KEVIN O’CONNOR’S P KARL-ANTHONY TOWNS POSITION CENTER COLLEGE CLASS KENTUCKY FRESHMAN HEIGHT WEIGHT AGE 6’ 11” 250 19.6 PLAYER RANKINGS STATISTICS MEASUREMENTS OVERALL RANKING POSITION RANKING POINTS REBS ASSISTS WINGSPAN #1 #1 10.3 6.7 1.1 7’ 3.25” DRAFT PROJECTION BLOCKS STEALS TOV STANDING REACH TOP 2 2.3 0.5 1.4 9’ 1” STANDING VERT POTENTIAL ROLE FG% FT% MINUTES 56.6 81.3 21.1 29” FRANCHISE PLAYER MAX VERTICAL 36.5” PLAYER NOTES ADVANCED STATS MAX VERT REACH EXCELLENT SHOT BLOCKER. IDEAL COMBINATION OF TIMING, A 12’ 1.5” LONG WINGSPAN, INSTINCTS, AND POGO-STICK LEAPING ABILITY. PER AST% TOV% LANE AGILITY MASSIVE FRAME. WEIGHS 250, CAN GET STRONGER. MOBILE, AGILE. 31.4 11.6 14.2 WANTS TO DEFEND. DOESN’T TAKE ATHLETICISM FOR GRANTED. 10.66 sec REB% BLK% STL% WILL BE A TERRIFIC P&R DEFENDER. CAN ICE, HEDGE, BLITZ, ETC. SHUTTLE RUN HAS LATERAL QUICKS TO SWITCH AND STICK TO SMALL FORWARDS. 18.5 11.5 1.4 AGGRESSIVE, HE MUST CUT DOWN ON FOULS DEFENDING THE POST, N/A USES HIS HANDS TOO MUCH, BUT IT’S NOT A LONG-TERM CONCERN. eFG% TS% USAGE 3/4 SPRINT RELENTLESS OFFENSIVE REBOUNDER. USES LENGTH AND INSTINCTS, 57.0 62.7 23.7 PURSUES OUT OF AREA. HE DOES MISS BLOCKOUTS ON DEFENSE. 3.36 sec PROTOTYPICAL MODERN BIG. EXCELLENT FT% AND JUMPER FORM. HE’LL BE A THREAT FROM MID-RANGE AND DOWNTOWN. SUMMARY COULD BE DOMINANT IN SCREEN GAME. TIGHT HANDLE FOR HIS SIZE TO GET TO THE HOLE, CAN ALSO POP AND SHOOT OR DRIVE. Karl-Anthony Towns has All-Star potential and even has COMFORTABLE ON POST WITH A HOOK OVER EITHER SHOULDER. an outside chance of developing into a transcendent HARD TO BLOCK HIM. ADDED A DROP-STEP, CAN ADD EVEN MORE. player due to his massive physical attributes, unique TOWNS WILL BE MOST LETHAL FROM MID AND HIGH-POST DUE combination of skills, and correctable weaknesses. He TO MOBILITY AND PASSING. FANTASTIC DECISION-MAKER. is versatile and can be pegged into different situations; VERSATILE. CAN PLAY EITHER BIG POSITION. HIGH IQ. IT’LL BE EASY FOR AN NBA TEAM TO SLOT HIM INTO A FLEXIBLE ROLE. teams can use him exclusively on the post, like a center of GETS INTO FOUL TROUBLE AND FALLS FOR PUMP FAKES. TOO the past, or stretch him like many modern power forwards. EAGER, LEAVES AREA FOR BLOCKS, LEADS TO MISSED BOX OUTS. That’s what sets him apart from the other top big men. LIKE MANY YOUNG PLAYERS, CAN LOSE FOCUS ON DEFENSE. JOHN CALIPARI OCCASIONALLY PULLED HIM DUE TO MISSED ROTATIONS. Towns has elite feel for the game and a high basketball IQ. PREDICTABLE ON POST. SAVVY DEFENDERS KNOW WHAT’S COMING. On offense he can beat you with the pass if you double him MUST ADD TO HIS ARSENAL. GETS CALLED FOR TOO MANY TRAVELS. and defensively he’s only a few years away from becoming HAS AN ODD TENDENCY TO TAKE AN ELONGATED STEP INTO HIS JUMPER ON CATCH-AND-SHOOTS. BUT IT COULD BE A MINOR FIX. a dominant shot blocker. Towns would be in contention for the top draft pick in almost any class, not just this one. GREW UP PLAYING PERIMETER. PULLS BALL DOWN AFTER BOARDS AND CAN GET STRIPPED. HAS TO BATTLE HARDER FOR POSITIONING. 4 KEVIN O’CONNOR’S 2015 NBA DRAFT GUIDE FOLLOW KEVIN ON TWITTER: @KEVINOCONNORNBA KRISTAPS PORZINGIS POSITION POWER FORWARD SPANISH TEAM COUNTRY SEVILLA LATVIA HEIGHT WEIGHT AGE 7’ 0” 220 19.9 PLAYER RANKINGS STATISTICS MEASUREMENTS OVERALL RANKING POSITION RANKING POINTS REBS ASSISTS WINGSPAN #7 #4 11.0 4.6 0.5 N/A DRAFT PROJECTION BLOCKS STEALS TOV STANDING REACH TOP 8 1.0 0.9 1.4 N/A STANDING VERT POTENTIAL ROLE FG% 3P% MINUTES 49.6 35.9 21.4 N/A STRETCH FOUR MAX VERTICAL N/A PLAYER NOTES ADVANCED STATS MAX VERT REACH LANKY, BUT HAS A WIDE FRAME & LONG ARMS. WILL BE ABLE TO FILL N/A HIS FRAME. BODY COULD RESEMBLE JOAKIM NOAH IN THE FUTURE. PER AST% TOV% LANE AGILITY SEAMLESS MECHANICS OFF THE CATCH. IMPROVED CONSISTENCY 19.6 5.2 13.1 SINCE 2014. UNLIMITED RANGE. IMMEDIATE PICK & POP THREAT. N/A REB% BLK% STL% UNIQUE DUE TO EXCELLENT FOOTWORK SHOOTING OFF SCREENS. SHUTTLE RUN ABLE TO BALANCE HIS BODY MID-AIR LIKE A GUARD. VERY RARE. 13.7 5.2 2.3 DRIVES CLOSEOUTS WITH AUTHORITY. MUST TIGHTEN DRIBBLE BUT N/A CAN FINISH WITH BOTH LOUD DUNKS AND FINESSE. eFG% TS% USAGE 3/4 SPRINT WITH AN UNBLOCKABLE SHOT HIS LONG-TERM BREAD-AND-BUTTER 54.7 58.3 24.6 OFFENSE COULD BE FROM MID-RANGE, PULLING UP OR FACING UP. N/A HAS DEVELOPED A HOOK SHOT, TURNAROUND J, AND BANK SHOT. NOT A YEAR ONE THREAT, BUT HE HAS VERY SOFT TOUCH. SUMMARY USES HIS ATHLETICISM ON OFFENSE. HUSTLES HARD IN TRANSITION. QUICK SECOND JUMP ON O-BOARD CHANCES. Kristaps Porzingis brings an ideal blend of skills with DISPLAYS GREAT SPATIAL AWARENESS AND TIMING BLOCKING his knockdown jumper to space the floor and his long SHOTS. CLOSES THE GAP QUICKLY TO CONTEST LAYUPS. wingspan and athleticism to protect the rim on defense. MUST DEVELOP P&R TECHNIQUE, BUT HAS POTENTIAL TO BE A Few players share these attributes. He has his warts as LEGIT RIM PROTECTOR DUE TO LONG WINGSPAN AND SPEED. a low post scorer, but the system he’s drafted into will SOMETIMES PLAYS PERIMETER D ON HIS HEELS. EVEN IF HE’S ENGAGED, HE STILL GETS BURNED. ALSO BITES ON PUMP FAKES. determine his usage there; and as a potential high-end CAN ADD MUSCLE TO HIS FRAME. CURRENTLY GETS BULLIED perimeter scorer, he may not need to see time down low. DEFENDING THE LOW POST. HE HAS POOR LOWER BODY STRENGTH. STRENGTH ALSO HURTS HIM ON THE DEFENSIVE BOARDS. AVOIDS Porzingis has a thin frame, but playing on an NBA team CONTACT AND MISSES BOX OUTS. GETS TOSSED AROUND. with a high-quality strength and conditioning staff will do DOESN’T GET TO THE LINE OFTEN. INCONSISTENT INTENSITY GOING wonders for his body. If he’s able to fill his frame, some of TO THE BASKET. SOMETIMES FADES WHEN HE SHOULD ATTACK. his weaknesses like defensive rebounding and low post OCCASIONALLY MAKES SMOOTH PASSES, BUT THEN FOLLOWS IT UP BY MISSING WIDE-OPEN TEAMMATES. HAS ONLY AVERAGE FEEL. defense could eventually develop into positives. Porzingis is a risk, but he could be a steal, even in the mid-lottery. MAY NEVER BE A BACK TO THE BASKET SCORER DUE TO HIS MENTAL-MAKEUP AND PREFERENCE TO PLAY ON THE PERIMETER. 10 KEVIN O’CONNOR’S 2015 NBA DRAFT GUIDE CONTACT KEVIN BY EMAIL: [email protected] P BOBBY PORTIS POSITION POWER FORWARD COLLEGE CLASS ARKANSAS SOPHOMORE HEIGHT WEIGHT AGE 6’ 11” 246 20.4 PLAYER RANKINGS STATISTICS MEASUREMENTS OVERALL RANKING POSITION RANKING POINTS REBS ASSISTS WINGSPAN #13 #7 17.5 8.9 1.2 7’ 2” DRAFT PROJECTION BLOCKS STEALS TOV STANDING REACH MID-FIRST 1.4 1.1 1.6 9’ 0.5” STANDING VERT POTENTIAL ROLE FG% FT% MINUTES 53.6 73.7 29.9 25” DO-IT-ALL BIG MAN MAX VERTICAL 31.5” PLAYER NOTES ADVANCED STATS MAX VERT REACH NON-STOP MOTOR. MODELS HIS GAME AFTER KEVIN GARNETT & IT 11’ 8” SHOWS. LACKS KG’S ATHLETICISM, BUT PLAYS WITH THE PASSION. PER AST% TOV% LANE AGILITY HUSTLES. DIVES ON FLOOR FOR LOOSE BALLS. MAKES THE LITTLE 29.5 8.8 9.4 PLAYS THAT INSPIRE HIS TEAMMATES. KNACK FOR THE MOMENT. 11.71 sec REB% BLK% STL% SWITCHED ON-BALL SCREENS AT ARKANSAS AND HAS EXCELLENT SHUTTLE RUN LATERAL QUICKNESS TO STICK TO GUARDS. VALUABLE TOOL IN NBA. 16.8 4.8 2.1 FLUID MOVEMENT. WILL BE GREAT AT HEDGING PICK-AND-ROLLS. 3.28 sec RECOVERS QUICKLY TO HIS MAN. AVERAGE “ICE” P&R D UPSIDE. eFG% TS% USAGE 3/4 SPRINT PESTY LOW POST DEFENDER. MUST ADD STRENGTH, BUT FIGHTS 55.2 58.2 26.7 HARD DENYING PASSES. MAKES IT HARD ON THE OPPONENT. 3.56 sec CREATES TRANSITION OPPORTUNITIES WITH HIS DEFENSE. RUNS THE FLOOR LIKE A GAZELLE. GETS AHEAD. FINISHES LOUDLY AT RIM. SUMMARY GOOD SPOT UP MID-RANGE SHOOTER. COULD EXTEND TO THREE. UTILIZES THE HOP, THOUGH HE HAS A FUNKY “CATAPULT” RELEASE. Bobby Portis will enter the NBA without any skills that HAS FLASHED POTENTIAL DRIVING CLOSEOUTS. DOESN’T TURN THE stand out -- except for his elite motor. Portis might be BALL OVER OFTEN. WOULD BENEFIT FROM EXTENDING HIS RANGE. limited by his vertical, but he makes up for it with his RAW LOW POST SCORER, BUT HAS IMPROVED. QUICK SPIN MOVE hustle. He isn’t the most skilled scorer, but hits shots and FROM HIGH POST. HE IS ALSO AN EXCELLENT PASSER FROM POST. makes plays for himself by creating second chances. SETS STRONG SCREENS. PROJECTS AS A VERY GOOD SCREEN-GAME THREAT. CAN POP OR ROLL. CREATIVE FINISHER, NOT EXPLOSIVE. RUTHLESS OFFENSIVE REBOUNDER. READS TRAJECTORY OF THE In other words, Portis can be nitpicked forever, but he has BALL AND OUT-HUSTLES OPPONENT TO SNATCH IT. 13.6 OREB% few adverse weaknesses that will deter him from having FINDS HIS MAN ON DEFENSIVE BOXOUTS, BUT LACKS STRENGTH TO a long career as a role player. When considering the risk HOLD THEM OFF. MUST GET STRONGER. HINDERED BY 25” VERTICAL. involved in young, promising prospects, Portis is on the BATTLES, BUT GETS BACKED DOWN DEFENDING LOW POST.