Name: Rashad Vaughn DOB: 8/16/1996 (18) School: UNLV
Height: 6’6 Weight: 210 Projected Position: SG
2014-15 Stats:
17.8 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 1.6 apg, 0.8 spg, 2.2 tpg (32.3 mpg/23 games)
43.9 FG%, 69.4 FT%, 38.3 3FG%, 54.7 TS%, 52.1 eFG%
30.8 USG%, 13.7 DREB%, 11.8 AST%, 11.8 TOV%, 1.5 STL%
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SKILLS & ATHLETIC BREAKDOWN
Offense
Perimeter Shooting
Vaughn is a good perimeter shooter, and he has potential to be a very good spot-shooter from long-range. He does a good job getting square to the basket and into his motion quickly, with good lift and a consistent, quick release. Vaughn has shown the ability to hit shots off the catch or the dribble. He likes to use screens, and as a pick-and-roll ballhandler, he uses them well to create space for his jumper, both in the mid- and long-range areas. Vaughn has range to the NBA three-point line, and the transition to the longer line shouldn’t be much of an adjustment. Vaughn’s shot selection can be an issue, especially forcing guarded long-range jumpers. He can hit the mid-range jumper off the dribble, both to his left and right, though he needs to watch fading in the direction of his dribble when pulling up for the shot. Vaughn needs to work a lot on moving without the ball, especially using screens to get open, and using multiple moves to shake a tough defender.
Ballhandling/Penetration/Passing
Vaughn is a below average-to-average ballhandler, with the ability to use both hands, and able to attack the basket in either direction, though he needs to watch letting the ball get too far away from him when making a move. Vaughn doesn’t have a great first step to the basket, and he hasn’t shown great acceleration if he gets by his man. He does rely on long strides to get to the basket, and he has good body control once he gets in the lane. Vaughn likes to drive left to the basket, no matter what side of the floor he is on, and he has the ability to finish with either hand around the rim. He can have trouble finishing around the basket, especially with long defenders there, so he needs to be creative to find shots. He needs to learn to use angles well around the basket to help him get good shots off when help defenders have rotated to protect the rim. Vaughn likes to be aggressive when he has a defender in isolation, and though he doesn’t have great speed, he has shown some nice moves to beat his man one-on-one, including a very nice spin move and a solid crossover dribble. Vaughn has some ability as a pick-and-roll ballhandler, though he will look for his shot first. Vaughn needs to make sure to keep his head up and be able to read the floor, as well as working on his ability to kick the ball out when he is stopped in the lane.
Free Throw Shooting
Vaughn is a below-average free throw shooter, though with his season cut short, the sample this season was on the small side. He has a consistent routine and good follow-through, but his motion isn’t very smooth. Vaughn will bend his knees when he starts his motion, then pausing before he starts his upward motion into the release. Many of his missed free throws are long, often hitting the back of the rim. More than 65 percent of Vaughn’s field goal attempts were jump shots, so he didn’t get to the line that often, less than 1 attempt for every three field goal attempts.
Defense
Perimeter Defense (On/Off Ball)
Vaughn can be an average perimeter defender, though UNLV played a good deal of zone this season which hid a lot of his abilities and/or deficiencies. On the ball, he positions himself well between his man and the basket, and shows decent lateral movement over short distances, though his foot speed isn’t great and he will give up and wait for help defenders to bail him out. Vaughn doesn’t react well to his man’s movements, and he can be especially slow in reacting to changes in direction. Vaughn needs to work on getting over screens quicker; he has some trouble getting caught in screens, and he can be slow getting over the top, relying on switches to help him. Off the ball, Vaughn positions himself well and plays passing lanes well. He shows good awareness, especially in the zone, and his reaction time is much better off the ball. Vaughn can have trouble navigating through screens off the ball, and he needs to learn to how to use angles to stay with is man, especially one who is active off the ball. Vaughn does need to watch a tendency to cheat too much towards help position. Vaughn can be active and he closes well on perimeter shooters, though he needs to watch falling for shot fakes, especially when he is trying to recover after helping around the lane.
Rebounding
Vaughn is a decent rebounder for his size, tracking shots well and looking to get into position quickly. With the team playing a good deal of zone this year, Vaughn would get most of his rebounds from the weak-side on jumpers, but he showed a good knack for going after the ball strong. Vaughn has the ability to start the team in transition after grabbing a rebound, but as can be read below, it’s not advisable.
Transition
Vaughn is at his best when running one of the wings in transition, where he can spot up behind the arc for a jumper, or get to the rim off a pass. Vaughn is not as good when he looks to push the ball himself in transition. He is a shaky ballhandler in the open floor, doesn’t have great speed or acceleration, and he makes slow reads and poor passes often. Some of this could be remedied with experience, but he should still stick to the wing whenever possible.
Intangibles/Summary
Vaughn had a pretty good freshman season, all things considered, before his season was cut short in early February by a meniscus tear in his left knee. He was UNLV’s leading scorer, though he was a high volume shooter. Vaughn showed good ability as a catch-and-shoot long-range shooter, but the rest of his offensive game is still a work-in-progress. Vaughn is an average ballhandler, somewhat slow off the dribble, and can take a lot of poor shots. He also has some trouble finishing around the basket against bigger defenders, and he hasn’t shown that he is willing to draw contact when getting to the basket. The good thing is that Vaughn is aggressive when he gets the ball, and if he can improve in these areas, he could be a solid pro scorer. Defensively, there is some ability there, though UNLV playing more zone this year hid a lot of good and bad points. He doesn’t have great length for his size, but he can be active and look to make plays. Vaughn is an average-to-above-average athlete, and he has decent size for his position, but the key for him going forward will be his skill set.
Draft Value: Early 2nd Round – #31-39
Vaughn will just be turning 19 before the season starts, and his game suggests that he is far from a finished product. He has shown some shooting ability, both off the catch and dribble, and he has a scorer’s mentality, but the rest of his game still needs a lot of work. I like his aggression when he gets the ball, always looking to make something happen, but he needs to understand the flow of the game more to make the most of it. Vaughn is probably a comfortable second-round pick, though he is low-risk shot in the late first round for a team that is intent on developing his skills, even though it is likely in the D-League for a season or more.
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