One of the more intriguing prospects in the 2013 NBA Draft is 22-year-old Glen Rice Jr. of the D-League’s Rio Grande Valley Vipers. Rice was dismissed from the Georgia Tech basketball team in March 2012 after he was arrested following a shooting incident involving a passenger in his car. Rather than transfer to another school and sit out the 2012-13 season, Rice entered the D-League draft and was taken 55th overall by Rio Grande Valley, the Houston Rockets’ affiliate in the NBA’s developmental circuit. Here’s a closer look at Rice’s game.
SG Glen Rice Jr., Rio Grande Valley Vipers, 6’6”, 211 lbs
2012-13 D-League Stats: 25G, 23.7 mpg, 13 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 49.1 FG%, 38.5 3-pt%, 75.2 FT%
Strengths:
Rice has a very good isolation game and plays better with the ball in his hands. Rice also runs the floor well and provides good spacing. With a 6’10” wingspan, Rice has good length that allows him to finish near the basket and disrupt passing lanes and shooting angles on the perimeter defensively. Rice is a strong leaper, particularly when leaving the floor off both feet, and uses that ability to get into the lane and rebound well, as evidenced by his 6.2 rebounds per game in the D-League last season.
He can shoot the NBA-length 3-pointer well and is not afraid to take shots late in the clock and is similar to his father, former Michigan standout and NBA star Glen Rice, in his ability to spot up and knock down the corner 3 off the catch-and-shoot.
After a slow start, Rice had a very good second half in the D-League and was simply outstanding in the playoffs, averaging 25 points and 9.5 rebounds per game as the Vipers swept six games en route to the D-League title. His rise last season was meteoric, as Rice went from multiple DNP-coach’s decision nights early in the season to being the best player in the D-League Finals and emerging as a potential first-round pick.
NBA Draft Express had this to say about Rice:
Weaknesses:
Rice is also similar to his father in that he lacks explosiveness off one foot, which can limit his effectiveness in the transition game and his basketball smarts have been questioned because he can really struggle with decision-making when facing a double team or a trap. He is not a strong passer on drive-and-kick situations and he also lacks blow-by speed off the dribble. Rice struggles with ball-handling on the pick-and-roll and hit shot selection might be his biggest weakness. At just 211 pounds, Rice has difficulty defending in the post and can get caught standing upright on defense when he’s playing off the ball, leading to scoring opportunities for his assignment.
The biggest red flag, though, is Rice’s character and off-court demeanor. Besides the March 2012 arrest, during which he let an intoxicated person drive his car and another passenger fired gunshots out of the vehicle. Rice was not exactly a model citizen at Georgia Tech. He was benched for the final five games of his sophomore season for what was termed “disciplinary reasons” and was suspended again for the first three games of his junior season, his last at Georgia Tech, for what was called a “violation of team rules.”
The Skinny
Rice is an undeniable talent and if he has put the character issues behind him, he could be a real steal for a team drafting late in the first round or early in the second. Here are some of his highlights from the D-League last season:
Potential Landing Spots:
Los Angeles Clippers, No. 25 overall: The Clippers are in the market for shooting and have a need to replace Grant Hill as a swingman off the bench. Rice could fill the bill for new coach Doc Rivers, either teaming with Eric Bledsoe and Jamal Crawford if the Clips want to go small on the second unit or providing size at the 2 if Bledsoe is dealt this summer, which would make Crawford the primary ball-handler for the reserve group.
Phoenix Suns, No. 30 overall: If the Suns are able to get a shooting guard with their first pick at No. 5 overall, it wouldn’t be a shocker to see them pull the trigger on Rice to close the first round, as Phoenix has a desperate need for shooters. Rice likely has the size to spend some time playing the small forward spot and he is one of the most NBA-ready prospects in the draft after spending a year in the D-League.