Scouting Report – Michael Snaer

Photo: Daniel Shirey/USA Today Sports

Name:   Michael Snaer    Age:   22   School: Florida State

Height: 6’5  Weight: 202  Projected Position: SG

2012-13 Stats (As of  1/29/13): 

13.9 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 2.5 apg, 1.1 spg, 2.8 tpg (30.4 minutes per game)

40.6 FG%, 80.2 FT%, 39.8 3FG%, 56.1 TS%, 50.5 eFG%, 25.7 USG%

SKILLS & ATHLETIC BREAKDOWN

Offense

Perimeter Shooting

Snaer generally has good form on his jumper.  When he squares to the basket, he gets good lift from his legs, a high release point, good arc and follow through. He has range out to the NBA 3-point line.  He is a strong spot-up shooter and he continues to improve shooting his jumper off the catch coming off of screens.  He uses screens well, generally coming off them tight and ready to shoot, though he needs to watch a tendency to float and not get square coming around the screen.  Snaer uses shot-fakes and jab steps well to create space, and he has a quick release to get his shot off with defenders closing.  I would like to see him continue to improve his ability to hit the jumper off the dribble, especially when using the dribble to create space around the 3-point line.  Shot selection is an issue at times, though he continues to improve for the most part, though he still settle for a contested jumper too often.     

Penetration

Snaer doesn’t look to get in the lane as often as he should, but when he does, he can be very successful.  He likes to use high screens to spring free, and he uses a combination of long strides and his strong frame to get to the rim.  He does a good job drawing help defenders and is capable of pulling up for the mid-range jumper or finishing in a variety of ways around the basket.  He is capable of attacking the basket from either side and can finish with either hand at the basket.  While he is a good free-throw shooter, he doesn’t look to draw contact as much as he should, often settling for off-balanced shots instead of attacking straight to the basket.  While he comes off of screens well, he has just an average first step, and is not going to beat many defenders just off the dribble.   

Ballhandling

Snaer is an above-average ballhandler, able to use both hands well and using a decent crossover and hesitation move to keep the defense off balance.   Normally, he is in control, keeping the ball low and close to his body, though like many scorers, he needs to watch as he moves the ball into traffic.  He also needs to improve his ability to use his dribble consistently to create space, especially for his jumper.  Also, as discussed above, he doesn’t have a good first step, so he should work on improving his ability to get the defender off-balance with his dribble.

Passing Skills

Snaer has shown better passing skills this season, especially when looking to penetrate, and he has room to still get better.  When he keeps his head up, he does a good job drawing in the help defense and kicking the ball out to the perimeter for an open shot.  Snaer has also shown some good decisions as a ballhandler in pick-and-roll situations, spotting the open man quickly and finding the roll man before the hedging defender closes him off.  He needs to become more consistent in these situations, as he can tend to just worrying about getting free for his own shot.  While his passes are generally strong and on target, he needs to watch throwing lazy passes when moving the ball around the perimeter.

Free Throw Shooting

Snaer is a good free throw shooter with a consistent routine, good shooting motion and follow-through.  Snaer’s biggest issue is he just doesn’t get to the free throw line enough, averaging less than 5 attempts per game.  Part of it is reluctance to attack the basket often, but part of it is also the lack of good touches he is getting on the offensive end.  Based on the amount of field goal attempts he has taken, he does get to the line an average amount.  He needs more touches and he needs to attack more.   

Defense

Perimeter Defense (On/Off Ball)

Snaer is a very good on-ball defender, positioning himself well between his man and the basket, staying low and moving well laterally.  He can be a physical defender, but does a good job not being too aggressive.  He is capable of guarding multiple positions, including both guard positions and small forwards.  Snaer is capable of pressuring the ball, though he needs to watch overplaying, as he is prone to getting beat with a quick dribble move to the weakside.  Snaer does a good job getting over the top of screens, and he communicates well, letting his teammates know where the screens are and if a switch is needed.  Snaer also does a good job recovering when he gets caught in a screen or gets run through multiple screens.   Off the ball, Snaer positions himself well, and he does a good job playing the passing lanes.  As when he is on the ball, he needs to watch overplaying the passing lanes too much and getting beat with a cut to the basket.  He does a good job navigating through screens off the ball, not letting his man get a lot of room to get set for a shot.  He picks his spots well when he looks to step into the lane and help or to double-team in certain instances.  He has very good defensive awareness.  Snaer closes well on perimeter shooters, though he needs to do a better job not overreacting to shot fakes.  

Rebounding

Snaer rebounds well using his strength to battle against bigger players, combined with a good nose for where the miss is going to go  He uses his body well to establish position and he goes quickly after the ball.  Snaer also does a good job making sure perimeter players don’t rush in for offensive boards by putting a body on them. I would like to see him take some longer rebounds he grabs and start pushing the ball in transition if he has a clear advantage.

Transition

Snaer is capable of both pushing the ball in transition and running the wings and scoring from the perimeter or at the basket.  While he is a decent ballhandler, he is much better letting someone else feed him on the break, as he has a tendency to rush into the defense and not make keep or pass decision quickly enough.  He is at his best when given the chance to spot-up behind the three point line and letting the ballhandler draw the defense.

Intangibles/Summary

Snaer has the size and the shooting ability to be a decent scorer at the NBA level.  His numbers may not reflect it this season, but injury issues at the point guard position have the whole Florida State offense out of wack.  On top of that, Snaer has taken on some of the point duties himself, doing a solid job looking to get his teammates involved instead of constantly forcing shots.  Actually, his team needs to find ways to get him more offensive looks, as the team seems to do much better when he is getting double-digit shot attempts.  He has the ability to be a good defender at the NBA level and his ability to pressure the ball and guard multiple positions will help a coach use flexible lineups.  Of course, no report about Snaer will be complete without discussing his big-play ability, with 5 game-winning shots in the last 2 seasons.  Mental toughness like Snaer’s is always a valuable commodity.  

Draft Value:  Early-Mid 2^nd – #35-43

While Snaer is probably very close to his ceiling as a player, he has shown that he can adapt, as this year has shown.  He will still be at his best when he is working as a perimeter shooter first, and looking to attack after.  Speed and athletic ability are good, not great, but he is skilled.  People will focus on numbers, and consider this a down year. I think Snaer has shown some growth as a player and in the right role can thrive at the next level.  

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