The Case For…Scottie Reynolds

I will continue my look at the fringe draft candidates with an oddity for this group – a first team All-American.  Scottie Reynolds (6’2, 195), a point guard from Villanova was a consensus All-American this past season, yet you will be hard-pressed to find him being chosen in any mock drafts.  Is there a place for Scottie Reynolds in the NBA and what does he need to do to get drafted next month?  Let’s see if we can find an answer.

The Good– If there is one thing Reynolds does well, it’s score (18.2 ppg, 45.7 FG%, 38.5 3FG%, 84% FT).  He is effective from the perimeter and does a good job getting into the lane.   He does a good job without the ball and coming crisply off of screens.  He has a solid build and is not afraid of contact.  As a point guard, he does a decent job controlling the team’s offense and has cut down on his turnovers.  Defensively, he plays well on the ball and has good court awareness.  Finally, he is a great team leader, gives 100% all the time, and when the game is on the line, he wants the ball in his hands.

The Not-So-Good – Reynolds is not a great athlete, lacks typical point guard quickness, and has just an average first step.  Because of this, he has a tough time creating his own shot and instead relies on screens to get his shots off.   As a point guard, he is more scorer than passer and he doesn’t see the court as well as a point guard should.    Defensively, he needs to improve his foot speed and his lateral movement.  He also needs to close better on shooters.  In transition, he should improve on his decision-making, including going strong to the basket instead of settling for jumpers.

The Verdict– While Reynolds may not seem to be a NBA player, I do think that he could be a very efficient back-up, especially on teams that need some back-court scoring off the bench.  There is a chance that a team may take a chance on him late in the 2nd round, and I would have a tough time arguing against the pick.  I do think he will need to show what he can do during the Summer League and pre-season to stick around, and how he handles his inevitable time in the NBDL will say a lot about how he will handle the bench in the NBA.