Scouting Report – Trey Lyles

Name:   Trey Lyles        DOB:  11/5/1995 (19)   School: Kentucky

Height: 6’10.25         Weight: 241   Projected Position:  PF

Wingspan: 7’1.5      Standing Reach: 9’0

2014-15 Stats:

8.7 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 1.1 apg, 0.5 spg, 0.4 bpg (23.0 minutes per game)

48.8 FG%, 73.5 FT%, 13.8 3FG%, 54.3 TS%, 49.6 eFG%

20.8 USG%, 9.9 ORB%, 16.1 DREB%, 13.3 TRB%, 1.4 STL%, 2.1 BLK%

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SKILLS & ATHLETIC BREAKDOWN

Offense

Post Offense

Though he didn’t get to show it often in the Kentucky offense, Lyles is an above-average low post player with very good hands and footwork, the ability to play with his back to the basket, or face up out of the low post. Though he doesn’t have a lot of strength yet, he uses his body well to establish position in the low post, getting low and setting a solid base with his hands out looking for the entry pass. Lyles is able to set up on either block and make a move over either shoulder, though he does some go-to moves depending on where he is. On the right block, he likes to go over his right shoulder, and then come back with a strong up-and-under move so he can shoot with his right hand. On the left block, he likes to take one or two strong dribbles over his left shoulder, into a short right-handed hook shot, though he has also shown a very quick drop step move over his right shoulder, with his length and quickness getting him to the basket quickly. Lyles has nice touch around the basket, more so with his right hand than left hand, though his ability to go to both is good for his age. Even more impressive is Lyles’ ability to work his moves towards the rim, instead of allowing defenders to force him away. The up-and-under is his strongest counter move, but with his footwork, he will develop more in time.  When facing up out of the post, Lyles is able to use his short/mid-range jumper well, as well as being able to drive by defenders. He can have some trouble with longer, disciplined defenders, but he is very good at drawing contact around the basket. Lyles didn’t get much action as a “roll” man in pick-and-roll sets, but the tools are there for him to be effective down the road. He also didn’t see many double-teams in the post, so it’s tough to say how he’d handle it, especially finding open teammates to pass to.

Ballhandling/Penetration

Lyles is a very good ballhandler for his size, and is capable of using either hand well over short-to-medium distances. Lyles has shown that he can make a strong move to the basket when he gets the ball within 10-15 feet, and as the season progressed, he seemed much more confident driving with his left hand. When going to the basket, Lyles uses long strides, has good body control, and shields the ball well from defenders. Most impressive for a young player, Lyles will often drive right at the rim, and not waste dribbles going side to side. While he did show more confidence with his left later in the season, he does tend to like his spin move on the right side which allows him to shoot with his right hand. However, he can finish strong at the basket with either hand. Lyles does a good job keeping his head up when heading to the basket and sensing where the help defenders are. He is skilled enough to pull up for a short jumper if the help gets there quickly, though passing the ball out to an open teammate doesn’t seem to be one of his strengths.

Perimeter Offense

Lyles has shown to be a decent spot shooter on the perimeter, especially in the mid-range area, but he needs to work on his consistency, as well as extending his range.  He does a good job getting square to the basket, and gets into his motion quickly. Lyles’ shooting motion is smooth, and aside from the occasional turning-of-the-wrist as he shoots, his follow-through is also very good. Watching his shots, many looked like they were good and just seemed to take a bad bounce inside the rim. Lyles is an option in pick-and-pop situations, showing good screening ability with ability to get to the open spot quickly for the shot. For his size, he does a very good job using shot fakes and a couple of dribbles to create more space if needed. Lyles’ shot selection was strong, and it often seemed like he didn’t get enough shots in the Kentucky offense. Lyles understands floor spacing well, and he has a strong knack for hitting open spots in the defense quickly off of cuts. His shooting and ballhandling ability, combined with his floor IQ, could make him a very strong option as a high post player in some offenses.

Free Throw Shooting

Lyles is a good free throw shooter, with a consistent routine, as well as a smooth motion and follow-through. He’s a better shooter than his percentage, and having only gotten to the line just 102 times for the season, created some variance in his percentages. With Lyles’ shooting ability, I would expect him to hit 80 percent regularly at the next level. Lyles was very good at drawing contact when he would attack the basket or post up, though his free throw totals were lowered by taking a large amount of mid-range jumpers. Even so, his free throw rate of 42.5 per 100 field goal attempts was good for such a large amount of jump shots.

Defense

Perimeter Defense (On/Off Ball)

Lyles has the tools to be a good perimeter defender for his size, though having to guard smaller, quicker players at the small forward position this year was tough for him. He positions himself well between his man and the basket, shows a good defensive stance, and keeps his hands and feet active. His lateral movement is good for his size, though his reaction time to movements can be quicker, and he can have a tendency to play on his heels when defending away from the basket.  Lyles does a good job closing on perimeter shooters, and he has the ability to cover a long distance quickly, though he needs to work on not falling easily for shot fakes.  Off the ball, Lyles positions himself well and he uses his length well to play passing lanes, but he can get watching the ball too much and losing track of his man. Also, his movements around court defensively are very choppy, and he needs to work on rotating his hips to stay with his man.

Post Defense/Help Defense

Lyles has potential as a post defender, but he didn’t get much chance to do it this past season, and he may not have the ideal strength right now to be effective. He does a good job positioning himself between his man and the basket, and he tries to use his lower body well to move his man, but his footwork can be a bit slow when defending against both back-to-the-basket and face-up post moves. Lyles has the length to try and deny post-entry passes, and he has the quickness to try and make a play on lazy passes into the post. Lyles needs to get stronger so he can use his lower body better to try and force his man away from the basket, as well as anchoring his spot and not letting his man dictate the movements. Lyles has average defensive awareness and he has the tools to be a good help defender around the basket. He has shown some skill as a shot-blocker, getting into help position quickly, and extending straight up to try and block the shot. Since he didn’t get many opportunities, Lyles may have trouble adjusting at the next level.

Rebounding

Lyles does a very good job tracking missed shots on the defensive end and getting into position to grab the rebound.  He should look to put a body on someone, but instead relies on his length and ability to get off the floor quickly to beat opponents to the ball. Lyles does a good job securing the ball once he grabs it, though he needs to watch bringing the ball down to his waist. As on defense, Lyles does a very good job on the offensive boards.  He was often playing on the perimeter, but he would work his way into position in the lane area, and use his length to grab the ball or keep it alive. Lyles goes straight up when he gets an offensive rebound, wasting little time and not allowing defenders to recover to him. He also has a nice ability to tip the ball in, even if there are defenders surrounding him.

Transition

Lyles runs the floor very well for his size, with the ability to make a line for the basket, often to catch a lob, or run one of the wings, where he can spot up for a mid-range jumper, or make a dribble move to the rim. Lyles doesn’t have great speed, but his long strides allow him to get up the floor quickly. He still needs to work on being able to set up and knock down shots from behind the arc, but he has a great understanding of his role in transition.

Intangibles/Summary

It will become a running theme as we move through these Kentucky players, but Lyles is another young player who the platoon system did not favors for. Not to mention, he played out of position most of the season, and to his credit, he seemed to adapt well to becoming a perimeter-oriented player. Lyles is a skilled offensive player, able to knock down mid-range jumpers, or play in the low post. He does need to be more consistent with his jumper, plus extend his range, but the mechanics are there for him to make a long-term adjustment into a strong perimeter shooter. Lyles is also a surprisingly good ballhandler for his size, showing a nice ability to attack the basket off the dribble, and able to finish strong or with some finesse. He is a strong rebounder on both ends of the floor, though he will need to get stronger to have the same impact at the NBA level. Still, he knows how to work for position, and even when playing on the perimeter, he had a knack for moving around players to get into good position. Defensively, he has a lot of similar issues to other freshman forwards; he needs to work on moving his feet quicker, seeing the floor better, and maintaining good position, even when looking to help. His length and athletic ability will help him in the long-run, he just needs to focus more on smaller defensive details to improve. Lyles was pushed into a smaller role by playing at Kentucky, but he has the tools and understanding of the game to be an impact player. At worst, he’ll still be a good offensive weapon, but the tools and potential point to something better than that.       

Draft Value:  Late Lottery – Mid 1^st Round – #9-17

Getting Lyles into the right role early will be important, since he doesn’t have the strength to be a post player yet, and he doesn’t have the range yet to be a true stretch 4.   In many ways, he will need to be brought along slowly at the NBA level, allowing his skills, size, and athleticism to all come together. If he can develop his long-range jumper to go with his ability to attack the basket at 6’10, he could become one of the toughest players to guard down the line. For now, a team will need to be willing to wait a couple of years before he can really make an impact.

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