Scouting Report – Dee Bost
By Ed Isaacson
Now that we are solidly into conference play, it is time to take all of the information gathered and start looking towards the NBA Draft. The NBA Draft Blog Scouting Report heads to Mississippi to look at their senior leader, point guard Dee Bost. Bost has done a great job taking on different roles to lead the Bulldogs into the Top 25. He can score and he can distribute, will that make some team take a chance on him in June? Let’s take a look at Dee Bost:
Dee Bost, Mississippi State – Senior
Guard – 6’2, 176
16.2 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 4.3 apg, 38.4% FG, 76.2% FT, 31.1% 3FG
Offense
Perimeter Shooting– Bost has done a great job establishing himself as a great spot-up shooter on the perimeter. He gets his feet set, is square to the basket and gets great lift and rotation on his shot, though he could shorten his release time. He needs to do a better job coming off of screens tighter, allowing him to get a second to get a good look at the basket. When he comes wide off of screens, he ends up drifting on his shot to avoid the defender. Also, he needs to look to be more active without the ball, looking to find open spots in the defense.
Ballhandling/Hands/Penetration– Bost is a better than average ballhandler, uses both hands equally well and uses a variety of speed and tempo to shake off defenders. He has shown the ability to handle pressure, though at times he gets very careless against full-pressure and trapping defenses. He has good hands, handles tough passes well and other than the inconsistency noted above, he has solid control of the ball. Bost has a good first step to get into the lane, though he tends to be indecisive once he makes his first move. He does a much better job going right at the basket then looking for a teammate to dish the ball to. He needs to work on getting a bit stronger to handle contact and finish against big men.
Rebounding/Passing– Bost has a tendency to spend most of his time on the perimeter, so he is a very active offensive rebounder. He does have good speed and makes a solid effort to get to long rebounds and loose balls quickly. When he secures a rebound, he does a good job resetting the offense and not forcing anything. Bost is a good passer, avoids trying to make flashy passes and chooses safer looks. He has done a great job with entry passes into the post, putting the ball in spots where only his man can get to it. He still isn’t great off the pick and roll, but has improved over the years – he just needs to look a bit quicker for the open screener rolling to the basket or popping out on the perimeter.
Free Throw Shooting – Bost is a decent free-throw shooter, but has shown that he can hit them in clutch situations. He could get to the line more if he looked to get to the basket more often, but his tendency to stay on the perimeter doesn’t afford him a large amount of chances.
Defense
Perimeter Defense– This could be the biggest area where Bost needs to improve. While he positions himself well and has good lateral movement, too often he plays back on his heels, leaving him vulnerable to quick moves on the perimeter. Also, he has a tendency to overplay, leaving him vulnerable to backdoor cuts and silly fouls. The most important thing he needs to work on is playing defense against a screen up top. Too often he tries to fight straight through the pick instead of going over, under or switching. Once he gets caught in the screen, he needs to do a better job recovering to his man, or switching off. He does have good court awareness, and is an effective help defender or trapper in the post, using his quick hands to get easy steals. He could do a better job closing on jump shots, but he does make a good effort to always get out on the shooter.
Rebounding– Bost is a good defensive rebounder for his size – he is active on the defensive end, has good instincts for where missed shots will go, and has strong hands to secure the ball once he grabs it. One area he could work on is to make sure once the shot is up, that he looks to put a body on his man.
Transition
Bost is very good in the open court – he is effective both pushing the ball up on the break or taking one of the wings and spotting up for the perimeter jumper. When pushing the ball up, he is a good-decision maker, sees the floor well and can use his speed to beat the defense to the basket.
Summary & Intangibles
Athleticism – High
BB IQ – Above Average
Bost has developed over the last 4 years into one of the top leaders in the country. He has adjusted to roles both as a scorer and a distributor, and he can be counted on to play hard whenever he was on the court. If he can show that he can he both run and defend the pick and roll, he could one day be a solid backup point guard at the NBA level. Right now, I would see him as very late 2nd rounder (50-60) at best, more likely undrafted, but a deep NCAA run, and good workouts could sneak him into the 2nd round.
Next, up I will take a look at another player who has made significant strides this season – West Virginia’s Kevin Jones. Remember, leave any comments below, follow me on Twitter – @NBADraftBlog, or feel free to email me at the link up top.