Miles Bridges Scouting Report

CONTEXT

Miles Bridges was projected to be a lottery pick in last year’s draft before withdrawing his name from consideration and returning for his sophomore season at Michigan State.

That’s usually a dangerous proposition for these prospects, who are risking getting exposed or not showing enough development for the liking of pro decision makers in their second years in college.

That didn’t turn out to be the case with the 20-year-old[1] but he also didn’t manage to improve his status a whole lot either, as he’s currently expected to be drafted around the same range he was supposed to a year ago.

That’s not to say the six-foot-seven combo-forward was about the same player last season that he was in year one. In fact, it’s very curious how Bridges was pretty much a completely different player in year two.

As I wrote last August, Bridges impressed as a freshman by playing as a modern stretch big, capable of putting pressure on the rim as a finisher on dives to the basket or in the offensive glass and handling the ball out in space to create offense in isolation or out of the pick-and-roll, drawing opposing big men 25 feet away from the basket to defend in a way they are not accustomed to.

Defensively, Bridges translated his athletic ability into contesting shots near the basket coming off the weak-side in help-defense and running opposing stretch big men off their shots on closeouts.

More promisingly, though, Bridges also impressed with his technique in pick-and-roll defense as a big, getting down in a stance and walling off dribble penetration by rotating preemptively and manipulating ball-handlers into low-percentage mid-range pull-ups. He proved himself attentive to his responsibilities switching assignments on the fly as well.

But last season, he was asked to play, or he himself asked to play, a completely different role. In order to accommodate the four true big men Tom Izzo judged worthy of playing time, Bridges played as a pure wing the entire season, with the exception of a few stretches here and there when Michigan State was behind midway through the second half.

More of his shots were quick catch-and-shoot jumpers coming off screens on the side of the floor or sprinting to the ball on dribble hand-offs and he was tasked with guarding smaller players out on the perimeter for the most part.

As a result of his role, Bridges got to the rim less, collected a fewer percentage of available defensive rebounds and blocked fewer shots in his second year of college in comparison to his first.

I tended to dislike the way Bridges played last season but after going back to read what I wrote about him nine months ago, it turns out that all he did was focus on working on the few things I pointed out as causes for concern; individual perimeter defense, shooting versatility and foul shooting.

Therefore, taking a full view of his two-year college career instead of being myopic and only focusing on his most recent performance, I’m back to thinking very highly of Bridges, given the versatility of his skill-set and how much the league craves players like him right now.

In his 1,962 minutes in East Lansing, Bridges averaged 21.5 points per 40 minutes on 57.6% true shooting and 27.2% usage, nailed 37.5% of his 339 three-point shots, collected 20.4% of opponents’ misses when he was on the floor, assisted on 15.8% of Michigan State’s scores when he was in the game, blocked 1.4 shots per 40 minutes and posted a 22.8 PER[2].

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[1] DOB: 3/21/1998

[2] According to our stats’ database

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Mohamed Bamba Scouting Report

CONTEXT

Mohamed Bamba was the fourth-ranked prospect in the 2017 high school class[1].

In his one year at Texas, the seven-foot center accumulated 906 minutes of college basketball experience, while posting a 26.3 PER, averaging 17.1 points per 40 minutes on 59.3% true shooting, collecting 28.3% of opponents’ misses when he was on the floor[2] and ranking fourth in the country in total blocks.

Bamba projects as a catch-and-score finisher in the pros but didn’t get the benefit of playing with someone who would set him up very well very often. There were two other NBA prospects on the team, Andrew Jones and Kerwin Roach II, but neither is a particularly special ball handler and Jones only played the first third of the season before leaving the team to battle leukemia.

Texas put in the effort to space the floor but stretch-four Dylan Osetkowski is more of a shot taker than a shot maker and Jones was the only true above average shooter the team had. As is, the Longhorns ended up rating below average in three-point attempts, makes and percentage, which didn’t offer the 19-year-old[3] many opportunities to look as great as he’s expected to be rolling hard to the rim.

Nonetheless, the Harlem, New York native still made a living getting looks near the basket, sneaking behind the defense and on put-backs, while mixing in the eventual post-up attempt here and there. Bamba also took three-pointers out of the pick-and-pop fairly aggressively. His release looks promising enough for him to keep working on it but he is not yet a real threat to make these shots often.

On the other end, Bamba also made more of an impact near the goal, not just thanks to his remarkable length but also due to good rim protection instincts. He has a lean frame within the context of his height and got bumped off his spot from time-to-time but wasn’t really exposed in the post and the defensive glass all that often, suggesting he might become a steady presence in these areas once his body matures some more.

Bamba is quite mobile for someone his size and Texas tried leveraging this by having him show high above the three-point arc or hedge against the pick-and-roll somewhat frequently. He was also asked to pick up smaller players on switches every once in a while. Bamba has physical talent to be expected to develop into an effective defender out in space but for now isn’t as much of an asset as you’d assume.

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[1] According to ESPN

[2] According to our stats’ database

[3] DOB: 5/12/1998

Zhaire Smith Scouting Report

By June, Zhaire Smith might be one of the biggest risers in this draft class.

An unheralded prospect out of Lakeview Centennial High School in Garland, ranked 233rd in the 2017 class[1], the six-foot-five Swiss army knife had a standout freshman season at Texas Tech, aiding the Red Raiders’ run to the Elite Eight.

Once an overlooked prospect, he has now turned into one of this year’s most intriguing players and sought after commodities, projecting as an eventual lottery pick, with ESPN slotting him 14^th in its latest mock draft.

His numbers won’t wow anybody but they were respectable, as the 18-year-old[2] averaged 15.9 points per 40 minutes on 61.8% true shooting and posted a 22.9 PER. His plus-12 box plus-minus ranked seventh in the country[3].

He isn’t much of a natural scorer or general offensive threat, logging just 18.3% usage in his 1,050 minutes last season and being assisted on 59.7% of his field-goals, with another 21 of his 62 unassisted field-goals coming on putbacks[4].

But he really shined on the other end. The combination of defensive versatility, athleticism and length should have a lot of scouts and coaches overlooking his unpolished offense, hoping they can eventually turn him into a two-way dynamo.

Smith has ideal size for a two-guard, carrying a 195-pound frame and sporting a six-foot-10 wingspan. He’s a freak athlete, who shines primarily on defense, showcasing the ability to guard multiple positions. I’m not sure he’s an elite isolation stopper, but he sure will be a pest for most guards at the next level.

His fundamentals are sound, getting into a low stance and possessing the first step quickness to stay in front of most guards and forwards. The length comes into play when Smith doesn’t have the speed to stay in front of someone, as you’ll see in the play below against Big 12 Player of the Year Devonte’ Graham. He gets beat on a spin move, but has the length and athleticism to recover, exploding off two feet in a pinch, despite being shifted side-to-side, to block the lay-up.

Smith is good at getting through screens, aware of switches and capable communicating them to teammates. There were times where Texas Tech would have him guard two or three different types in a given possession.

But where he really pops for me as a defender is with his shot blocking. Smith has great awareness and timing, coming over from the weak-side often to help a teammate who has been beaten and then destroying whatever shot attempt gets thrown up, while also excelling as a transition defender, running down opposing players for highlight chase-down blocks – averaging 1.6 blocks per 40 minutes.

His pursuit of the ball with great effort is also something that impresses. His motor, combined with his length and instincts making plays in the passing lanes resulted in him averaging 1.5 steals per 40 minutes.

Thanks to his solid individual defense and his ability to create events as a weak-side defender, Smith ranked second on the team among rotation players in defensive rating[5], while averaging 28.4 minutes per game on a team that finished fourth in the country in adjusted defensive efficiency[6].

Offensively, there is a lot left to be desired and developed for Smith, but being only 18 years old gives him plenty of time to work on the empty spaces in his repertoire. I don’t think he’s a natural scorer, a fluid shooter or very skilled at this point of his career, but he is still somewhat effective in a few areas.

His signature was to annihilate rims in collegiate arenas off of teammates’ missed shots, collecting 9.6% of Texas Tech’s misses when he was on the floor and finishing his 37 putback attempts at a 57.1% clip.

Again, you’re talking about a special athlete here, with great length. Smith’s a two-foot jumper who finishes above the rim with authority often. Most of his offense is created or manifested by his teammates, with 58.7% of his makes at the rim and 94.1% of his three-point makes assisted last season.

Still, the elite athleticism allows Smith to be productive, even without being an elite offensive talent. He is not yet an ambidextrous finisher and sometimes looks hesitant to attack the basket on catch-and-go’s but is an exceptional finisher in transition, on cuts sneaking behind the defense and on instances where he was given the chance to dive to the basket as the screener in the pick-and-roll – converting his 168 shots at the rim at a 64.9% clip.

He doesn’t have much polish yet as a scorer or playmaker; his handle is pretty limited as of now, his footwork is a bit sloppy and sometimes he gets stuck trying to create off the dribble. His mid-range game looks encouraging, despite the fact he nailed just 39.7% of his 63 two-point jumper due to the fact that most of the shots he takes coming off the dribble are forced.

Even on his makes, you can see that while the elevation he gets on his jumper is good, he’s just very mechanical as a shooter. Smith’s release is fundamentally sound but his wind up is long and his follow through isn’t consistent. He nailed 45% of his 40 three-point shots but at a pace of just 1.5 such attempts per 40 minutes.

But since shooting is arguably the most likely aspect of a skill-set to improve at the next level, some teams might overlook this about Smith’s game, especially considering he nailed 71.7% of his 127 foul shots, suggesting there is room for him to be expected to develop into at least an average open shot spot-up shooter.

Overall, Smith is an extremely intriguing prospect and I do understand why so many scouts, executives and draftniks are very high on him. He’s oozing two-way ability with elite athleticism.

I think the best case scenario for him would be developing into a player like Andre Iguodala. His defensive versatility will allow teams to play him immediately if needed and the fact that he doesn’t need to have the ball means he can also probably produce for an NBA team right away. He could be that role player that could help sure up a fringe playoff team and add athleticism on the backend of their rotation to their roster.

Or he could even intrigue rebuilding teams, because of his immense two-way potential, though I don’t think Smith is an elite talent and I don’t think he will be a franchise changer for whatever team selects him come June. That doesn’t mean I don’t think he will be a productive player at the next level, as I think he’ll be a serviceable starter or a top role player for some team that already has the top of the pecking order figured out.

[1] According to 247 Sports

[2] DOB: 6/4/1999

[3] According to sports-reference

[4] According to hoop-math

[5] According to RealGM

[6] According to Ken Pomeroy

Editor’s Note: Evan Wheeler is a regular contributor to ‘Basketball Scouting’. More of his work can be found here or at Denver Sidekicks, where he is also a regular contributor. He can be followed on twitter as @EvzSports

Deandre Ayton Scouting Report

CONTEXT

Three days after Arizona’s loss to Buffalo in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, Deandre Ayton announced his intention to declare for the 2018 NBA Draft and sign with an agent, forgoing the remainder of his college eligibility.

The third-ranked prospect in the 2017 high school class[1], Ayton averaged 24 points per 40 minutes[2] on 65% true shooting and posted a 30.6 player efficiency rating in his one year in Tucson.

Other than the 1,172 minutes of college basketball experience he accumulated at Arizona, the seven-foot-one center also has under his belt 103 minutes defending the Bahamas National Team in the 2016 Centrobasket, 121 minutes in the 2016 adidas Nations and an appearance in the 2016 Nike Hoop Summit[3].

This was a good season for Ayton overall. The 19-year-old[4] once again stood out as a remarkable physical specimen within his age group, put together a very impressive statistical profile and showcased a level of skill he was not previously known for. As a result, ESPN currently ranks him as the best prospect in this draft class.

But things weren’t perfect, of course. Arizona underachieved and while Ayton isn’t considered to be one of the main reasons why, doubts over to which extent he is able to elevate his team have emerged, mostly on defense.

Ayton played the entire season out of position, not just to accommodate senior Dusan Ristic but also due to Sean Miller’s strong preference for two-big lineups at all times. Logging most of his minutes alongside a less mobile and less athletic seven-foot center, Ayton was asked to matchup with types who didn’t always provide him a chance to defend closer to the basket.

While his shot blocking numbers improved as the season went along, Ayton’s general intensity trying to make himself a more active presence near the basket remains the most scrutinized part of his game. His role within the defense is often pointed to as a potential reason why he was a fairly disappointing rim protector in college but many people have also brought up the fact that a similar situation didn’t prevent Jaren Jackson, Jr. from standing out in this area.

As is, questions over his ability to anchor an elite level defense remain.

It’s evident he has the physical talent and the athleticism to be expected to develop into a difference maker. Ayton has even made quite a few plays that suggest he understands what the smart thing to do is, in terms of preventive rotations and shadowing isolations when he can see his teammate is about to get beat. Maybe he’ll be more locked in as a pro, like Ben Simmons. He did have the best defensive rating on the team among rotation players[5].

But there are also plays where Ayton fails to translate his athletic prowess into making a real impact; not always leaving his feet to challenge shots near the basket despite being in position, hurting his chances of contesting shots more effectively by trying to avoid contact and leaving something to be desired on plays that require multiple efforts. Maybe he’ll be a guy who looks good but doesn’t help his team be good, like Andrew Wiggins. Despite the fact he averaged 33.5 minutes per game, Arizona only ranked 83^rd in the country in adjusted defensive efficiency[6].

(Check the rest of the post at RealGM)

[1] According to ESPN

[2] According to sports-reference

[3] According to our stats’ database

[4] DOB: 7/23/1998

[5] According to our stats’ database

[6] According to Ken Pomeroy

 

Khyri Thomas Scouting Report

CONTEXT

Khyri Thomas was unranked out of Fork Union Military Academy in 2015[1] but has managed to build over his three years at Creighton a résumé worthy of first round consideration in the 2018 NBA Draft.

Through 101 NCAA appearances, the six-foot-three wing has accumulated 2,735 minutes of college ball experience up until this point.

His statistical profile features a dip in a few areas in comparison to last season but it’s still pretty strong across the board for someone with his role, as the 21-year-old[2] has averaged 19.3 points per 40 minutes on 65.5% true shooting this season[3].

Thomas was not responsible for running offense on a regular basis, as his 21.2% usage rate and 14.9% assist rate attest[4]. He did most of his work on the second side, spotting up or coming off screens, though there were also times where he had a more active role in shot creation by taking smaller matchups into the post and running middle pick-and-rolls in emergency situations late in the shot clock.

But Thomas is more highly thought of for his defense. He is Creighton’s primary on-ball defender, consistently tasked with guarding opposing point guards. Thomas is not perfect, as there are times where opponents without particularly impressive athleticism have blown by him at the point of attack, but he puts in the effort to stay attached to his man more often than not in individual defense and has shown he is aware of his responsibilities executing the scheme as well.

In an Era where the biggest stars in the league are mostly wings who handle the ball often, there is an increase in demand for point guard-sized shooters who can supplement these ball handling wings by providing spacing on one end and defending smaller types on the other. So, Thomas will be entering the league at a time where teams are looking for someone with his exact skill-set. As is, ESPN currently ranks him 21^st in its top 100.

(Check the rest of the post at RealGM)

[1] According to ESPN

[2] DOB: 5/8/1996

[3] According to sports-reference

[4] According to our stats’ database

Chandler Hutchison Scouting Report

CONTEXT

Chandler Hutchinson was the 80^th-ranked prospect in the 2014 high school class[1].

Through 121 appearances over his four-year stay at Boise State, the six-foot-seven wing has accumulated 2,883 minutes of college ball experience up until this point.

Hutchinson saw a big jump in production from year two to year three but opted to return for a fourth year hoping to refine the edges of his game before turning pro. It worked out well, as his numbers improved across the board, with the exception of his three-point percentage, which dipped a bit in trade of him getting up a higher volume of shots.

The 21-year-old[2] is averaging 25.3 points per 40 minutes on 57.1% true shooting and posting a 25.7 player efficiency rating this season[3]. He also has the best defensive rating among rotation players[4] on a team that ranks 33^rd in the country in adjusted defensive efficiency, even if against only the 100^th-toughest schedule[5].

Hutchinson is not the primary shot creator at Boise State but has proven himself able to run side pick-and-rolls to keep the offense moving and initiates offense with some regularity when he brings the ball up the court himself on grab-and-go’s. He has only basic skills and instincts handling the ball at this point of his development, though.

Hutchinson projects as a spot-up shooter in a ‘shoot it or move it’ role away from the ball but who can take some advantage of a scrambling defense and run a break.

On the other end, he performed well within what was asked of him: a basic role guarding similarly sized players where he was away from the ball more often than not, so what he did the most was closing out and pitching in on the defensive glass, the latter of which he did at an elite level for a pure wing.

Hutchinson wasn’t asked to pick up smaller or bigger players on switches often, so it’s unclear how much versatility he offers. Boise State also played quite a bit of zone, which took away some opportunity for him to showcase what other skills he has that can be expected to translate to the pros.

Overall, Hutchinson has excellent measurements for what the NBA looks for in its wings these days and put together a strong collegiate career where he managed to improve every year. As a result, ESPN currently ranks him 25^th in its top 100.

(Check the rest of the post at RealGM)

[1] According to ESPN

[2] DOB: 4/26/1996

[3] According to sports-reference

[4] According to our stats’ database

[5] According to Ken Pomeroy

Keita Bates-Diop Scouting Report

CONTEXT

Keita Bates-Diop was the 22^nd-ranked prospect in the 2014 high school class[1] but struggled to get on the court in his first year at Ohio State, logging just 327 minutes over 33 appearances as a freshman[2].

He did a lot better as a sophomore, earning 1,040 minutes and averaging 14.9 points per 40 minutes[3], but instead of going pro, the six-foot-seven wing opted to return for his junior season, looking to improve his 54.9% true shooting.

Bates-Diop logged only nine games due to a stress fracture and was forced to redshirt that season, though.

He returned for his fourth year and, looking 100% from a physical-standpoint, the 22-year-old[4] has lived up to expectations, leading Ohio State to 24 wins in 31 games against the 48^th toughest schedule in the country[5].

He’s averaged 23.6 points per 40 minutes on 57.7% true shooting and posted a 27.8 player efficiency rating this season, which has resulted in ESPN currently ranking him 27^th on its top 100.

Bates-Diop projects as a combo forward who can space the floor reasonably well and offer some shot creation against switches on offense. That’s how he’s operated at Ohio State this year and figures to be how he’ll be viewed in the pros, though to a lesser extent, as it seems impossible to think his 29.1% usage-rate would carry over to the NBA.

On the other end, Bates-Diop seems on the surface like the exact sort of versatile defender every team is looking for these days. He proved himself able to defend smaller players regularly in college, not just switching onto them midway through the shot clock but starting possessions on them and having to track them around full time too.

Given his upright stance, there’s some skepticism over how much of his prolificacy in one-on-one defense will translate against the elite athletes he will be matching up against in the pros.

[1] According to ESPN

[2] According to our stats’ database

[3] According to sports-reference

[4] DOB: 1/23/1996

[5] According to Ken Pomeroy

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