NBA Draft 2013: North Carolina’s Reggie Bullock Player Profile

Among those that have seen their draft stock increase since individual workouts began is North Carolina swingman Reggie Bullock. Bullock has moved himself up from the second round into an almost certain late first-round pick and appears ready-made to become a valuable role player in the NBA. Bullock is one of a group of outside shooting wing players slated to go late in the first round and provides an intriguing mix of experience, potential and a skill set that should translate well to the professional game. Let’s take a closer look at 2013 NBA Draft prospect, Reggie Bullock.

(image via NBA.com)

Season Stats: 13.9ppg, 6.5rpg, 2.9apg, 1.3spg, 0.3bpg, .483 fg%, .436 3pt%, .767 ft%

Here are some highlights from Bullock’s time at North Carolina:

Strengths: The thing that immediately jumps out when analysing Reggie Bullock is his tremendous ability to shoot the ball from deep. Bullock was one of the top 3-point shooters in the NCAA this season, where he converted at .436 percent on nearly six attempts per game. He has a textbook release on his jump shot and is skilled at moving without the ball, making cuts and running off screens to get himself open from either side of the floor. Bullock is a high IQ player who doesn’t try to outplay his abilities, he knows what he does well and is willing to play within his limitations. He displays his high understanding of the game with his off ball movement, his low turnover rate and his willingness to make the right pass to a teammate rather than force his own offense. Bullock has the size, length and athletic ability to become a good defensive player, with less of an offensive load he should be able to focus heavily on this area of his game. He was a solid contributor across the board, rebounding well from the wings with 6.5 per game, to go along with 2.9 assists and 1.3 steals. Bullock appears to have the attitude and skill set to become the perfect complimentary player, especially to a team that has a high level facilitating point guard, he scores efficiently, has deep range and finds the right spots on the floor both in the half court and in transition. He is experienced enough to likely contribute immediately with his outside shooting and spacing, but also has some untapped potential due to his physical attributes.

Weaknesses: While Bullock has great size and length, he needs to get stronger in order to compete with the physical athletes in the NBA. At times he can lack aggressiveness, settling for the outside jumper and rarely attacking the rim resulting in a low number of free throw attempts. Does not have a good handle and lacks the ability to create his own shot off the dribble. He is heavily reliant on others to get him the ball in scoring situations. He has the physical attributes to be a good defender but was average at best during his college career. From a skills standpoint, Bullock needs to greatly improve his handles and ability to mix up his offense from spot up shooting. An NBA training staff and weight room will help him with his strength, but it will be up to him to increase his intensity level and maintain his focus throughout the course of the game.

Potential Landing Spots:

Los Angeles Clippers: Bullock has all the skills to become an elite role player in the NBA if he finds the right fit and there may be no better destination than the Los Angeles Clippers. With Chris Paul at the helm, the Clippers supporting cast finds themselves receiving the ball in the perfect spots for easy buckets and this is where Bullock can excel. With a high level facilitator like Paul, Bullock could spread the floor, knock down his outside shot and get easy looks in transition. With Paul and the Clippers front court demanding most of the attention and question marks over the depth on the wings, Bullock could potentially play a role immediately for a high level playoff team in L.A.

Minnesota Timberwolves: The Timberwolves are desperately looking for consistent outside shooting from the wings and with a late first round selection they will have a number of viable options in the draft, including Bullock. While Ricky Rubio is a wonderful facilitator and big man Kevin Love commands most of the defensive attention, a shooter like Bullock who can spread the court and knock down the outside shot would be invaluable. Again, depending on what other moves the Wolves make to fill out the wing spots during the offseason, Bullock could potentially make a contribution in his first season.

Summary:

Reggie Bullock could potentially land anywhere from 19 through to 40 in the NBA draft, but his most likely landing spot will be in the mid 20’s range to a team in need of outside shooting. Bullocks experience and shooting ability will give him the ability to contribute immediately, but his ongoing development creating his own shot and becoming a more intense, focussed player on both ends will determine how successful he is in the league long term.