Daum Good: Scouting Mike Daum's NBA Prospects

Mike Daum photo by sdsucollegian.com

Mike Daum is the best basketball player that fans don’t know. His production for South Dakota State has been incredible in the last year and half. Here is my scouting report on Mike Daum's strengths and weaknesses.

Strengths

·         Size for Position

o   Legitimate 6-9 from coaches that have faced him

o   Long arms – a reported 7-1 wingspan gives him the ability to make plays gathering

·         Footwork

o   Daum is fantastic in the post with pivots and drop-steps

o   Doesn’t get off balanced

o   Does a good job on screens

·         Shooting Consistency

o   43% on 109 three-pointers; 86% on 292 free throws

o   Shots seem to be on the mark on every attempt

·         Shooting Release

o   High shooting pocket and release. He doesn’t waste many movements

o   Quick since he doesn’t drop the ball down, he can get a shot off in a split second

o   Balanced. Whether he is spotting up, running to a spot or coming off a screen, Daum gets his feet set quickly

·         Sealing and positioning

o   Does a great job getting his front foot over the top of his defender

o   His quick feet, long arms and willingness to be physical doesn’t give much room to defenders

o   He understands angles and positioning with relation to the ball

Weaknesses

·         Turnovers

o   The main offensive weakness for Daum is his 16.7% turnover rate

o   Daum doesn’t handle traps that well – leads to travels and mishandling the ball

o   Losses the handle fairly frequently while attacking from the mid-range

·         Athleticism

o   Good but a not great athlete for NBA level

o   He jumps with ease and runs fairly well but won’t be in top 50 percentile in either category of NBA power forwards

o   Guarding on perimeter is going to be a struggle

o   Doesn’t elevate much when executing post moves

·         Defense

o   Low Block & Steal Rates

o   4 fouls per 40 minutes last year

§  High foul rate means the player isn’t moving well

§  Improving to 2.9 per 40 minutes this season

Physical

On TV, Mike Daum doesn’t look that big. He looks closer to 6-7 than 6-9, but a college coach that has faced him multiple times said he is a legit 6-foot-9. That’s a game-changer for the next level. He has a reported 7-foot-1 wingspan. That puts him on the short end of NBA power forwards but not giving up too much. Overall, Daum is a fair athlete that has quick feet in the post. His speed is below average but not terrible.

Offense

If Mike Daum carves out an NBA career, it will be because of his offensive skill set. That can be said about most players, but his offense need to be so good that it offsets his defensive liability by a decent margin. He has a complete offensive game. Daum is very good in the post. He seals and gets position at a high level. Daum is more than comfortable playing beyond the three-point line as well. His 43% shooting from beyond the arc proves that. Daum isn’t cherry picking wide open opportunities either. He can get off shots in a hurry with consistency.

His ability to post up contributes to the 8.6 fouls he draws per 40 minutes. Currently, that is ninth best in the country according to KenPom.com. Daum getting to the foul line is a nightmare for opposing coaches. Daum is shooting 92% from the free throw line this year. In my eyes, that confirms his 43% shooting from three isn’t a fluke.

The only spot that Daum shows weakness on the offensive end is turnovers. He has some struggles against double teams and traps. He has travelled a decent amount so far this season in those situations. He has also lost the ball while trying to dribble out of the traps. Daum usually does a good job of passing before the doubles come, though. Overall, he is a good passer.

Defense

There is no doubt that defense is a major concern for Mike Daum’s professional career. South Dakota State is playing a ton of zone, so Daum isn’t isolated one on one very often. He does not move well laterally, though. Slashers are often able to get by Daum in a straight line when attacking against him. He is active in the zone, but his closeouts are frequently long and late. He takes big strides to try to cover ground but that leaves him unable to breakdown and defend a drive. Daum is going to need to know angles and containment in order to make it in the NBA. That is very possible, he just needs to make the adjustments.

Daum doesn’t get many steals or blocks. That is a concern especially since South Dakota State isn’t playing a high level schedule. For the season, Daum is averaging about one block and one steal per 40 minutes of playing time. Those are very low numbers which usually means the player will be a major liability on defense at the NBA level.

Summary

I really like Mike Daum as a redshirt sophomore. He’s still only 21 years old. Daum will be about 21.5 years old when this year’s draft rolls along. I don’t think his draft stock will ever be higher than it will be this year. He could improve as a ball-handler and become an even better shooter in the next year or two, but that would also cut down on his upside for NBA teams. I’m not saying he should come out this year; I’m saying his stock will level off as his potential is exchanged for improvement.

It’s easy to envision Daum being a deadly shooter from the corner in the NBA while being able to play on the block as well. He’ll need to be paired with a shot blocker since he won’t be able to provide rim protection. The downside to Daum is that it will be struggle for him to switch on all perimeter screens which NBA teams like to do right now in order to stop three-point attempts.

Mike Daum’s shooting ability and all-around offensive game is worthy of a second round pick in my eyes. His shooting gives him a chance; his defense will be the deciding factor if he can stick in the league. He would fit really well in the top Euro basketball leagues with his shooting, passing and versatility. 

OG Anunoby Preseason NBA Draft Report

OG Anunoby jumped onto the NBA Draft scene late last college basketball season. He nearly left after his freshman year at Indiana University despite playing limited minutes throughout his rookie campaign. The upside of Anunoby had the draft addicts going crazy. He’s back at IU for his sophomore year with major expectations. Here’s a preseason look at OG Anunoby’s NBA Draft scouting report.

Strengths

·         Athleticism

o   Fantastic leaper

o   Good speed in the open court

o   Above average lateral quickness

·         Offensive Rebounding

o   11.4% offensive rebounding rate

o   That rate is better than most centers in college basketball

o   Good hands plus effort and athleticism leads to a lot of offensive rebounds

·         Physical Tools

o   6’8” height with long arms

o   Good frame and strength

o   Will still be 19 years old at the next NBA Draft

Weaknesses

·         Awareness & Feel

o   Offense

§  Bad passes right to the defense

§  Multiple three-pointers blocked back into his face

§  1.5 assists per 40 minutes played

o   Defense

§  Caught ball watching or waiting for his man to catch it – not active away from the ball

§  Late reacting to screens and doesn’t get around screens

·         Ball-handling

o   Loose handle gets away from his body too much

o   Loses the ball in traffic frequently

o   Doesn’t have dribble moves; all straight line drives

·         Footwork

o   Many of his turnovers were travels

o   Most of the travels were on the start and shuffling on his gather when he stopped

o   Shooting footwork needs improvement as well

·         Finesse finishes

o   He looks for the finesse finish around the basket too often

o   He loved driving baseline and looking for a reverse layup but rarely was successful

o   Needs to look for power finishes more often

·         Change of direction

o   Slightly heavy footed and tight in the hips

o   Anunoby doesn’t swivel or drop step too smoothly

Physical

There aren’t too many specimens like OG Anunoby. Most of the athletes like Anunoby are either in the NBA or NFL. Unlike most NBA Draft targets, Anunoby doesn’t have a history of height and wingspan measurements because he was not a high-ranking recruit. It does look like he is close to the 6’8” that Indiana lists him. He reportedly has a 7’6” wingspan.  The average NBA center has a 7’3” wingspan. Once Aunuoby’s leaping ability is added to his height and length, there are very few players that can stack up against him. He’s a long strider which makes him faster than he is quick.

Offense

Most of OG Anunoby’s points during his freshman season at Indiana came from transition dunks and offensive putback dunks. The remaining points came from spot-up three-pointers. He shot 45% from three as a freshman but had only 29 attempts. The litmus test for a three-point shooter with a good percentage but a low sample size is his free throw accuracy. Anunoby shot 48% from the charity stripe. When he is not rushed, Anunoby is a good outside shooter. His mechanics fall apart when he is hurried, though. There are not many opportunities in the NBA where a player gets to take as much time as he wants to get a shot off. His shot preparation is a little too long which allows defenders to take away his space. Anunoby had a number of three-point attempts blocked. That is a sign of a slow release and/or poor awareness. Anunoby had both last year.

As a driver, Anunoby only attacks in a straight line. There aren’t dribble moves or reactionary plays when he puts the ball on the floor. If a defender is able to cut off his drive, Anunoby can’t shake the defender with a move. There are a couple of reasons for that. He’s not an advanced ball-handler, yet. His dribble gets high and away from his body frequently. The second part is that his feel and awareness aren’t developed. He needs more court time against top athletes in order to develop a more advanced game off the dribble. That lack of feel and awareness also led to a 19.7% turnover rate (via Kenpom.com) which is high.

Anunoby is a fantastic offensive rebounder. His physical tools plus effort level combine to make him one of the top forwards on the glass. He had an offensive rebounding rate of 11.4% as a freshman. Rebounding is something that usually translates from level to level.

Defense

Defense is usually about physical attributes, awareness and effort. Anunoby has the physical makeup and effort level to be a good defender. His awareness and technique need to be refined for him to take the next step. That’s why I would categorize him as a below average defender as a freshman despite having steal and block percentages that were pretty high. He doesn’t do a good job of being active away from the ball. Anunoby usually waits until his man catches the ball before he is worried about getting low and in position. Because of that, he gets caught on screens a lot as well as off balance when he goes for a shot fake while trying to catch up to the action.

There is definitely a lot of potential for Anunoby as a wing defender and a player that can switch all screens on the perimeter. He has to absorb coaching well in this area to make up for lost time, though. It seems like he is coachable, but he is still playing catch up against the world’s best athletes.

Summary

OG Anunoby excited Indiana fans and NBA Draft fans alike with his play in the final four games of 2015-2016 season. He went 16-21 from the field in those four games including many highlight plays and 3-4 from three-point range. Anunoby has NBA-level physical attributes. Other than ball-handling, the fundamental base to Anunoby’s game is pretty good. He can become a much better shooter with the base fundamentals that he has shown during wide open attempts. Repetition against top competition will help his rhythm and feel in game situations. The unknown is how much his game will jump as he gets that experience.

This is a loaded draft class with the 2016 high school players projected to be one and done along with players like Ivan Rabb that returned to school despite high draft projections last year. With that, it will not be surprising to see OG Anunoby drafted late in the lottery to the middle of the first round. I don’t think he will have an All-American type of season. If he did that, Anunoby would be a top seven pick.

With Anunoby’s physical traits and demeanor, there is a good chance that he plays in the league for 10-12 years. There is a lot of potential for him as a glue guy, defender/rebounder in the NBA. Then if his offensive game develops, OG Anunoby could be a star.

Alec Peters Preseason NBA Draft Report

Alec Peters (Photo: Valpoathletics.com)

Alec Peters of Valparaiso University nearly declared for the NBA Draft after his junior season. He is back for his final run in a Crusaders uniform, though. He will be the mid-major draft prospect that everyone compares to Doug McDermott or Kyle Korver. Here are my thoughts on Alec Peters prior to his senior year.

Strengths

·         Spot-Up Shooting

o   Quick Release

o   As accurate and consistent as anyone from three-point range

o   His corner shooting would translate immediately to the NBA

·         Shot Selection

o   Never took bad/contested shots as a junior

o   Every shot was under controlled and measured

o   Rarely took a shot outside of the paint with a hand in his face

·         Finishing on the move around the paint

o   Does a really good job with his left hand on the move

o   His touch is really good with either hand

·         Posting up/sealing

o   Definitely not afraid of contact

o   Does a good job of getting position especially against smaller opponents

Weaknesses

·         Athleticism

o   Speed up and down the floor

o   Explosiveness/lift around the basket

·         Creating Off Dribble

o   .483 PPP when shooting off the dribble

o   Inconsistent in the mid-range when attacking close outs

·         Didn’t have to hit many contested shots

o   Most of his shots as a junior will not occur in the NBA

o   Teams routinely gave him space and he made them pay

o   The adjustment to NBA defense will be a major one

·         Finishing with his back to basket

o   Takes too long to get his shot off

o   Can’t finish over defenders

·         Lateral Quickness

o   No chance of guarding or even containing NBA small forwards off the dribble

o   Most power forwards at the NBA will have a major quickness advantage

Physical

The biggest questions about Alec Peters producing in the NBA start with his physical tools. Peters was measured at the Nike Basketball Academy in 2016 with a height of 6’8.5” in shoes and a wingspan of 6’9”. The average NBA power forward is 6’9.4” in shoes with a wingspan of 7’1.2” which means Peters is really undersized for that position. He would be a bigger than average small forward, but he has no chance of defending small forwards.  The combination of his lack of size, for the power forward position, and quickness puts Peters in a tough spot. Nearly every NBA team wants to switch every screen on the perimeter to take away three-point attempts. Peters would be at a huge disadvantage after he switched. He would need a high-level rim protector behind him.

Peters has the frame to defend power forwards in the post. He’s around 235 entering his senior year. He’ll have enough bulk to hold his ground against most 4’s in the paint. Post defense has a lot to do with taking away position and angles. Peters can do those things to make it tough on opponents.

Offense

Offense is undoubtedly the bright spot for Peters. The shooting numbers have always been there for Peters as he had a True Shooting Percentage of 61% as a freshman. That number has continued to improve even with defenses focusing on him more and more. As a junior, Peters shot 44% from three-point range. That is why he is an NBA prospect.

It might take Peters some time to adjust to the speed of the NBA game and the extra distance from three, but Peters will be able to shoot well enough to be a specialist in the NBA.

Peters is not going to be creating off the dribble in the NBA. Most of his driving attempts at the college level are when the defense overextends on close outs. He’ll have those situations in the NBA as well, but he won’t be looking to get to the paint very often at the next level. He’ll be looking to shot fake and pull up after one hard dribble. He has not demonstrated to be a very good shooter off the dribble. Peters only scored 0.483 points per possession when he attempted a shot off the dribble.

If a team does extra small, Peters would have the ability to post up. His footwork and technique are strong when sealing and getting position on the block. He doesn’t do a great job of finishing over the top of defenders. Peters was pretty good at drawing fouls when playing in the post, though.

He’s an average to below average passer. He only had an assist rate of 9.0% last season and a career rate of 9.8%. Compare that to his turnover rate of 10.8% last year and 11.7% for his career. He’s not doing much of either.

Defense

Defense is definitely going to be a challenge for Peters. Who can he match up with? Can he keep an NBA guard from blowing by him in ball screen actions? Can he hold his own in the post? In these areas, Peters is fighting an uphill battle.  If he can shoot 45% from three-point range, his shortcomings might be overlooked in short stints.

His advanced stat rebounding rates are solid. He had an offensive rebound rate of 8.8% with a defensive rate registering at 19.5%. Those are decent rates, not great, not bad.

He doesn’t bring anything to the table in terms of steals or blocks. That is usually an indication that he will struggle at the next level on defense.

He did a poor job of getting over and around screens as a junior. If he is playing the 4 spot, that really isn’t a concern in the NBA. It does exemplify the difficulty that he has keeping up with athletes and moving his hips around screens.

Summary

Alec Peters is going to get a lot of media attention – at least for a mid-major player – this season. He likely will put up monster numbers. Although his points will likely be gaudy, it is his shooting that is most important. His percentages might drop since he will have a bigger scoring burden this season for Valparaiso with Keith Carter gone. The difficulty of his shots will likely increase, so a minor dip in his three-point percentage will not be alarming.

Does he have a role in the NBA? He definitely has a chance to be a three-point specialist. If he was two inches taller, there would be no doubt that he could make it as a three-point shooting, power forward. I’m scared of his defensive ability or lack thereof.

DraftExpress has Peters slotted as the 43^rd pick in the 2017 Draft right now. I think that is a bit on the high side. 45-60 is definitely a possibility. Peters is a fringe roster player at the NBA level, in my eyes. With players like that, the system, coach and roster makeup of their first team determine if they stick in the NBA or bounce out.  He would be an excellent player in a league like the ACB.