NBA News 2011: NBA Prospect Jerai Grant

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Jerai Grant, 6'8, Senior, Power Forward, Clemson
12.4 Points, 6.7 Rebounds, 1.5 Turnovers, 1 Steal, 2.4 Blocks, 57.4% FG, 71% FT

Seeing nearly twice as many possessions this season than he did last season, Grant carved out a niche for himself as Clemson's top interior scoring threat. Spending the spring and summer working on his post repertoire, Grant showed developing footwork and the ability to score with basic drop-step and up-and-under moves. Converting 47% of his 3.2 post-up shot attempts per-game according to Synergy Sports Technology, Grant showed the ability to have his way with small front lines on the college level, but struggled against more athletic front-courts.

Grant's increased usage also extended to the midrange, where he attempted less than one jumper per-contest, but flashed the ability to step away from the rim for the first time. Lacking a degree of fluidity in his release, Grant didn't spend too much time facing up and putting the ball on the floor despite his quickness, but knocked down an occasion catch-and-shoot jumper and made significant strides at the charity stripe—boosting his percentages from 59% last season to 71%.

While Grant showed some degree of development in his skill level, his role at the next level won't include situations where he'll be creating offensive chances for himself, making his development as a post threat and jump shooter more of a bonus than a selling point. Ultimately, Grant will be asked to do many of the same things that we described as his strengths in our last report when he was playing next to Trevor Booker: catch and finish, rebound, set screens, and defend.

An explosive athlete, Grant is at his best when his teammates are creating shot for him at the basket. Finishing at a 62.4% rate around the rim, Grant is a hard-worker and does a nice job staying active down low. Showing very solid quickness, he does a nice job filling lanes in transition and flashing to the rim when he sees an opening.

Grant's mobility is a key part of his defensive presence as well. Possessing good lateral quickness and playing with very strong intensity, the Maryland native can hedge the pick and roll very effectively out on the perimeter, and deny penetration consistently from the midrange. He does a fine job in the post thanks to his length and leaping ability, but struggles to hold position against stronger players and is too susceptible to fakes at this point in his career. It will be important for him to continue to add the bulk necessary to defend the post in one-on-one situations and box out stronger forwards to augment his presence as a shot blocker and versatility on that end of the floor.

http://www.draftexpress.com/article/Trending-Prospects-3182011--3651/

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NBA News 2011: NBA Prospect Josh Selby

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Josh Selby, 6-2, Shooting Guard, Freshman, Kansas
8.7 points, 2.4 assists, 2.3 rebounds, 1.0 steals, 2.3 turnovers, 38% FG, 37% 3P, 76% FT

Billed as an incredibly creative and explosive scorer with outstanding athletic tools coming into college, Selby has shown flashes of that potential, putting it all together for a handful of games this season, but has struggled heavily with inconsistency and turnovers.

In the half-court setting, Selby is a very dangerous scorer when he catches the ball on the move, having an outstanding first step to go along with strong change of direction ability and body control in the lane, making him very dynamic within the flow of the offense. The problem for Selby is this had made up just a small part of his game this season, as he's attacked the basket very infrequently, getting to the line and getting shots in the lane at a poor rate. He averages just 1.7 free throws compared to 7.9 field goal attempts per game, and according to Synergy Sports Technology, in the half-court setting he's attempted 95 jumpers compared to 30 shots around the basket.

Overall, he's converting just 39% of his 2-point attempts, which would be the lowest percentage of any player drafted in the last ten years, if he indeed decided to enter. Combine that with his paltry 37 free throw attempts in 22 games, and it's no surprise why Selby ranks as the least efficient scorer amongst players in our top-100 prospects ranking.

Selby's ability to create in isolation settings isn't something that has fully translated to the college level in the halfcourt, as he seems to have had some trouble adapting to the tougher defense, struggling with turnovers and not getting past his man as frequently as he was used to in high school. He's prone to committing offensive fouls by pushing off on spin moves and commonly loses control of the ball in not-so-difficult situations, something that's been exacerbated late in the season with his foot problems. His prolonged absence to start the year combined with the very short leash Bill Self has him on surely isn't helping matters, but it's clear that he hasn't been able to translate his scoring prowess at the high school level the way many expected him to.

As a shooter, Selby's done a solid job contributing for the Jayhawks, shooting a solid 36.9% on 3.8 three-point attempts per game, showing decent but occasionally sloppy mechanics and a great ability to put the ball in the basket. He's doing most of his work here spotting up, however, taking very few jumpers off the dribble and having less freedom to go out and create his own shot like he was known for the past.

http://www.draftexpress.com/article/Trending-Prospects-3182011--3651/

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NBA News 2011: NBA Prospect Travis Leslie

Travis Leslie, 6'4, Junior, Small Forward, Georgia
14.5 points, 7.4 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.9 turnovers, 1.4 Steals, 51.6% FG, 16.7% 3P, 83.1% FT

When we last checked in on Travis Leslie back in the preseason, we had lofty expectations for the rising junior. Teaming with Trey Thompkins to form a potent combination in Georgia's frontcourt, Leslie seemed ready to take the next step as a NBA prospect. Though he's helped Georgia to a 13-4 record, we have yet to see the gigantic leap forward that would propel his stock up draft boards and solidify his candidacy for the 2011 draft.

One of the more unique prospects around, Travis Leslie could easily be called the best athlete in college basketball. He plays way above the rim whenever he has a chance to and does so effortlessly, despite standing just 6'4. Extremely strong and possessing elite explosiveness, Leslie is still the same largely raw forward in an undersized two's body that we wrote about last season.

Able to play significantly bigger than his 6'4 height, Leslie's most notable development this season lies in the way he's able to score inside the arc. Often struggling to get all the way to the rim as freshman, but doing a much better job going up strong around the basket last season, the Georgia native has developed an improved comfort level and slightly better touch in the paint this season. According to Synergy Sports Technology, he's shooting 58% in finishing situations this season. Accounting for more than half of his shots both this and last season, that's a significant improvement over the 50% he shot last year. At this point, he's backing up his one or two highlight reel dunks every game with rock solid efficiency, even if he's not getting to the free throw line quite as often as he did in the past.

http://www.draftexpress.com/article/Trending-Prospects-1202011--3620/

NBA News 2010: NBA Prospect Jonas Valanciunas

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The first time Jonas Valanciunas showed his face on the international level, he was nothing more than skin and bones – a raw, timid 16-year-old star struck by the bright lights of Madison Square Garden at the Jordan Brand Classic international game in April, 2008.

All the physical tools in the world wouldn't mean anything if he didn't have the will to use them, though. Fortunately for Valanciunas, he's an incredibly intense competitor, a boundlessly energetic player who never stops working for a moment and whose presence is constantly felt on the court.

He runs the floor extremely well, is quick off his feet and has no qualms whatsoever about throwing his body around in the paint. Not one to just stand around and wait for opportunities to come to him, Valanciunas wants to be productive all the time, which is a big reason he's been able to earn playing time in such a demanding environment this season, despite his obvious immaturity.

“I don't have very good skills right now, many good moves, so I have to fight,” he tells us.

Essentially an afterthought in Lietuvos Rytas' offense, Valanciunas satisfies his hunger for touches through his work on the offensive glass. The largest portion of his offense (27%) comes from this area according to Synergy Sports Technology, a testament to his length, quickness, timing, hands, activity level and instincts. He pulls down over five offensive rebounds for every 40 minutes he's on the floor, and watching him play, it's not difficult to tell why.

As attractive a skill as his offensive rebounding might be, Valanciunas' most important source of scoring comes from his ability to finish plays created for him by teammates around the basket. He takes special pride in his ability to operate as a pick-and-roll finisher -- “That's my basketball,” he said. This is a skill that should translate to the NBA immediately.

http://www.draftexpress.com/article/Tracking-the-Progress-of-Jonas-Valanciunas-3601/

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