.

Passing: Not a very good passer in the halfcourt, vision-wise, touch, or accuracy. As mentioned above, he flashed a few solid short roll / short-roll-esque passes, but overall accuracy needs work. He’s prone to forcing passes he shouldn’t be making, but also missing pretty easy passes he should be making. Can make quick decisions if he knows where the open man is / is going to be. Does a nice job kicking the ball up in transition (had a beautiful left-handed full court pass against Bradley with 8:21 in 2nd half) and making outlet passes to beat the defense – this might be his best passing skill. Can make some basic passes when the defense is in flux off his handle. Not a passer out of the post – not someone who will kick it out and reposition / repost with better position.

Precious Achiuwa Scouting Report - The Stepien

Net Rating: +12. Athleticism / Frame Overview: Strong, very good frame, quick hips and moves well laterally. Powerful jumper off two feet, less so off one (especially in...

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Awareness / Team Defense: Inconsistent in the paint, but has nice flashes. Shows nice rotations in the paint helping on drives or cutters, but then he’ll stay back (won’t rotate) and rely on his vertical pop to contest and miss the rim protection opportunity…giving up a good look. Actually does a pretty good job recognizing when he’s supposed to help on the perimeter. Sometimes late to help / adjust to fluid situations (such as in PnR), but he is able to recover due to his athleticism. Nice job tagging cutters off ball, helping on the roll / in paint, keeping hands out, etc. Good defensive playmaker – one of 9 players in the country with a BLK% of 6.5% and a STL% of 2+. Head looks like it’s on a swivel a good amount of time, though loses his man off movement when there is a main action going on and he just ball watches. When he has to recover on a ballhandler driving, he is prone to taking a weird angle and giving up an open layup – he’ll move to stop the ballhandler, but his positioning is off and the opponent ends up scoring.

Rim Protection: A lot of potential here. He has great strength and frame for his age, nice length (7’2.25 wingspan and 9’ standing reach are both above average for PFs), solid recognition (though this can definitely improve), and vertical pop. Athleticism helps him recover from mistakes / being late to rotate and his strength allows him to absorb contact while contesting the shot. Has nice body control around the rim when contesting, finding ways to back away from a potential foul while still contesting well – can take the body hit and still contest. He is reliant on his athleticism to protect the rim instead of always rotating when he’s supposed to. While he can get by it, and still shows nice recognition in helping, I would like to see him rotate a bit sooner because there are some plays he simply misses due to being out of position on time and contesting late – rotate sooner, get in position, and use length + pop to contest instead.

PnR Defense: Solid PnR defender who should be able to play in a variety of schemes. Moves well laterally, though staying in his stance is the key – moves slower and is prone to hopping instead of sliding when out of it. Although he might be able to defend some players at the point of attack, he needs to work on not biting on the screen setup – steps in direction of the screen, hesitations, jab steps, fakes, etc can get him to relax…and while he can recover (and always tries to), he’s not always able to in time. The few times he has defended at the POA, he gave driving lanes to attack. I like his ability to recover when he is playing as the screen defender – if the screener changes the side he is screening, or the POA defender gets caught in the screen and needs help, Precious does a nice job helping on the ballhandler. Can be switchable going forward, but has to stay in his stance and not relaxed / on his heels

Precious Achiuwa Scouting Report - The Stepien

Net Rating: +12. Athleticism / Frame Overview: Strong, very good frame, quick hips and moves well laterally. Powerful jumper off two feet, less so off one (especially in...

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Shot Contests / Closeouts: Inconsistent, though not bad. He does a nice job using his length and reaction time to get out to shooters, I love his activity off ball tagging the roll and getting out, and does a pretty good job recognizing when he needs to help a teammate on perimeter on the shell. Doesn’t give up many drives to the basket, which his good – if the ballhandler puts the ball on the court, Achiuwa does a nice job changing his position quickly (turning hips, if needed) and sliding / moving with him. He may overhelp (or ball watch, and lose his man), close with a low hand, bite on some fakes, and not close out with effort all the time (when shooter is too far away), but his closeouts aren’t bad. Overhelping is something that can be coached out of him and his technique can be worked on.

Off Ball Defense: N/A. Not someone I would want defending movement bigs off many screens full time, but might work in a pinch.

Man (ISO) Defense: Moves well laterally and has quick hips. Gets downhill quickly. Quick to react to the shot going up. However, he is prone to biting on hesitations, fakes, and other moves that set up drives – same issue if he’s on ball at the POA in the PnR. Stop and go needs work, as when he’s moving backwards, he can step too far back and be caught out of position…which makes it harder to get back to the ball and contest the shot – this could be a balance / core strength issue. When he’s moving downhill against a driver, he is prone to opening his hips and running / half-running downhill to stay with the ballhandler – this opens him up to issues stopping and going, in addition to change of direction issues.

Footwork: Needs to work on his footwork – prone to crossing his feet (which is why his balance is sometimes just bad)…and this also hurts him on change of direction, stop and go moves, etc. He bites on too many fakes and dribble moves, getting himself out of position – resting on heels, standing upright (and out of stance), etc. However, is also able to overcome some of these mistakes due to his recovery speed, good hips, length, and athleticism. When he is out of his stance, he hops more than slides. Moves well laterally when he is in his stance. If he is able to get his footwork more consistent, he could be a nightmare defensive matchup everywhere on the court due to his combination of strength, fluidity, reaction time, and athleticism.

Potential Switchability: If he is able to clean up his footwork / technique and stops biting on so many hesitations and other dribble moves, Precious should be able to switch pretty comfortably onto smaller players. He’s a good laterally athlete in terms of movement and turning his hips / change of direction, but biting on moves hurts his ability to defend in space. He’s quick to react to the shot going up and does a great job using his length. He also has to hone in on staying in his stance – when he’s in it, his movement patterns are a lot better; when he is out of it, he tends to hop instead of slide laterally. Given his strength and length, he should also be able to switch up. I would like to see him get just a bit stronger and improve footwork (quad behind post up player’s hamstrings) and hand placement, but he should be able to play some 5 / switch onto some 5s…at the very least, definitely small ball 5s

Precious Achiuwa Scouting Report - The Stepien

Net Rating: +12. Athleticism / Frame Overview: Strong, very good frame, quick hips and moves well laterally. Powerful jumper off two feet, less so off one (especially in...

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Athleticism /Frame Overview: Strong and solid frame, but he’s not a good athlete – vertically, laterally, first step, or picking up acceleration on an attack. Uses strength and wingspan well.
Mentality Overview: Aggressive shooter with high confidence. Not someone who chucks recklessly – does a nice job playing within his role and to his strengths. When his shot gets hot, he hits some pretty high-level shots with defenders close by. Competes on defense – not someone who takes plays off, but not someone who is overly aggressive either.
Offensive Role: Elite floor spacer with movement shooting – someone you can run off multiple screens, flares, pindowns, etc. The defense has to pay attention to him because he’s a deadeye shooter, so if he is able to get a step on someone, he’ll either get an open look for himself or force the defense to help, opening up a passing lane or driving lane.
Defensive Role: 2/3 defender, who might be able to defend some smaller 4s (3s playing up a position in small ball), but not true 4s. Potentially switchable a bit up to the 4 because of strength + length, but not someone I would routinely want switching because it will likely require a good amount of help from his teammates

Aaron Nesmith Scouting Report - The Stepien

Athleticism / Frame Overview: Strong and solid frame, but he’s not a good athlete – vertically, laterally, first step, or picking up acceleration on an attack. Uses strength and...

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