SCOUTING NBA 2014 DRAFT PROFILES

Binuk Kodituwakku [email protected] Binuk Kodituwakku NBA Scouting Reports [email protected]

Table of Contents

Abstract ...... 2

Aaron Gordon ...... 3

Adreian Payne ...... 6

Andrew Wiggins...... 9

Gary Harris ...... 13

Jabari Parker ...... 16

James Young ...... 19

Joel Embiid ...... 22

Julius Randle ...... 26

Marcus Smart ...... 29

Nik Stauskas ...... 33

Noah Vonleh ...... 36

Zach Lavine ...... 39

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Binuk Kodituwakku NBA Scouting Reports [email protected]

Abstract

These scouting reports were made after carefully watching these 12 prospects throughout the season. Their development was monitored and tracked. All these observations are exclusively mine. After reading an interview with Indiana Pacers Scout Kevin Mackey, I focused on the following skills and assessed how a player will be able to translate their ability in these areas to the NBA: 1. Shooting 2. Ability to get open 3. Rebounding 4. Passing 5. Handle

These profiles are intended to be used in addition to advanced metrics. The reason I did not include any advanced stats is because teams emphasize importance on different metrics because of their roster construction. These profiles provide an insight into the basketball skills of these prospects from a scouting perspective. An ideal scouting report would add the specific advanced metrics that teams are looking for to the scouting perspective.

Finally, I only focused on 12 prospects because I wanted to provide in-depth analysis and I did not watch enough games of other prospects to analyze them with the desired level of detail.

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Aaron Gordon

Basic Stats  6’9 and 220 pounds  6’11.75 wingspan  Season Averages: 12.4 Points, 8 Rebounds, 2 Assists and 1 Block.  Field Goal Percentage – 49.5%  3 Point Field Goal Percentage – 35.6% (45 shots)  Free Throw Percentage – 42.2%  33 Inch Standing Vertical  39 Inch Maximum Vertical  10.81 seconds for lane agility test (fastest of any Power Forward at the combine)  Fastest shuttle run at combine 2.76 seconds, measuring ability to change direction

Offensive Strengths Summary  Explosive finisher  Has ability to hit 3 pointer  Shown glimpses of post moves against smaller defenders  Fights for second chance points  Sets good screens  Can get to the rim from top of the key consistently  Passes well out of the post

Explanation Gordon is an explosive player, with very good finishing ability at the rim on penetrations. He fights for second chance points but his rebounding ferocity is not as evident as other prospects in this class. He has the ability to hit a 3, although his shooting stroke is not consistent. Has shown glimpses of post moves but they have largely been on smaller opponents that he has been able to bully. Has shown nice vision from the post. He can get to the basket in a matter of steps when he gets the ball at the top of the key and this is where he is most comfortable, despite the fact that he sits out on the perimeter far too often. Gordon sets good screens, both high and low. He is a very raw offensive prospect.

Offensive Weaknesses Summary  No post moves  Doesn’t establish post position early  Easily contained  Can’t beat defenders off the dribble  Ball handling skills  Easily boxed out  Struggles grasping the ball  Free throw shooting

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Explanation Gordon does not have the post skills to play power forward in the NBA at this stage. Unfortunately he doesn’t have the speed or ball handling ability to play the small forward position. Gordon was far too comfortable sitting out on the perimeter rather than establishing low post position. Gordon is generally easily contained on penetrations and he can’t consistently beat defenders off the dribble. He is also prone to losing the ball or travelling on penetrations.

Even when Gordon does get into the post, his first instinct is to put the ball on the floor and face up. He needs to desperately work on post moves. He struggles to grasp the ball, he has the smallest hand length (8.75 inches) of all the power forward/centers measured at the combine. Gordon has to get into better offensive rebounding positions as he is easily boxed out at this stage. Finally, Gordon needs to improve his free throw shooting, 42% is a liability in the NBA.

Defensive Strengths Summary  Length  Ability to recover and make plays  Good work ethic  Willing to take charges  Quick to switch  Can contain bigger bodied perimeter players.

Explanation Length and athleticism make Gordon a tantalizing defensive prospect. He has the potential be a very good rim protector. He has shown the ability to recover on opponents that have blown past him to block shots. He doesn’t give up on plays, even when he is beaten. His ability to quickly change directions helps him to recover. He is very quick to roll over to help and to make switches. He does a good job containing the penetration of bigger bodied players (3s and stretch 4s), they find it very difficult to get passed Gordon’s quick feet. Finally, he is not afraid of contact and puts his body on the line to take charges.

Defensive Weaknesses Summary  Poor rebounding positioning  Boxing out  Can’t contain smaller players  Speed in transition is questionable  Post Defense

Explanation Gordon does not box out well at all and his poor positioning costs him a lot of rebounds. A lot of his rebounds in college were a result of his athleticism, he won’t be able to do this as much in the NBA. Although he is athletic, he can appear cumbersome when trying to guard smaller players and they often blow by him. He needs to improve his footwork in the post, he is prone to standing up too

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Binuk Kodituwakku NBA Scouting Reports [email protected] early and giving away fouls. He needs to make sure that when he is defending he is well balanced, he often guards the perimeter too upright. Also he isn’t very quick in transition defense.

Athletic Attributes Summary  Explosive with a great vertical leap  Quick feet  Good lateral quickness  Good ability to change direction  Relatively small hand span  Slow in transition

Explanation Gordon is an explosive athlete and his athletic traits have been discussed above. However he can’t rely on athleticism in the NBA and he needs to begin working on his fundamentals as soon as possible.

Character Assessment Explanation Described as being of the highest character by Scott Miller. Gordon was never pushed to become a basketball player and had no pressure on him from his family. In fact, he played ice hockey growing up. Has never been affected by the media attention and has dealt with it very well.

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Adreian Payne Basic Stats  6’10 and 245 pounds  7’4 Wingspan (3rd at combine)  Season Averages: 16.4 Points, 7.3 Rebounds, 1.3 Assists and 0.9 Blocks  Field Goal Percentage – 50.3%  3 Point Field Goal Percentage – 42.3%  Free Throw Percentage – 79%

Offensive Strengths Summary  Has 3 point range  Can drive to the rim with either hand  Gets post position  Aggressive rebounder  Can finish with contact

Explanation Payne has the offensive attributes of a prototypical stretch 4. He can hit an open 3 pointer and is very good at hitting 3 pointers when he is trailing the ball carrier. Due to his long stride he can get to the rim very quickly and he can finish well with contact. He can penetrate with both hands. Needs to penetrate quickly because if he dribbles too much on the perimeter he loses possession. As a senior, his body is physically mature. He can establish good post position and has good vision in the post. He is also a very aggressive rebounder and fights for offensive rebounds.

Offensive Weaknesses Summary  3 point shot release  Settles for too many 3s  No reliable post move  Can’t shoot over either shoulder  Doesn’t look to pass when driving to the rim  Fouls when facing up in post

Explanation Payne has no post game, he cannot shoot over either shoulder in the post. This means that he must always face up in the post and create separation for himself, in his attempts to do so he is prone to offensive fouling in the post. The problem is, he is comfortable backing players down into the post but once he gets in a position where he should make a post move to score, he needs to dribble out and face up or pass out. His 3 point shot release is low and often he settles for these shots too easily. Often on penetration he has his head down so he misses open teammates that he should kick the ball too.

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Defensive Strengths Summary  Long strides help him contain opponents  Can guard smaller players on the perimeter  Asset in pick and roll defense  Denies entry passes into the post  Good weak side help

Explanation He is very good at using his length to deny entry passes into the post. Payne is very apt at providing weak side help. His long strides allow him to stay in front of guards while penetrating. This will make him a good asset in pick and roll situations as you can be confident in his ability to guard the ball handler.

Defensive Weaknesses Summary  Speed when trailing opponents  Slow reactions  Rebounding positioning  Block timing  Footwork in the post

Explanation Payne needs to improve his footwork for his post defense, he is prone to fouling and losing position. He is slow chasing opponents around the floor, which is surprising given his long stride. Payne needs to improve his timing on blocks, for a player with a 7’4 wingspan, less than one block per game is unacceptable, especially for someone with Payne’s athleticism. He is often too late when trying to protect the rim, he needs to jump earlier. Payne being late to block shots is in line with his slow speed in getting into rebounding positions. His rebounding numbers went down from his junior year. Payne doesn’t react to a shot going up quick enough.

Athletic Attributes Summary  Wingspan 7’4  Explosive off both feet  Long strides  Quick movement with ball  Muscular frame

Explanation Payne has some great athletic tools but he does not use them well enough. He needs to improve his shot blocking and rebounding. He has very good lateral movement for a player his size and can explode to finish at the rim. However he is under-utilizing his physical assets. Payne projects to be a reserve role player in the NBA and in order to ensure a long career, he needs to come in and make an impact on the defense end, improving his rim protecting ability will do this.

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Character Assessment Explanation A very high character individual who became a role model for a young cancer sufferer. Payne’s mother died when he was 13 years old in his arms, he was raised by his grandmother. He steered clear of drugs and gangs. He has a cognitive disability that stops him from learning at a normal pace, he has had to overcome this in order to become eligible for college. He studied relentlessly in order to achieve the minimum standards expected by the NCAA. He reaches out to kids who he believes needs his help and guidance.

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Andrew Wiggins Basic Statistics:  6’8 and 200 pounds  Season Averages: 17.1 Points, 5.9 Rebounds, 1.5 Assists, 1 block  Field Goal Percentage – 44.8%  3 Point Field Goal Percentage – 34.1%  Free Throw Percentage – 77.5%  44 inch Vertical leap.

Offensive Strengths Summary  Quick first step  Good cutting ability  Can finish with guard contact  Potential to be a good offensive rebounder  Jump shot mechanics improved throughout the year  Comfortable to make plays from the high post  Willing passer

Explanation Wiggins is a work in progress on the offensive end. At the start of the season he was primarily relying on his athleticism to score but as the season progressed he made giant strides with respect to the fluidity of his jump shot and ability to finish in contact. By the end of the season, Wiggins had a balanced jump shot (with 3 point range), which he utilised both off the dribble and in catch and shoot situations. Wiggins’ lightning quick first step allows him to create separation for himself to take a step back jump shot or to drive to the rim.

Wiggins looks very good when he makes calculated decisions to drive to the rim (prone to being reckless though) and he has shown the ability to finish against the contact of smaller guard players. He needs to build his strength to be able to finish with contact against the bigger bodied players in the NBA. Wiggins makes very good cuts to the rim off the ball. In fact, he looked very comfortable playing from the elbow/high post area where he was able to make decisions as to whether he was going to shoot, penetrate or pass. Wiggins is a willing passer, although some passes are ill-advised. When he is locked in, Wiggins is aggressive on offensive rebounds, particularly off his own missed shots. Wiggins’ handle still has room for improvement but throughout the year, his spin move was quite compact and used effectively to get around defenders.

Offensive Weaknesses Summary  Ball security  Shot selection  Consistent Shot mechanics  Coasts for long periods in games  Doesn’t demand the ball  Basketball IQ

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