bruno-fernando-hd.jpg

23 - Bruno Fernando

6-10, 240 Center
Maryland Sophomore
Birthday
08/15/98 (25.6 yrs)
Hometown
Luanda, Angola
High School
Montverde Academy
Team Site Profile
Statistics
Athleticism
8
Size
7
Defense
8
Strength
9
Quickness
7
Leadership
8
Jump Shot
8
NBA Ready
7
Rebounding
9
Potential
8
Post Skills
8
Intangibles
7

NBA Comparison: Steven Adams/Serge Ibaka

Strengths: A high level run jump athlete at the center position …  Explosive finisher and alley-oop target, with great bounce, especially off of two feet … Very solid touch and shooting ability for a big  … Shows excellent form and touch shooting the ball (a career 75% ft shooter) … Has become a load on the block … Has excellent footwork in the post with solid ability to establish position and seal his man for jump hooks and drop steps … Has a developing turn around hook shot over his left shoulder … Possesses excellent hands, showing an ability to catch entry passes and make plays with the ball without having to focus any attention to it … Has learned solid skill on the block, with the ability to seal his man, create a wide base for teammates to find him with passes, and can make plays quickly after establishing advantageous position … Has developed a bag of tricks in the paint with spin moves and up-and-unders. Does a great job of not predetermining his moves and really gives defenders trouble with his foot work and ball fakes … His hands appear to be just as good as his feet …  Creates space offensively by bumping his defender off balance … Finishes well in the paint, whether it be with a dunk or baby hooks … Ambidextrous, showing the ability to finish well with both his left and dominant right hand … Very good touch. And an above average FT shooter for a big … Enjoys contact. Displays great toughness and a willingness to give up his body for rebounds … Very strong body and should only continue to add to his muscular frame … While his skill set is more that of a traditional big with a focus on his post game, his size, mobility and touch give him potential as a modern day big, and his ability to move his feet and defend guards on pick and rolls gives him added intrigue … Has really improved as an offensive player, showing confidence facing the basket from the perimeter and can make plays attacking the basket off the dribble … He’s able to take opponents off the bounce with a quick first step and can get to the rim without drawing charges or turning the ball over. A sign of his coach-ability and dedication to improving his game … Finishes well on the move … Also has the ability to one dribble pull up from 10-12 feet if the defense sags off him … Young man with a lot of maturity and composure. Has a calm, confident demeanor and never seems to lose his cool, or get rattled … Has a real presence about him, doesn’t shy away from competition or the limelight and shows a steady demeanor and confidence to handle adversity and tough situations … His feel for the game has shown steady improvement, and he apparently made an excellent decision to return to Maryland for his sophomore year, despite being a likely first rounder as a FR … Excellent 7-plus foot wingspan gives him good length at 6’10 …

Weaknesses: Still unproven to some degree against quality competition, though this season he has begun to show what he can do against higher level opponents … Offensive game, while promising is still a work in progress … Still not the most prolific of scorers at 15 ppg after averaging 10 ppg as a freshman in the Big Ten … While he has come a long way in a short time, still must continue to improve upon his feel for the game … At times is slow to recognize double teams and will take the ball into the teeth of defenders, instead of working the ball out for a better look … His ball handling has really grown into a strength, but can still be sloppy and lead to turnovers … Doesn’t have range out past 12-15 feet at this point. While his form and touch suggest he could develop a 3 point shot, to this point he has not been able to add that element to his game … His passing at times can be sloppy, though his 2 assists per game are solid for a big and show that he’s not a black hole on offense … Perhaps just slightly undersized at the center position at 6’10 … Will be 21 (August 15th) before the 2019 NBA Season begins, so his upside is not as intriguing as a true freshman … Not the most formidable shot blocker or rim protector, though he’s solid in this area with a chance to improve. He’ll need to focus more attention to this area of the game …

Outlook: Has a very bright future with the amount of improvement he’s shown over his two years at Maryland … At times his play evokes memories of Hakeem Olajuwon with his spin moves and baby hooks. He’s still got a long ways to go in terms of offensive polish, and doesn’t have nearly the same dynamic explosiveness and athleticism … But his patience and clever ability to create baskets give his game shades of Hakeem … If he can continue to expand his offensive game and extend his range and shot blocking ability, he can develop into one of the top centers of his generation at the next level … he figures to be the top center available in this year’s draft …

Notes: From Luanda, Angola … A top 100 recruit coming out of HS … Participated for Angola at the 2014 U17 Fiba World Championships in Dubai, along with Kansas forward Silvio de Souza  … Played high school ball at Monteverde before transferring to IMG Academy … Began playing basketball at 9 years of age, as his local Luanda club included soccer and basketball, and he quickly dropped soccer and focused on hoops …

Aran Smith 2/3/19
 

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