From
Eric Maynor | NBADraft.net
NBA Comparison: Mark Jackson/Eric Snow
Strengths: Crafty point guard with a winning pedigree ... Single-handedly led VCU to national prominence after taking over the PG reigns his sophomore year ... Fearless performer in the clutch, stepping up in the biggest moments of the biggest games ... Despite being a one man show, rarely settled for quick forced shots or made teammates outcasts ... Extremely patient on the offensive end, allowing plays to unfold- no predetermined decisions ... Tremendous basketball IQ and understanding of court geometry ... Shows good court vision and ability to find the open man, averaging over 6 assists per contest in the 08-09 season ... Utilizes the change of pace dribble as well as anyone in this draft class, lulling defenders to sleep and blowing by them ... A master of getting into the paint off the bounce, either finishing well at the rim or getting to the FT line where he is very efficient ... Shot 82% from the stripe as a Senior, which is efficient ... Has an amazing ability to convert difficult shots ... Very tricky around the rim, shooting from odd and angles with the ability to adjust in midair ... Despite slight frame, shows deceptive strength finishing well through contact ... Possesses deep range on jumper (39% as a junior and 36% as a senior.) Has a solid mid-range and step back jumper as well ... Excellent hands on defense, averaging 1.7 steals per game his senior season ... Considered a high character guy and has the advantage of 4 years of college experience under his belt ...
Weaknesses: Not a top level athlete ... Foot speed and explosiveness are not optimal ... Extremely light at 164 lbs, whether he can add weight is a big question mark ... Gives the appearance of being heavy footed, lacking burst on his first step ... Was not forced to compete against upper echelon athletes on a regular basis in the mid-major CAA ... NBA will be a huge step up in class athletically, as well as size and strength ... Turnovers are a concern. Against top competition was very careless with the ball racking up some massive turnover totals (10 at Rhode Island, 7 vs. New Mexico and 8 at Oklahoma) ... This could be a product of team quality, as he was forced to supply a large majority of his team's offense ... Gets too fancy with passes at times, looking for the spectacular. Settles for too many jumpers when switched against a big in pick and roll situations ... Not a natural shooter. Lacks elevation on jumper, almost shooting a set shot from three ... Low release point and slow delivery from behind the arc ... Can be lax on the defensive side of the ball - has a tendency to take plays off on defense if his offense isn't flowing ... Will turn 22 in June and improved shooting stroke.
Notes: Scored team's final 9 points in 2007 CAA Championship game to overcome late 5 point deficit ... Hit game winning pull up jumper to defeat Duke in opening round of 2007 NCAA Tournament ...
by Adam Ganeles - 5/30/2009