D-League Watch: Rakeem Christmas

Rakeem Christmas, Fort Wayne Mad Ants, Forward, 6’9, 239

(2015-16, 33.3 mpg, 10 games) 19.8 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 0.6 spg, 2.5 bpg, 2.2 tpg

49.0 FG%, 68.7 FT%, 53.7 TS%, 49.0 eFG%

26.9 USG%, 9.1 OREB%, 15.3 DREB%, 12.2 TRB%

DOB: 12/1/1991 (24) College: Syracuse

Before the D-League

Christmas played four seasons at Syracuse, and then was drafted in the 2^nd round, number 36 overall, in the 2015 NBA Draft by Minnesota, before being traded to Cleveland, and then to Indiana, who sent him to Fort Wayne as an affiliate player. After three nondescript seasons at Syracuse, Christmas busted out as a senior, averaging 17.5 points, 9.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 2.5 blocks per game. He shot 55.2 percent from the field and 70.5 percent from the free throw line, playing primarily as Syracuse’s center. Christmas was named Third Team All-American last year, to go along with being on the ACC’s All-Defensive and First Team, as well as being the conference’s Most Improved Player. Christmas graduated with his degree from Syracuse in 3 years.

What has he shown so far?

Christmas has continued to develop on the offensive end, giving Fort Wayne a combo 4/5 who can adjust his offense depending on the match-up. Strong and solidly-built, Christmas may be undersized in some match-ups, but he is rarely overmatched physically. Continuing from his college days, Christmas is at his best operating in the low post, where he has the ability to set up on either block, and while he doesn’t have many moves in his repertoire, he has a nice combination of soft touch around the rim with steady footwork. While his short hook shot over his left shoulder has been his strongest move the past few years, he has also improved his ability to face-up out of the low post, making a strong dribble move to the rim, usually to his right, as well as a short jumper he likes to go to out of the right block, with a quick bounce into the lane to clear some space, usually when matched up against longer defenders. Along with the low post, Christmas’ mid-range game has improved, showing both the ability to take the ball off the dribble, if he has a clear lane, as well as knock down open 15 to 18-foot jumpers, though not as consistently as he’d probably like yet. One other area Christmas has made some improvement is in the pick-and-roll game, something he didn’t get involved in much in college. While he may still not open smoothly to the ball after the screen, he has gotten better, and if he gets some space, he will finish as strong as anyone in the D-League. Christmas has done a good job on the offensive boards so far this season, using his strong body well to clear space around the basket. He has the strength to finish through contact, and with his activity around the basket, he does a good job getting to the free throw line at a decent rate, almost 7 times per game on average.

Defensively, though listed at 6’9, Christmas plays much bigger, and his 7’5 wingspan allows him to match-up with opposing centers. He uses his strong body well in the low post, looking to either move his man off the blocks, or using his length to deny entry passes. His footwork can be spotty in the post, and when his man gets the ball, he doesn’t always do a good job keeping his long arms up to alter shots. Christmas has improved over the last year in many other aspects of defending, especially in the pick-and-roll, and when guarding out on the perimeter, things he didn’t always do much of in Syracuse’s 2-3 zone. He can still be unsure of his positioning when away from the basket, especially when hedging on screens, but the foundation is now there for him to improve on. Christmas is a good help defender around the basket, getting into position quickly, and extending well to block or alter shots without fouling. He does a good job looking to box out on the defensive boards, but he could do a better at going strong after the ball once he has position. There’s no reason he shouldn’t be able to have a lot more defensive rebounds.

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What does he need to show next?

As mentioned above, Christmas didn’t really start to show real signs of development until he was a senior in college, and so though he may be 24 years old already, there is still some upside to where his game can go, especially on offense. Continuing to develop his offensive game more in the mid-range area could open up a lot more possibilities for him, especially if he can find some consistency with his jumper. The basics of the shooting form seem fine; he just needs to work on finding a more fluid motion and not short-arming his shots. Also, continuing to improve in the pick-and-roll will play to his strengths well, including his ability to finish strong around the basket. While he does get to the line a good amount, his free throw shooting needs to improve, and this is where a more fluid motion would definitely help. Defensively, you can still see he is making adjustments to solely playing man-to-man, but he has the strength and length to offer some versatility in who he matches up with. Along with that, working on moving his feet better will help whether he is defending in the post or getting out in the pick-and-roll.

Where does he go from here?

A capable scorer, rebounder, and defender, it’s probably only a matter of time before Christmas gets some playing time at the NBA level. He has the energy which would allow him to flourish off the bench, and his physical make-up will allow him to defend either the 4 or smaller 5’s. A late bloomer in many aspects of his game, Christmas is exactly the kind of player the D-League is meant to help get ready to not only be on an NBA bench, but to contribute.

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