NBA Comparison: Gerald Wallace

Strengths: 6’6 220 lb. two-way, athletic forward … Explosive finisher with a quick first step … Excellent size/length with a 7’1 wingspan and and a 8’9 standing reach … High-energy finisher … Active perimeter defender and plays the passing lanes… Solid frame. Not afraid to absorb contact and get to the free throw line … Finishes well and powers through contact extremely well … Dynamic slasher who creates a lot of baskets through aggresiveness … Athletic rebounder, not afraid to bang down low with bigger, stronger players … Can use his size and athleticism to his advantage … Prideful defender who will take on the toughest defensive assignment … Recognizes and takes advantage of mismatches … Finishes at the rim with both hands … Unselfish passer … Quick feet, with the ability to defend  … Exceptional offensive rebounder who follows shots and excels in crashing the boards … Has good hands, able to catch tough passes and grab rebounds outside  his immediate area  … Good speed in the open court and difficult to defend on the fast break without fouling …. Shows solid defensive anticipation … Free throw percentage (77.8%) gives optimism about his ability to become a better mid range and outside shooter … Plays with a steady motor … Form on his shot shows solid mechanics, but still needs to work on connecting more consistently and shooting in rhythm … Was productive when given opportunities, considering he only played 18 minutes per game …

Weaknesses: Struggled with consistency as a freshman … Doesn’t exhibit the instincts of a natural scorer … Has yet to develop any real ability to create offense off the dribble or as a shooter … Basketball IQ and feel for the game don’t always appear to be top notch … Not the most fluid of athletes, somewhat rigid body and offensive moves can appear predetermined … Only shot 28 percent from 3-point range in the regular season of his freshman year … At times can be too dependent upon his physical gifts … Merely outclassing opponents physically won’t be succesful at the next level … Still has room to improve with shot selection and can continue to develop a more well-rounded mid-range game … Can improve in pick and roll game, has the potential to be either the playmaker or cutter in a pick and roll situation … Should look to improve upon limiting turnovers … Good spacer of the floor but can still improve in moving without the basketball …

Outlook: Little is a bit of a boom or bust type of prospect as he is likely to be drafted on his potential and still has a long ways to go to realize it … He’s been compared to Kawhi Leonard by media outlets, which sets the bar extremely high and also helps his stock, but is probably an unrealistic comparison … He may struggle in his first season or two in the league … With the physical tools and size for his position, there is plenty of room for Little to improve … While he struggled to live up to expectations scoring just 10 ppg, coming off the bench for the Tar Heels, apologists note that many talented players struggle in their freshman seasons in Roy Williams UNC system …

Notes: Had to sit behind senior Cameron Johnson and still showed how much potential he has playing just 18.3 minutes per game in his freshman year …  Physically, he’s NBA ready now at 220 lbs, with his athleticism combination …

David Green 3/29/19

Strengths: 6’6 two-way athletic forward … Good length with a 7’1 wingspan and 8’9 standing reach … Good strength and build … Plays through contact … Aggressive mindset but doesn’t force his offense … Good athleticism and motor … Runs the floor and finishes well in transition … Explodes quickly off the ground for rebounds, blocking shots, and finishing plays above the rim … Good body control and good finisher in the paint. Contorts his body to make difficult layups … Can finish with his left hand … Crashes glass and reads tip slam opportunities well … Quick second jump … Spaces the floor well … Unselfish and solid passer … Shoots a high percentage within range … Shot 46.9% from the floor over the adidas Gauntlet and 56.8% at the NBPA Top 100 … Versatile skillset … Can score inside and out … Recognizes mismatches and post ups smaller defenders … Much improved as a jump shooter with good mechanics … Gets to the free throw line at a good rate … Shot 5.1 free throws per game over the adidas Gauntlet … Good tools and versatility as a defender … Can defend in space and seems to take pride in tough defensive assignments … Quick feet … Good shot blocker for a wing with 1.2 per game over the adidas Gauntlet … Good hands, instincts, and anticipation defensively, pokes the ball loose when defending on the ball … Averaged 1.6 steals per game over the adidas Gauntlet …

Weaknesses: Only shot 28.6% from three over the adidas Gauntlet but has improved his outside shooting over the past year … Still has room to expand his half court offensive game and still trying to find consistent ways to score … Ballhandling can improve … Doesn’t break down the defense or create much off the dribble … Doesn’t score much from midrange, most of his points come from threes or strong takes at the rim … Has room to cut down on turnovers, averaged 2.6 per game over the adidas Gauntlet … Should look to improve upon passing ability … Spaces the floor well but can be more active off the ball …

Outlook: North Carolina commit … MVP of the McDonald’s All-American Game with 28 points (12-17) and five rebounds in 21 minutes … MVP of the Jordan Brand Classic with 24 points and six rebounds … Averaged 17.6 points and 7.5 rebounds per game over the adidas Gauntlet …

Evan Tomes 8/7/18