NBA Comparison: Joey Graham

Strengths: A great athlete, possessing a strong body with a tremendous wingspan … Has shown major improvements through the course of his college career … Has put in serious work on his jumpshot, as a result he has become a reliable threat from the outside … One of the better leapers in college, he is able to finish with a variety of highlight plays … Even though it looks very awkward, his shot fake is surprisingly effective and it allows him to get by the defense … His strong body gives him the luxury of absorbing contact when attacking the basket … For all of his offensive gains, he is still a more valuable asset on the defensive end … His combination of size, length and athleticism allow him to lock down players from a variety of positions … He works extremely hard moving his feet and even though he is very aggressive, he is fairly disciplined and doesn’t take careless gambles …

Weaknesses: He is not the smoothest player, his movements lack fluidity and at times he looks very uncomfortable on offense … Part of the problem is his ballhandling, which is still very questionable, and it limits his ability to create off the dribble … His first step is less than spectacular and it forces him to try to create opportunities that are not always there, often resulting in careless plays … Improvements on his jumper have made him settle for more outside shots, instead of attacking the basket … Even though his shot is more consistent, it is nowhere near a finished product, his release is very herky jerky and his stance is off balance, causing him to shoot fadeways … He is old for his class, which naturally shortens his growth curve …

Borko Popic 12/26/08