Scouting Report – Stanley Robinson

At UConn, Stanley Robinson always seemed to be able to pull off at least one spectacular play a game, but at the end of the game, it always felt like he could have done more.  Does Robinson have the skills to be an effective NBA player.  Let’s check the scouting report.

Stanley

Robinson, UConn

Small Forward-  6’9, 210

 14.5 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 52.5% FG, 63% FT, 34.2% 3FG    

 DraftSite.com Mock Draft Position – #24 (1st Round, 24th Pick)

Offense

 Post Skills– Robinson has excellent size for his position and has the potential to create a mismatch with the combination of his size and athleticism.  BEcause of the big men who were at UConn during his time there, Robinson did not spend much time in the post.  Look for that to change once he gets to the NBA.  He has the ability to use his speed to get around his defender and get to the basket, though he will need time to develop the move set necessary.

Ballhandling/Hands/Penetration– One of Robinson’s biggest weaknesses is his ball-handling ability.  While he has the speed to beat most players one-on-one, he becomes vulnerable if forced to change direction, or if he is cut off by help defenders.  That being said, his athleticism makes it very tough for defenders to keep up with him or keep him grounded.  He has excellent hands, as seen by the way he seens to grab passes anywear near the rim and finding a way to dunk.  He does need to work on becoming more aggressive going to the basket when he has his defender in open space.  Too often he tends to defer to his teammates.

Perimeter Shooting– While not a bad perimter shooter, it seems that Robinson does not have confidence in his shot and will only take a perimeter jumper if he is wide open.  He is also lacking a pull-up game – he either takes a jumper or takes the ball to the rim, there is no in-between.  The shot itself is good fundamentally, he has a good release point and uses his legs well, though he could be a little slow on the trigger.  While he has the ability to hit 3’s, he is not very comfortable at that range. 

Rebounding/Passing–  Robinson has shown to be an effective offesnive rebounder as he has the ability to outjump almost anybody and he rises so quickly that defenders don’t have time to block him out.  One of the stronger parts of his game is his ability to put back missed shots.  His court vision is average, doesn’t make many bad passes, but doesn’t make many great ones either.

Free Throw Shooting  – He needs to improve both on getting to the free throw line and also hitting his shots once he gets there.  Again, I think this is a confidence issue on his shot.

Defense

Perimeter Defense– While Robinson shows good footwork and lateral movement for his size, he tends to leave his man with enough room to get off perimeter shots.  He does have the ability to close well on shooters and with his athletic ability, he can be very disruptive.  He has long arms which he uses to deflect passes, though he should try to get his hands into passing lanes more often.  He will also need to increase his defensive energy to play against NBA-level small forwards, especially keeping his focus to avoid getting beat on cross-overs and change of pace moves.

Rebounding– Robinson is a good rebounder, but it solely based on his ability to get above everyone else to grab the ball.  He needs to work more on boxing out and keeping offensive players from getting to the ball.  He reacts well to missed shots and does an excellent job chasing down long rebounds.

Transition

While you don’t want to see Robinson handling the ball in transition situations, there aren’t many others you would want on the wing.  He runs his lanes well and goes to the basket strong.

Summary & Intangibles

Athleticism – Top-Notch

BB IQ – Above Average

Robinson is one of the elite athletes in this draft, and while a good basketball player, he needs to show more of his basketball skills to be a top-notch player.  He should be able to thrive in the more open NBA style of play, though he needs to become more confident in his abilities.  Based on athleticism alone, he si a first round pick, but if during workouts he can show the skills he seemed to hide at UConn, he should fall somewhere in the 15-21 range.