St. Bonaventure Guards: Jaylen Adams & Matt Mobley

St. Bonaventure guards Jaylen Adams and Matt Mobley didn’t have their usual performance against UCLA, but it is hard not to be impressed by the duo. Both players will have a chance to earn money playing professionally.

Jaylen Adams has been a big-time scorer for St. Bonaventure for the last three years. His production and efficiency have been great. For his career, Adams has a 61% True Shooting %. St. Bonaventure won more than 20 games in each of the three seasons of Adams scoring at a high level. Those things go hand-in-hand.


Adams is a near elite level shooter with a solid assist to turnover ratio. He also racks up good steal numbers. Those things point to Adams having a good basketball IQ. His numbers also suggest that he will likely continue to improve throughout his playing career.


Adams isn’t the biggest lead guard at 6-foot-1. That will be a slight knock against him for finding a roster spot in the NBA. He does have good feet and decent strength, though. Add those attributes to his feel and awareness, Adams has a chance to be an NBA rotation player.

In order to make it at the game’s highest level, Adams will have be a great outside shooter, excellent passer and, at least, a decent defender. He’s not far from being a great or elite shooter. He shot 39.6% on 6.3 three-point attempts per game for his college career. On top of that, he was an 83.7% free throw shooter. If he takes a step forward with his shooting, Jaylen Adams is a candidate to make a roster. For his career, Adams averaged 5.4 assists and 2.8 turnovers per game. He averaged 6.5 assists per game as a junior. If anyone saw his behind the back pass after driving to the basket against UCLA, he has a flare for passing. Although he is an average to below average defender overall, Adams averaged 1.6 steals per game for his career. There is some potential for him as a defender.

One of the biggest things that caught my eye in the UCLA game was Adams not letting his poor shooting deter the rest of his game. Aaron Holiday had a snowball of errors down the stretch because he knew he had to make plays and then make up for those errors that he committed while trying to make plays. While Holiday had a litany of errors, Adams took care of the ball and didn’t force plays. Despite being 1-15 from the field, he hit the big shot late in the game then put it out of reach with his foul shooting. It was extremely impressive from a mental toughness and awareness standpoint. Working through errors and failures is a big part of succeeding at the highest level.


Matt Mobley projects more as an overseas prospect or G-League prospect. He’s more of a shooting guard or combo than lead guard. At 6-2/6-3, he is very undersized for those positions in the NBA. At a lower professional level, he could excel. 

Mobley has developed into being a good three-point shooter after being a poor shooter as a freshman and below average as a sophomore. He ended up shooting 38% on 8.3 three-point attempts per game as a senior. That suggests that his shooting is no fluke. He isn’t cherry-picking the best outside shots if he is taking over eight per contest.


Other than being a good shooter and a guard that doesn’t turn the ball over, Mobley doesn’t project well to the NBA. He’s not a very good defender, especially for the NBA level, and he doesn’t create for others. He would need to be fantastic in one of those areas to have a realistic chance of making the NBA.


Overseas or in the G-League, Mobley would be a good enough shooter and scorer to be a valuable roster player. He could likely take the ball-handling duties in spots for lead guards at those levels. Matt Mobley has a chance to make a living playing basketball, he will just need to find the right situation.

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. 

Jamal Murray NBA Scouting Report & Projection

Jamal Murray was drafted by the Denver Nuggets with the seventh pick in the 2016 NBA Draft. Here’s a look at Jamal Murray’s scouting report and projection as he enters the league.

Strengths

·         Shooting

o   40% on 7.7 attempts per game as a freshman at Kentucky

o   Easy, smooth mechanics that allow him to shoot from well beyond the line

o   Doesn’t need much space to get his shot off

·         Age

o   Only 19 years old

o   Doesn’t turn 20 until February

o   Plenty of time to adjust to NBA

·         Moves Without Ball

o   Murray uses screens well

o   He was constantly coming off screens and getting his feet set quickly at UK

o   Understands how to relocate to the passer’s line of sight

Weaknesses

·         Defense

o   Fundamentally flawed

o   Poor awareness

o   Average to below average lateral quickness for NBA

·         Creating For Others

o   Decent passer but he doesn’t create shots for his teammates

o   Most assists at UK came in transition or from moving the ball around perimeter

·         Physical Tools

o   6’3” without shoes is short for an NBA shooting guard

o   6’6.5” wingspan is underwhelming

o   Reported 39.5” vertical at UK pro day but athleticism doesn’t show in games

Physical

As a shooting guard, Jamal Murray’s physical measurements are below par. He’s only 6-foot-3 without shoes on.  That’s about two inches shorter than the normal shooting guard. His wingspan (6’6.5”) does not make up for his lack of height. Some will say that he will be able to play the point guard position where his size is more suitable, but I do not seeing that to be true.

Kentucky reported his vertical leap at 39.5”. That would be fantastic if true. During his freshman season, Murray did not display that explosiveness in transition or in the half court. There wasn’t that incredible athleticism displayed throughout any of the year.

Offense

Jamal Murray is a shooter first and foremost. He shot 40% for the season on 277 attempts. That sample size of shots proves that it wasn’t Murray getting lucky rolls to inflate his shooting percentage. Murray has a textbook shot with quick, smooth mechanics. He does not need much space to get his shot off from any distance. The only inconsistency with his shot was when he really had to rush much more than the normal catch and shoot situation.

He has a bit of a floater game off the dribble. He didn’t get to the paint very much in his freshman season at Kentucky. Murray usually got to the paint when opponents closed out too hard in order to stop his shot.  When he did get to the paint, he was looking for his shot and not to pass the ball.

Murray is a decent passer and ball protector. Despite those two skills, Murray didn’t set his teammates up frequently at Kentucky. Most of his assists came in transition and by moving the ball around the perimeter for open shots. They weren’t draw and kicks or penetrate and drop offs too often.

That’s part of the reason why I don’t see Murray as a point guard, at least, early in his career. He can bring the ball up the court, but he isn’t going to be breaking down defenses.  The other part of being a point guard or combo guard is defending point guards. That will be a monumental task for Murray at this point.

Defense

The steepest learning curve or uphill battle for Murray in the NBA is the defensive end. His defensive fundamentals are incredibly weak. Murray gets lost on the defensive end frequently by turning away from his man and standing straight up away from the ball. He’s not the quickness player laterally anyway, so the fundamental lapses cost him dearly. The little things like giving his man too much space when chasing shooters around screens and getting caught on each screen add up to Murray being a below average defender. The good news is that Murray can improve most of these areas if he buys into the coaching.

Summary

There is a lot of room in the NBA for shot makers. Jamal Murray should be able to do that as well as anyone. If he cashes in 40% of his three-point attempts, his defensive liability will be overlooked. I could see him being a power guard that shoots the ball at a high level.

I see Murray’s NBA ceiling as a one or two time all-star. The more likely peak of his career is being a second or third scorer - good but not great NBA player. He’ll have to improve on the defensive end and expand his ball-handling/playmaking to be in the realm of an all-star. 

Marquese Chriss NBA Draft Scouting Report

Washington’s Marquese Chriss is becoming the darling of the 2016 NBA Draft. He is rocketing up mock drafts. Many places now have Chriss slotted to go third or fourth overall. Here’s Trevor Andershock’s look at the strengths, weaknesses and projection of Marquese Chriss in the NBA.

Strengths

·         Age

o   18 years old when drafted. He turns 19 July 2

o   Plenty of time to develop

·         Leaping Ability

o   Max vertical jump of 38.5 inches at the combine

o   Catches lobs around the basket with great frequency

o   Leaping helped Chriss block 1.6 shots per game

·         Potential As Shooter

o   Shooting mechanics are smooth

o   Good follow through and rotation on ball

o   Could improve greatly on his 35% three-point accuracy

Weaknesses

·         Limited Production Especially Rebounding

o   Only averaged 13.8 points and 5.4 rebounds per game

o   Worrisome rebounding rates for a high selection

·         Average/Below Average Defensively

o   4.1 fouls per game and 6.5 fouls per 40 minutes raise concerns

o   Falls asleep off the ball frequently

o   Not particularly quick from a lateral standpoint

·         Wingspan

o   Decent height (6’8.75”) but only 7’0.25” wingspan

o   His wingspan is below small forward averages

o   Puts him in a disadvantage in post and on the glass.

Physical

Marquese Chriss is very young as he enters the league. He will be 18 when he is drafted on June 23. Chriss turns 19 on July 2. That gives him many years of NBA experience before he should reach his ceiling. NBA teams like that potential.

The best physical tool that Chriss has is his jumping ability. He is a fantastic leaper especially in close spaces. He doesn’t need a running start to fly well above the rim for an alley oop. He has a maximum vertical jump of 38.5 inches at the combine. He does a good job as a runner as well. He gets up and down the floor with ease. That could put pressure on the rare bigger lineups.

The downside to Marquese Chriss is his arms. He only has a wingspan of approximately seven feet. That is long in the everyday world but short for NBA standards. Most power forwards in the NBA have wingspans in excess of 7’3”. That puts Chriss at a disadvantage when players are battling and have limited jumping ability.

Offense

When looking at the offensive clips of Chriss at Washington there are a few things that stick out. He has a great ability of catching and finishing lob passes. The passer has plenty of room for error with Chriss. There are very few passes that Chriss can’t handle. His defender can’t help or lose track of him because he can catch a lob with no gather or running start. That adds an extra dimension to offenses.

The upside of Chriss lies with his outside shot. He only shot 35% on 60 attempts from three-point range as a freshman at Washington. Most coaches and general managers will like his shooting mechanics. He has a high release with a smooth follow through. The arc of the shot looks good as well. The consistency with distance is not there for Chriss at this point.

He displayed a quick first step off the dribble at Washington. He was particularly successful when attacking from the free throw line area. It was almost entirely straight line drives, but he was able to control his dribble and get by defenders with relative ease.

Defense

At first glance of Chriss’s defensive stats, they don’t look bad since he averaged 1.6 blocks per game. That number is 2.6 per 40 minutes. That is a decent rate for a non-center. The next stat is quite worrisome, though. Chriss averaged 4.1 fouls per game as a freshman. That number balloons to 6.5 fouls per 40 minutes played.

Those foul numbers indicate a lack of quickness, a lack of awareness or both. He’s not a player that will be able to guard shooting guards in the NBA, but Chriss isn’t a lumbering big that can’t move his feet.  He does struggle to contain ball-handlers, but he’s about average as a lateral athlete. However, he does get caught watching the ball too often. He’s late with his rotations on a fairly regular basis. He doesn’t do a good job with positioning before his man gets the ball. That leads to him being a below average defender.

Summary

There’s definitely upside with Marquese Chriss. He is a good leaper that could really thrive with a playmaking point guard. Early on everything will need to be spoon-fed to Chriss. The potential comes down the road if he becomes a good to great three-point shooter. That is especially true if his shot blocking translates to the NBA. He could be a small-ball center with outside shooting and shot blocking capabilities. There would be major worth to that type of player.

Chriss is definitely a high-risk selection in the top five. He doesn’t have much of a track record with regards to his freshman year production at Washington. I would be comfortable picking Chriss around the eighth spot and jump at the chance to pick him after the lottery. It doesn’t look like he will make it to either of those slots if the major mock drafts are correct. 

Kris Dunn NBA Scouting Report

Providence’s Kris Dunn is slotted to be one of the top picks in the upcoming 2016 NBA Draft. He is a rare senior in the lottery. Here’s a breakdown of Kris Dunn as he heads into the NBA.

Strengths

·         Size

o   6’3” without shoes

o   6’9.5” wingspan

o   His size and length gives him the ability to be versatile defensively

·         Athleticism

o   Very good leaper around the basket

o   Quick feet on both ends of the floor

o   Moves well laterally with the ability to change direction

·         Playmaking Off Dribble

o   Splits defenders with ease

o   Fantastic with a change of direction crossover when going downhill

o   Passes well, 16^th in NCAA with 6.2 assists per game as senior

·         Defensive Ability

o   Uses length and athleticism to bother opponents

o   Reads passing lanes well

o   Quick enough to defend point guards, big enough to guard shooting guards

·         Physical

o   Uses body well on both ends of the floor

o   He likes to post up smaller defenders

o   Dunn seeks contact

Weaknesses

·         Shooting Consistency

o   The biggest knock on Dunn

o   Shot 35% from three-point range for college career

o   Shot 69% from free throw line for college career

o   Leans back on shot attempt which causes some of the inconsistency

·         Age

o   22 years old

o   That means he is nearly a finished product and needs to be good immediately in NBA

·         High Turnover Rate

o   3.5 turnovers per game as senior and 4.2 turnover a game as a junior

o   18.8% turnover rate as a senior and 21.6% turnover rate for his career

Physical Tools

Dunn is 6-foot-3 without shoes. He has a 6-9.5 wingspan. Those two measurements give Dunn excellent size for the NBA point guard position. His physical tools are immense. Dunn is a good overall athlete. He will explode for dunks in the paint. He has good speed and quickness in the open court and half court alike. Physically, Kris Dunn does not have many limitations.

Offense

Dunn was best as a slasher and playmaker at the college level. He split defenders in the ball-screen game with ease. If a defender stays back, Dunn attacks him going downhill and uses a quick crossover to blow by him. He is more than a willing passer. Dunn averaged over six assists per game as a senior.

At the collegiate level, Dunn has been an average outside shooter. He has a slight lean away from the basket to his shot even when he is open. I believe that leads to some of his shooting inconsistency. He did hit 37% of his three-point attempts as a senior. He’s not an awful shooter, just inconsistent. Dunn will need to be a good outside shooter in order to be a major player in the NBA.

Defense

Dunn could make an impact on the defensive end. He has the size, quickness, toughness and anticipation to be a high level defender. He will take the challenge of stopping the best point guards. Dunn will be able to defend both guard positions.

Dunn had a defensive rating of 94.8 as a senior. For a career, Dunn had a defensive rating of 95.4. He averaged 2.5 steals a game as senior. As a junior, Dunn swiped 2.7 steals per game. His track record on the defensive end is very good.

Summary

Kris Dunn projects well to the NBA. His game isn’t a finished product, but if he improves his shooting and becomes an even better finisher then he will have a long NBA career.  Dunn should be able to carve out a role as a playmaker, ball-handler and defender no matter what.

In the 2016 Draft, Dunn is a need selection meaning that the team that takes him should be filling a weakness with the acquisition of Dunn. He’s not a player that you take just because he is the best available prospect. If he falls below the fifth pick, I really like/support taking him. At that point, he isn’t much of a risk to be a complete bust. As a ceiling, I see Dunn as a two or three time all-star. If he becomes an elite shooter (unlikely), Dunn would be able to outperform that ceiling.

Does Stephen F. Austin's Thomas Walkup Have A Future In NBA?

Stephen F. Austin's Thomas Walkup grabbed national attention with his play in the NCAA Tournament a couple of weeks ago. Walkup tallied 33 points in an upset over West Virginia. He followed it up with 21 in a last-second loss to Notre Dame. How will his game translate to the NBA?

There are plenty of things to like about Thomas Walkup's game. He was the back-to-back Southland Conference Player of the Year. Walkup's statistics per 40 minutes were incredible – 24.5 points, 9.3 rebounds, 6.1 assists, 2.8 steals. His efficiency was fantastic due to his ability to get to the free throw line. He was automatic from two-point range as well.

What made Walkup so tough to stop on the offensive end? He knows how to get to spots on the floor. Walkup isn't the most explosive player. His athleticism will be a weakness as the next level. He understands how to attack defenders, though. Once he gets his shoulder by his man, he is going to make the defender pay. He takes away the angle of the defender once he beats him by an inch. Walkup is physical on drives. He uses the contact to create space.

Walkup is patient with the ball. He never dribbles unless he knows where he wants to go with the ball. When he puts the ball on the floor, it is to attack or to improve a passing angle. He eliminates many bad positions by reading the defense before he dribbles the ball.

Walkup reads defenders on close outs very well. One reason behind that is his ability to know the positioning of his defender before he catches it. He knows on the catch if his defender is going to be closing out from a distance or if his guy is nearby. If the defender is in position, he uses shot fakes to get an advantage. For a below average shooter, Walkup does a great job of getting defenders to bite on shot fakes.

The Stephen F. Austin guard is a rare player in recent years that thrived in the mid-range. Walkup isn't an explosive leaper, so often times it didn't make sense for him to drive all the way to the basket. He was great at hitting shots off the dribble in the 10-15 foot range.

Despite his mid-range shooting, Walkup did not have success from beyond the arc. He only attempted 39 three-point shots in 34 games this season. Many of those shots were late in the shot clock to avoid the violation. He shot just 26% as a senior. For his career, Walkup shot 30.5% on 131 three-point attempts.

Outside shooting will be a key for Thomas Walkup making it in the NBA. His form needs a little bit of work but it doesn't have any major flaws. He shoots well in the mid-range. Walkup converted 82% of his free throws this season. His free throw shooting has improved each of his four seasons at Stephen F. Austin. That bodes well for Walkup developing range at the NBA level.

Other than shooting, defense will be the biggest question mark for Walkup at the next level. He often guarded power forwards this season for SFA. He used his strength to make up for his height in those situations. Even against the increasingly popular small-ball lineups, Walkup will not be able to guard fours in the NBA.

Walkup doesn't have the lateral quickness that you would like in a player that will defend shooting guards. I'm not sure that Walkup can ever be better than an average defender at the next level. The only way that he makes it to the average benchmark is if he uses his strength, toughness, and basketball understanding to offset his lateral quickness. Toughness and intelligence can make up for a lot, but can it make up for Walkup's size and athleticism? It will be an uphill fight.

At 6-foot-4 and I'll estimate his wingspan at 6-6, Walkup's NBA fate likely comes down to his shooting ability. His offense has to be able to balance out his potential struggles on the defensive end. He's not going to be scoring in the paint at the NBA level like he did at Stephen F. Austin. Bottom line, Thomas Walkup can find a role off an NBA bench if he becomes a 35% or better three-point shooter.

Follow Trevor Andershock's NBA notes on Twitter @ScoutNotesNBA and his high school work @INBBallSource

Baylor's Taurean Prince NBA Evaluation

Taurean Prince via the Indy Star

Taurean Prince of Baylor had an excellent second half against Yale in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. His play and toughness down the stretch of the game intrigued me to learn more about Taurean Prince as an NBA prospect. He had 28 points in the game. His press conference answer to Yale's rebounding advantage gained national traction this week. Here's what I found when I dug deeper into Prince.

Prince had a strong senior year. He led Baylor with 16 points per game or 20.8 per 40 minutes played. The senior wing shot 36% on 141 three-point attempts this season. For his career, Prince shot 37.6% from beyond the arc. Those are respectable numbers while playing in the Big 12. His 7.9 rebounds per 40 is a strong number as well from the wing position.

Prince has the measurables that NBA teams would like in a small forward. He is 6'6” without shoes. He has been measured with a 6'11” wingspan. Prince's 215-pound frame is nearly all muscle. That is a good sign for his conditioning and work ethic. Also, he is young for a senior in college. Prince will still be 21 years old when the NBA Draft takes place in June.

Offensively, Prince could develop into a very good three-point shooter especially in the corners. It is a shot that he already likes at the college game where there is no distance advantage on the shot. As mentioned before, Prince shot 36% from three-point range this year and just under 40% as a junior. His shooting mechanics are solid. He has a high shooting pocket and release point. However, I believe Prince could be a better shooter. There were dozens of times this season when Prince was floating around the perimeter with his arms in the air signaling to his teammates that he was open. This took away from his shot preparation when his teammates did pass him the ball. I charted some of his spot-up three-pointers. He was 2-14 when he called for the ball with his arms in the air. He shot 12-30 when he didn't have his arms in the air and did some shot preparation. They are both small sample sizes, but I think, it points that it could be something easy to fix.

Taurean Prince will be a spot-up shooter, at least, early in his NBA career. He will need to find a way to create separation off the dribble in order to be more than a shooter. Prince has a below average first step for an NBA wing although he is a very good leaper. He never blew by defenders off the dribble in the Big 12. That led Prince to force shots after he drove. His successful drives were attacking closeouts or getting his defender off balance with a jab-step. If he didn't create separation immediately, he used his body and length to get the shot off in the lane. He's not afraid to be physical on the offensive end.

Speaking of driving, Prince put the ball on the floor to create shots for himself and not others at Baylor. He rarely passed the ball once he started to drive. If he did pass, they were often errant passes. He proved to be a very poor passer this season. On the season, Prince had 91 turnovers to 77 assists. He can cut back on his turnovers by tightening his handles. Prince gets the ball away from his body when trying to shake defenders and the ball is frequently stripped in traffic. Prince's ball-handling and passing are major concerns for the NBA level.

Defensively is where Prince needs to be really good in order to stick in the NBA. There are definitely a lot of question marks about this area of Prince's game. He averaged 1.7 steals per 40 minutes this season for Baylor. That isn't a bad number. It's the same that Kawhi Leonard posted as a sophomore at San Diego State. Prince's focus, mechanics and lateral quickness worry me, though. His 6'11 wingspan could be a saving grace. He doesn't seem focused on the defensive end. He's late to the movement of the ball. During closeouts, Prince is too high and lunges or jumps at the offensive player instead of being down and ready to contain the player. His anticipation and mechanics have to be strong since he's not going to be the quickest guy at the next level.

Is Taurean Prince going to be willing to put in the effort to become a 3-D player? I'm not sold by his on-court attitude that he will. Prince complains about nearly every non-call when he goes to the basket. There were many times that his reaction would justify a technical foul but the official let it slide. Overall, he played hard, but there were times when he gave up on plays that he could have made a difference in.

The question marks about his attitude and focus on the court drop him from a first-round selection to a second-round pick. He would be a late first-round pick if I was sold that he's a big-time competitor on the defensive end. I haven't seen it in the Baylor games this season, though. It will be interesting to see if someone gambles on his upside and takes him in the first round.

Jaylen Brown: The Next Shabazz Muhammad?

A person that is doing some great work with player projections through statistics and analytics is Dan Dickey aka Hoops Nerd. He stated on Twitter that he projects Jaylen Brown to be in the mold of Shabazz Muhammad instead of a top 3-5 draft pick that many predict. He believes that Brown is being overhyped. Here is a deeper look into that comparison.

Jaylen Brown and Shabazz Muhammad are similar in size and length. They were both measured at the Hoop Summit after their senior year of high school. Muhammad measured exactly an inch shorter than Brown. Muhammad was 6-foot-4.5-inches while Brown was 6-foot-5.5-inches. Brown had an inch advantage in terms of wingspan as well. An inch of difference is noteworthy but not a huge deal when dealing with wing players.

I see a difference in their body makeup, though. Jaylen Brown looks much leaner than Shabazz Muhammad did as a freshman as at UCLA. It looked like he was carrying extra weight from the end of his high school career throughout his time at UCLA. In comparison, Brown looks to be in great physical condition. There doesn't appear to be any bad weight to Brown.

Both were regarded as fantastic athletes coming out of high school – rightfully so. Muhammad got his athletic reputation through his leaping ability. He was an elite jumper; there is no doubt about that. He wasn't an elite athlete in terms of quickness. Muhammad was quick, don't get me wrong, but he didn't have a transcendent explosion off the dribble. That is the biggest difference between Brown and Muhammad as athletes. Brown has an elite first step and incredible lateral quickness. This difference will be a major factor in Brown's projection as a player.

Muhammad only played one year of college basketball before entering the NBA Draft. That will be the case with Brown as well. There are many similarities in the college statistics of the two players. Per 40 minutes, Muhammad averaged 23 points compared to Brown's 22. Their true shooting and effective shooting percentages are close together. Muhammad had a true shooting percentage of .528 compared to Brown's .534.

There are a few differences in the statistics, though. Muhammad did not pass the ball in college. He averaged 1.1 assists per 40 minutes. Brown averages 2.8 assists per 40. Those aren't exactly John Stockton-like numbers, but it shows that Brown is a willing passer.

Brown is turning it over more at California than Muhammad did at UCLA. Part of that is the fact that Brown is trying to make more passes than Muhammad did. The other part is that Brown has to tighten his ball-handling when attacking the basket. He beats his primary time after time before losing the handle on his way to the basket. There is no simple fix for that but it could improve over time.

Brown's biggest weakness going forward is his outside shooting. He is making 30.9% of his three-point attempts this season. Wing players have to be able to shoot in today's NBA game. Outside shooting was an area of weakness for Muhammad coming out of high school as well. He shot a respectable 37.7% on a relatively small sample size of 106 at UCLA. Muhammad has not proven himself as a consistent shooter at the NBA level.

If one watches Brown shoot from the three-point line or the free throw stripe, his mechanics are better than his results. There are no major flaws in his stroke. He should be able to develop into, at least, an average shooter from the outside.

The other side of the ball presents Brown with an opportunity to shine at the next level. He could develop into one of the top perimeter defenders at the next level. Brown has the lateral quickness to defend all perimeter players. He should be able to switch on point guards through power forwards with his size, strength and lateral movement. There is no comparison between the two on the defensive end. Muhammad isn't in the same ball park as Brown when it comes to lateral quickness. Muhammad struggled to turn his hips at UCLA on top of his lack of lateral quickness.

The final separating factor between Jaylen Brown and Shabazz Muhammad as NBA prospects is that Brown has no red flags at this point. By this time in Muhammad's freshman year, it had been discovered that Muhammad was a year older than he stated throughout high school. Muhammad's behavior on the court was questionable. He was often selfish with little regard for team success. Brown hasn't been in trouble off the court. On the court, it looks like he is buying into the team concept at California.

Jaylen Brown's game is going to translate well to the next level. He has to continue to improve his outside shooting and ball-handling. If he is able to become a 35% three-point shooter within the first couple years of his career, Brown could be an All-Star.

Early in his career, Brown should be able to excel in transition and on the glass. He should develop into a good defender relatively fast as well. Then if he continues to progress on the offensive end, he could be in consideration for an All-Star spot in his third or fourth year. There is a good chance that he reaches that type of level in his NBA career.  

Follow Trevor Andershock on Twitter @INBBallSource and @ScoutNotesNBA