Player Comparison: Jonas Valanciunas

Strengths: Tall, long and intimidating center with developing offensive ability ... Impressive athlete for a 7'1" player ... Quick off his feet ... Runs up and down the court with ease ... Hard for defenders to keep tabs on, due to his activity without the ball ... Sets a lot of screens ... Soft touch around basket ... Gets a lot of tip-ins off of offensive rebounds ... Effective in the post due to his length and touch ... Really competes for post-position ... Solid shooter, that displays range out to 18 feet already ... Should become a better free-throw shooter in time ... Passing ability is solid ... A natural shot-blocker that uses his physical tools and great timing to swat a lot of shots ... Poised enough to not bite on most shot fakes ... Works hard to deny post-entry passes on defense... Mobility should make him a good pick-and-roll defender in time ... Very green ... Has a high ceiling ...

Weaknesses: Still working himself into game-shape after serving a 10 game suspension to open the 2011-2012 season ... Will have to add weight if he doesn't want to get pushed around in the pros ... Good rebounder, though doesn't protect the ball as well as he should ... Tends to expose the ball to smaller players by bringing it down around his waist ... Clearly uncomfortable with the ball in his hands unless his back is to the basket ... Turnover prone ... Can get over-aggressive and move his feet while setting screens ...

Overall: Len has the tools to be an effective player in the NBA on both ends of the floor ... Scouts haven't seen much of him yet, but he clearly possesses lottery-pick potential ...

Tyler Ingle 1/14/12

November 10, 2012