NBA Comparison: Rod Grizzard

Strengths: Long and lean guard with explosive athletic capabilities … Effortless leaper with tremendous hang time … Blessed with the ability to seemingly suspend himself in mid-air … Very clever around the basket, contorting his body and shooting efficiently from odd angles … Despite slight frame, exhibits deceptive strength … Finishes strong at the rim, finishing his junior season with 30 dunks … Finishes well with his off (right) hand … Was recruited as a lead guard out of High School (originally committed and played for Arizona) … Displays PG skills in a 6’7 body … Terrific penetrator, using his quickness and long strides to get into the lane and create shots for teammates (3 assists per game as a Junior) … Led the SEC in assist to turnover ratio during conference games (2:1) last season … Active on the boards (4 per game), using his quick leaping ability to overwhelm the opposition … Disrupter on the defensive end, tallying 1.5 steals using his 6’11 wingspan to get into passing lanes and create points off turnovers … Also uses his length to hound defenders and eliminate sight lines for shooters.

Weaknesses: Offensive game is still raw and quite limited at this juncture of his development … Most of his points come off garbage baskets as a result of pure athleticism i.e. offensive boards and alley-oop dunks … Shooting stroke needs monumental improvements … Has a very awkward release point on his jump shot, and releases the ball with his palm … His shot is really more of a ‘throw’. Rarely gets a shooters bounce … Shoots a career 16% from three point range and 52% from the free throw stripe … Does not possess a mid-range game to speak of … Despite his point guard background, ball handling still needs work … Tries to be overly creative and fancy with the ball … Has a tendency to dribble with his head down, failing to survey the court effectively … Prone to commit offensive fouls as a result of over penetration … Fragility is a concern- has undergone two shoulder surgeries in the past two seasons.

Adam Ganeles 10/26/09