2015 NBA Draft Watch List: Sophomores, Part Three

The college basketball season has started and the road to the 2015 NBA Draft has begun.  I’ll continue to take early looks at players who are already on the NBA’s radar, or have enough skill or potential to break through this season.

The sophomore class is strong, with many prospective NBA players who chose to come back for an additional year of school.

These are not meant to replace scouting reports, which will come out later in 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.

Chris Walker, Florida, Forward, 6’10, 220

(2013-14, 4.8 mpg, 18 games) 1.9 ppg, 1.3 rpg, 0.4 bpg

59.3 FG%, 28.6 FT%, 56.1 TS%, 59.3 eFG%

20.0 USG%, 14.1 OREB%, 19.2 DREB%, 16.7 REB%, 10.4 BLK%

After NCAA eligibility issues kept Walker out of the Florida lineup until February, he played only 87 minutes all season for the Gator’s Final Four team.  Walker then missed the first two games of this season due to a violation of team rules, but he is beginning to see his minutes start to rise as the season progresses. A 2013 McDonald’s All-American, Walker has the size and athleticism to be an impact player on both ends of the floor.  Last season, he showed more prowess on the defensive side of the court, where his length and ability to move his feet well on the perimeter was disruptive in his short time. Walker also showed some prowess as a rim protector, with good timing and leaping ability making it tough for the opposition to get shots off around him.  On offense, Walker showed that he could be a menace on the offensive boards, keeping balls alive and getting up for shots quicker than the other team. He runs the floor extremely well for his size, and has to be watched in transition if he heads for the rim.

What he needs to show this season: Walker will be counted on to show that all the hype around him is worth it this season. Like his minutes last season, Walker can impact the defensive side immediately, using his length and ability to contain on the perimeter. His size and athleticism allow him to guard multiple positions, and he can rebound well when he puts in the effort. It’s Walker’s offense that needs the most work. He can make plays off of offensive rebounds and in transition, but he has some problems in a halfcourt offense.  Walker needs to improve his ballhandling and shooting, though if given space, he has the ability to make plays off the dribble. His bigger issue is that he can seem to get lost in an offensive set, not knowing where he should be or what he needs to do. For now, he is making plays just off his athletic ability, but if he can figure out his place in the offense, he could be in for some big nights for the Gators. Long-term, he is still a very raw prospect for the NBA, but the natural ability is there.

Jarell Martin, Louisiana State, Forward, 6’10, 235

(2013-14, 26.2 mpg) 10.3 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 1.0 apg

47.1 FG%, 68.9 FT%, 33.8 3FG%, 55.2 TS%, 52.3 eFG%

20.2 USG%, 7.2 OREB%, 11.4 DREB%, 9.3 REB%

Martin, a former Player of the Year in Louisiana and a McDonald’s All-American, made an instant impact for the Tigers last season, starting 25 games. Martin has an NBA body, though because of Johnny O’Bryant playing in the post last season, Martin ended up playing more on the perimeter, which isn’t his strength, though he has developed into a post/perimeter threat. He uses his big body well to seal off defenders in the post, and he has shown good footwork and nice touch around the basket. Martin also has the ability to face up out of the low post and hit the mid-range jumper or use a few dribbles to get by his defender.  He has three-point range on his jumper when he has time to get square and his feet set. Martin sees the floor well, even if his passes may be a little ambitious to pull off. Where Martin is at his best is around the basket, and using his body to clear out space.  He is a very good offensive rebounder, though being on the perimeter often last year made it tough for him to show.  On defense, Martin does a good job getting position on and off the ball, and he can guard on the perimeter or in the post.  He has good lateral movement for his size over short distances. Martin can also be a very good rebounder on the defensive end, using his body well to box out and going strong after the ball. Martin runs the floor well, with the ability to get to the rim and finish big.

What he needs to show this season: Because Martin was playing so much on the perimeter on offense last season, he fell in love with the jumper, and it’s not good enough to be the main weapon in his arsenal, even if he can hit the shot.  Martin has to work on not rushing his jumper when he has a defender in his area, or learning to shot fake and drive by his man to the basket.  With that, he is an average ballhandler, but he has to keep his head up and in control when heading to the basket. At times, he doesn’t see the help defenders until it’s too late, causing a turnover. Defensively, Martin is much more comfortable in the post than on the perimeter, though he did show improvement in both areas last season.  He has to work on his awareness in both areas, especially making sure to not lose sight of the ball when tracking his man. Martin is off to a much better start this season playing more around the basket, though his jumper hasn’t been working at all to this point. His versatility will be attractive to NBA teams, but he still has a lot of polishing to do on his skills before he gets there.

Nigel Williams-Goss, Washington, Guard, 6’3, 190

(2013-14, 33.2 mpg) 13.4 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 4.4 apg, 1.1 spg

46.4 FG%, 72.3 FT%, 35.6 3FG%, 53.3 TS%, 50.8 eFG%

23.3 USG%, 1.5:1 A/TO, 26.9 AST%, 2.0 STL%

Williams-Goss had a fantastic first season as a freshman point guard last year, overshadowed only by NBA first round pick Tyler Ennis of Syracuse. Williams-Goss plays with great patience, seeing the floor, waiting for things to develop, and making good decisions. He has a very good handle, able to go left and right well, and while not very explosive, he uses a good change-of-pace dribble to get defenders off balance. When he gets into the defense, he is very good at drawing defenders and finding open teammates, or using a mid-range/short jumper or floater to get a shot. Williams-Goss makes strong passes, putting the ball in places where his teammates can make a play. He uses angles well to get his passes in, especially on post-entry passes.  Williams-Goss has good form on his jumper, and can knock down college threes, though his motion and release are slow and he needs time and space to get a good shot.  Williams-Goss is very good in transition, drawing defenders to him and finding open teammates up the floor for easy baskets. Defensively, Williams-Goss positions himself well on and off the ball, and he has good awareness. He follows the ball well and he is quick to get to long rebounds when he has a chance.

What he needs to show this season:  The one area where Williams-Goss has some issues is getting to the basket, where he can have some problems finish around the basket. Williams-Goss prefers to pull up instead of taking contact at the basket, and it shows in the amount of free throws he took last season. He took only 83 free throws all last season, and less than a quarter of his shots last season took place at the basket. Also, Williams-Goss needs to be quicker getting into his motion on his jumper, so he doesn’t need as much space and time. A lot of this can be helped once Williams-Goss gets stronger physically. Williams-Goss does a good job making reads off of high screens, though he needs to work on getting around the corner quicker and being able to attack the basket if his reads aren’t open. Defensively, Williams-Goss needs to work on his lateral movement and reaction to his man’s movements, as well as getting over screens. Williams-Goss is the kind of point guards that pro coaches will love, but the difference between whether he gets real playing time could rest on rounding out his offense, as well as being able to guard quicker point guards in space.