2015 NBA Draft Watch List: Seniors, Part Eight

It’s less than  a month from the start of college basketball season and the road to the 2015 NBA Draft has begun.  It’s time to start taking some early looks at players who are already on the NBA’s radar, or have enough skill or potential to break through this season.

Players will be broken down by class, starting with the seniors.  Overall, the list will contain between 50 and 60 seniors, 30 to 40 juniors, and 20 to 30 sophomores.

These are not meant to replace scouting reports, which will come out during the season.  These are not all-inclusive and just meant as a brief primer for those who want to track draft prospects throughout the season.  These are also not in any particular order other than who I choose to write about each post.

Andre Hollins, Minnesota, Guard, 6’2, 195

(2013-14, 35.6 mpg) 13.6 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 2.4 apg, 0.9 spg

37.7 FG%, 84.1 FT%, 34.9 3FG%, 54.7 TS%, 47.0 eFG%

24.9 USG%, 1.3:1 A/TO, 16.9 AST%, 1.8 STL%, 12.7 TOV%

Hollins was the leading scorer for a Minnesota team which won the Postseason NIT championship last season.  Hollins plays both guard spots for the Gophers, though he is used primarily as a scorer rather than a distributor. He is an average ballhandler, though he can be a bit sloppy, especially when he is making a move to the basket. He has a tendency to get the ball too far out in front of him. Hollins can attack the basket with either hand, though he is more comfortable going to his right. He goes strong to the basket, uses his body well, and doesn’t shy from contact, which leads to easy points because he is a very good free throw shooter.  Hollins has good range on his jumper, though he needs time and space to get a good look. Hollins makes good decisions in transition and though he doesn’t have great speed, he gets the ball up the floor quickly. Defensively, Hollins is active with his hands and feet, and he has strong lateral movement. He has the ability to pick up the ball full court if needed, and he limits the risks he takes, choosing to contain his man instead.

What he needs to show this season: Hollins has shown that he can score the past few seasons, but his future as a professional will be as a point guard, and he will need to show that he can be an effective distributor as well. He sees the floor well, but he can be slow to make reads and find open teammates, and his first instinct always seems to be to try and score. That’s not bad for now, as Minnesota needs him to score, but it’s something to look for after his college career is done. Shot selection can be an issue for Hollins, as he takes a lot of long-range shots when he seems to be covered well, though that is also partly a function of a Minnesota offense which can be slow to find scoring options. Hollins uses screens well to attack the basket, but I would like to see him keep his head up longer and see the floor around him.  Hollins has the skills to play point guard at the professional level; he just needs to balance it with his desire to score.

Anthony Brown, Stanford, Guard, 6’6, 215

(2013-14, 33.5 mpg) 12.3 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 2.1 apg

47.5 FG%, 78.5 FT%, 45.3 3FG%, 61.0 TS%, 56.4 eFG%

18.7 USG%, 12.4 AST%, 13.9 DREB%, 1.5 STL%

Brown bounced back last season from a hip injury which forced him to miss almost all of the 2012-2013 season to win the PAC-12’s Most Improved Player award. Brown’s strength is in his perimeter shooting, where his size gets him good looks. He knocked down over 45 percent of his three-point attempts last season, including four of six attempts in the NCAA Tournament.  Brown is also a solid mid-range shooter, and he uses shot fakes well to draw defenders in the air to clear space for his shot.  He is very unselfish, preferring to find his chances within the Stanford offense, though he has shown that he can create his own shot on the perimeter. Brown is also very good at finding open spaces in the defense, moving well off the ball and making quick cuts to the basket.  Defensively, Brown uses his size well on the perimeter, especially when he is guarding shooting guards.  He also shows a good nose for the ball when rebounding, as well as strong box-out technique. Brown is a good threat in transition, able to spot up behind the three-point line, or taking the ball off the dribble from the wing.

What he needs to show this season:  Brown’s shooting ability and size at the two will get him attention from teams, but he needs to also show that he can take the ball to the basket off the dribble more consistently.  He is an average ballhandler at best, and he doesn’t have the burst to beat many defenders off the dribble.  Improving his ballhandling skills will help him a bit to find ways to get to the basket. Also, he needs to work on defending the perimeter, especially moving his feet better against players who can attack off the dribble.

Anthony Drmic, Boise State, Guard, 6’6, 204

(2013-14, 32.8 mpg) 15.9 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 1.7 apg, 1.1 spg

44.1 FG%, 78.1 FT%, 34.1 3FG%, 56.3 TS%, 51.9 eFG%

25.6 USG%, 8.6 REB%, 10.9 AST%, 2.1 STL%

Drmic has been the Broncos’ leading scorer the past three seasons, as well as Second Team All-Mountain West the past two seasons.  While Drmic’s numbers were down a bit across the board this past season, he still did a very good job when targeted by opposing defenses. Drmic is a good spot-up shooter, especially from long-range, though he forced a lot of shots last season, though some of that was due to a Boise State offense that had trouble getting him optimal looks. He has good size at the shooting guard position, and his shot is quick and compact.  Drmic is at his best when he is moving off the ball, whether it’s running his man through screens or making quick cuts to open spots. His quick release allows him to get good looks if he gets the ball in good spots. Drmic is an average ballhandler, though he can be effective when looking to get to the basket. He doesn’t have a quick move to the basket, but he changes speeds well to keep defenders off-balance. Drmic has also shown a good ability to find open teammates off of the dribble, though his passes can be a bit erratic. Defensively, Drmic has good awareness and his length on the perimeter allows him to be disruptive.  He is an efficient scorer in transition, getting up the floor quickly, though he can rush transition threes.

What he needs to show this season:  Drmic may not be best served as part of the Boise State offense, but some of the shots he took last season were not advisable under the best circumstances.  He should work on using shot fakes more to draw defenders out, and then using the open space for a better look. Also, he can be a bit awkward when driving to the basket, especially from the left side, as he always looks to shoot with his right hand. There’s no reason he can’t finish around the basket with his left hand. With his ability to draw defenders, Drmic should work on connecting better with his passes, especially when he has open teammates set behind the arc. Defensively, Drmic needs to work on moving his feet better laterally. Also, he can get turned around when chasing his man off the ball, so he needs to improve his ability to find angles to stay with his man when going through screens.

JayVaughn Pinkston, Villanova, Forward, 6’7, 235

(2013-14, 27.1 mpg) 14.1 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 1.4 apg

52.1 FG%, 74.4 FT%, 25.8 3FG%, 59.4 TS%, 53.4 eFG%

25.6 USG%, 9.6 OREB%, 16.3 DREB%, 13.0 REB%, 11.7 AST%

Pinkston continued to show improvement in many parts of his game last season and was a key part on both ends of the floor for a Villanova team which won 29 games last season. Pinkston’s strength is operating around the basket, and he uses a good combination of physical ability and skill to impose his will around the basket. He establishes position well, is an average ballhandler, and he has good footwork, allowing him to make quick moves to the basket and finish strong. Pinkston is also able to face up out of the low post and make a quick move off the dribble. Pinkston can be tenacious on the offensive boards, getting to spots quickly and going strong for the ball. The best part about Pinkston’s game is his ability to draw, and finish through, contact. Last season, he got to the line at a very high rate (.66/1 free throw attempts/field goal attempts) and he continued to improve from the line.  Pinkston has improved as a defender, both on the perimeter and in the post, and he moves his feet very well for his size. He is capable of guarding multiple positions, though he should work on his foot speed to guard quicker wings out on the perimeter.

What he needs to show this season: Pinkston still needs to become more comfortable on offense on the perimeter. The release on his jumper can be slow and he doesn’t always get square before taking his shot. When he has time, he has shown that he has perimeter skills that he can hope to build on.  His ballhandling skills need to continue to improve and he needs to work on using his left hand to finish around the basket. Pinkston also needs to work on being more active on the defensive boards, including anticipating missed shots and establishing position to go after the ball. Defensively, Pinkston showed a lot of improvement as a perimeter defender, but he should continue to develop his lateral movement and awareness.  Pinkston needs to learn how to play angles better on defense and how to utilize his help defenders.  Pinkston is more comfortable around the basket, but he will likely be out on the wing as professional, so he needs to show more on both offense and defense.