NBA Comparison: Shaun Livingston

Strengths: Combo guard with the ability and length to play/defend up three positions on the court … Was forced to play more PG during sophomore year at South Carolina …  Gifted athlete with an improving offensive game …  Long arms. Has a 7-foot wingspan at 6-foot-6 … Excels in finishing at the rime and although his dominant hand is his right, has shown the ability to finish with his left …  Good ball handler with both the left and right hands …. Uses his superior length against smaller guards to get his shot off … Attacks the basket well off the dribble … Utilizes the spin move and deceptively quick first step to keep defenders on their heels …  Quick hands and feet on defense, plays the passing lanes well and is aggressive when attacking in transition … Solid lateral speed …  Willing passer with good vision on the break ….  Active player who always seems to be in good positioning to keep plays alive on the offensive end and break them up on defense …  Comes from a family with a great basketball pedigree as his Father, Sister and Uncle all played basketball at South Carolina with his Uncle having spent time in the NBA …

Weaknesses: Dozier’s NBA position remains up in the air at this point because he doesn’t necessarily have the shot for the shooting guard position and is far from a finished product in terms of his handle and vision for the point … Can play both with some consistency at times but will need to hone in his skill set to one or the other … Still needs to add some weight to his 6-7 frame … Shot just 28% from three point range for his career with the Gamecocks, something that he will have to improve upon as NBA defenders give him space and take away his ability to drive to the hoop … Is equally as inconsistent when spotting up or when pulling up off the dribble …  Free throw shooting is an issue, shot less than 60% from the charity stripe in both seasons at USC …  Mechanically, his jumper is sound so the consistency should get better over time … His lack of rebounding for a player his size and length is a bit alarming but he was playing the point a lot during his sophomore year so his 4.8 average may have been affected …

Overall: A Final Four run that came out of nowhere really helped enhance Dozier’s stock as he averaged 16 points and 5 boards a game for the Gamecocks … Has the build of a prototypical off guard at the next level but still maintains the play making ability of a PG, especially in the open court …  He’s still extremely raw on the offensive end of the floor and is learning how to play the PG position …  His ability to knock down shots consistently, or lack thereof, will be what makes or breaks him when it comes to his ability to play at the next level … Physically gifted player with the size, length and athleticism to play at the next level … Still not sure whether he is a true "combo guard" or whether he is a "tweener" …  Wasn’t really much of an impact player as a freshman but was arguably the team’s most important player as a sophomore even though teammate Sindarious Thornwell got most of the love down the stretch … Could be a steal late in the first round if he falls into the right situation and the right coaching staff that can find his ideal position and help him refine his skill set at that position … Intriguing prospect that should really help his stock during the NBA combine once team’s get a close up look at his athleticism and measurements.

Notes: Name is Perry Dozier Jr., though often goes by "PJ"

Clayton Crowe 5/3/17