Scouting Report – Jonathan Holmes

Name:   Jonathan Holmes        DOB:  12/9/1992 (22)   School: Texas

Height: 6’8         Weight: 240   Projected Position: SF/PF

2014-15 Stats (as of 2/9/15):

11.5 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 1.3 apg, 0.5 spg (26.4 minutes per game)

42.0 FG%, 79.5 FT%, 35.7 3FG%, 55.2 TS%, 49.7 eFG%

23.6 USG%, 11.9 ORB%, 14.7 DREB%, 13.4 TRB%, 10.5 AST%

SKILLS & ATHLETIC BREAKDOWN

Offense

Perimeter Shooting

Holmes has developed into an average perimeter shooter during his college career, and he has the ability to improve even more. Holmes does a good job getting square to the basket, has good lift on his shot, a high, though slow, release, and good, though inconsistent, follow-through. The last part is where he runs into some problems, because you can see when he is rushed, his shooting hand will turn outward as he releases. Holmes is a confident shooter, and his shot selection is very good, for the most part. Holmes is mostly a spot-up shooter, especially from long-range, but he has shown the ability to shoot off the hand-off, or off the dribble in the mid-range area. He has also added a nice shot fake into a dribble jumper, though his size often allows him to get clean looks at the basket off the catch.

Ballhandling/Penetration

Holmes is an average ballhandler, capable of using either hand, though much more dominant with his right hand. Holmes has a decent first step for his size and can make a move to the basket from the wing or the baseline. Holmes has to make sure to keep his head up when handling the ball and not force his drive into help defenders, and with his strength, he needs to make sure he drives to the basket strong. He can absorb contact on his way to the basket or at the rim, but he has a tendency to avoid it, forcing him into off-balance shots. Holmes has the ability to attack the basket more often, but he has been settling for jumpers more often.

Post Offense

Holmes is able to take smaller or similar sized players into the post and he has the footwork to make a quick move to the basket, and the ability to go over either shoulder. He has the strength to finish through contact, and the ability to finish at the rim, or with a soft hook shot in the lane. Though he doesn’t use it often, Holmes also has the ability to face up out of the post, and he can knock down the short/mid-range jumper or drive to the rim. Because of the amount of big men in Texas’ rotation, Holmes has gone away from the post and spends more time on the perimeter, but he is a very good option when he has the touches.

Free Throw Shooting

Holmes has become a good free throw shooter, with a consistent routine, smooth shooting motion, and good follow-through.  Though a large number of his field goal attempts are jumpers, because he attacks the offensive glass, he still gets to the line a decent amount of times, almost one free throw attempt for every two field goal attempts.

Defense

Perimeter Defense (On/Off Ball)

Holmes has developed into a solid perimeter and post defender, with the ability to guard multiple positions. On the ball, he positions himself well, keeping a good defensive stance with active hands and feet, and having good lateral movement over short distances. When defending the post, he uses his lower body well to force players away from the basket, and he has the footwork to defend quick post moves. He does need to work on his reaction to changes of direction, but he knows how to play angles well, and has the ability to recover. On the perimeter, Holmes does have to give some space when guarding wings, but he is quick to react to shots and he closes well, though he has to watch falling for shot fakes. Off the ball, Holmes generally keeps good position, though he needs to watch a tendency to cheat towards the basket, even if he is guarding a shooter, so he will need to cover a lot of ground to get back out to his man if he gets the ball. Though he guards more on the perimeter now, he has the ability to block shots around the basket, getting into position quickly and extending well to get to the shot.

Rebounding

Holmes is very good job tracking missed shots and getting quickly to a spot where he can grab the ball. He uses his body well to seal off opponents and he almost always goes strong after the ball.  Holmes can be a force on the offensive glass, using a combination of strength and athletic ability to clear space and get to the missed shot quickly. He does a good job drawing contact on second shots, though he can have some issues getting a good second chance with longer defenders. Defenders also need to watch Holmes when he is on the perimeter, because he has a good sense of where missed shots will go and will streak in from the outside to grab the missed shot, and on occasion, finishing in some spectacular ways.

Transition

Holmes runs the floor well in transition, capable of running the wings and spotting up for the jumper or heading right to the basket for a pass at the rim, though because of the speed of the Texas guards, he doesn’t get many transition attempts.

Intangibles/Summary

Holmes has survived some tough times with the Texas basketball program, but he has stuck around and he has developed into a very good all-around player. His strength is still on the offensive boards, where he uses his strength and athleticism well, but he is also a versatile offensive weapon, able to score in the post and on the perimeter. The one part of his offensive game that is really lacking is his ability to take the ball off the dribble to the basket, so he needs to work on his ballhandling skills to go with his physical ability. Defensively, Holmes is also versatile, and though he doesn’t make many spectacular plays, he handles any assignment well. Working on his foot speed, lateral movement, and positioning will be important, especially guarding wings on the next level, but Holmes has a solid foundation to work with. This is a case where the numbers don’t really add up to the real contribution Holmes makes for Texas, but the team would be in a real tough spot without him.

Draft Value:  Early-Mid 2^nd Round – #35-45

Holmes will need to make a lot of transitions to be able to play on the wing at the next level, but he is capable and coachable, and his ability to go out and do whatever his coach needs him to will work well for him. Holmes’ ability to rebound, especially on the offensive boards, is valuable, and he is continuing to improve as a perimeter shooter. There is an NBA player here, but it will likely need to be in the right situation, with some time in the D-League to adjust his game to NBA speed.

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