NBA Comparison: Salim Stoudemire

Strengths: Gray, a 6’4 SG with a nice frame, is a nice offensive player with quite a jump shot … Very smooth and soft touch and a quick release … Looks pretty good coming off screens and is excellent moving with the ball…Plays with good confidence and isn’t afraid to let the ball fly … Impressive range … When he gets in the lane, will show some nice touch and ability to create space to get his shot off using his nice size and some fakes…Possesses nice passing skills, and is very good at finding open shooters … Likes to handle the ball around the 3-point line and is capable of orchestrating of running an offense from there in spurts … If the rest of his game and focus can improve, the NBA always has room for elite level shooters which he can become …

Weaknesses: Gray lacks focus and intensity … Doesn’t fully display his athleticism and struggles to finish around the rim against athletic frontlines …  Possibly struggles even more to beat his man off the dribble … Doesn’t play very good defense at all, and lacks urgency in a large way on this end … Not rare to see him make lazy closeouts on shooters, or get beat off the dribble badly by slashers … Plays a bit upright … Looks uncomfortable handling the ball when crowded by his defender … Can struggle to produce when he can’t simply shoot over defenders … Not very quick and can be fairly predictable with the ball in his hands … Won’t be a slashing threat against the athletic defenders he’ll face in the pros … Started the season hot, but struggled to make and get shots against the more athletic teams he played … After shooting at an elite rate as a Fr., he regressed and never reached that level again at Gonzaga …

Overall: Whether accurate or not, scouts perceive that Grey lacks a passion for the sport of basketball … Did not have the senior year that many envisioned he could and will likely go undrafted because of it … Gray has the jump shot and passing skills to possibly get some looks as an undrafted free agent, but he’ll always be limited by his lack of athleticism and predictability offensively.

Jorrye Nixon 6/9/11