NBA Comparison: Michael Doleac

Strengths: Prototypical center size – a legitimate 7-footer with bulk … Very much an old-school center with a handful of back-to-the-basket post moves … Has made himself into an outstanding FT shooter (~80% from the line) who is able to get himself to the line consistently. He might be the best FT shooter of any true post player alive …  Smart defender and solid shot blocker, relying more on size and positioning than explosiveness when getting blocks … Shown improvement. He’s developed all aspects of his game substantially since arriving at Gonzaga … While not called on to do so often, he has shown an ability to hit a face-up jumper from the 12-15 foot range … Has good lateral quickness on D for a big man which shows in his ability to defend against screens …

Weaknesses:  He often plays small, not using his size and strength advantages to bully opponents … Lacks length. Arms appear to be very short for his height … Not a great leaper; doesn’t explode off the floor … Not a great rebounder for his size, only averaging around ~7 boards a game during his senior year (and that’s a career high) … Should consistently dominate the inferior big men he faces in the WCC, but often doesn’t  … Doesn’t use his body to establish deep post position nearly enough … Struggles mightily when double teamed … He doesn’t dunk when he often should. This is due to a combination of keeping the ball low, hesitating, and pump faking too much …   Can be inconsistent and disappear for stretches of the game if he’s not receiving touches in the post …
 
Seth Sommerfeld 1/9/12