NBA News 2011: NBA Prospect Gary Flowers

Gary Flowers, 6-8, Senior, Forward, Southern Mississippi
20.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 2.7 turnovers, 0.9 steals, 1.8 blocks, 50.0% FG, 42.9% 3FG, 76.3% FT

After showing potential as a junior, Southern Mississippi forward Gary Flowers has made significant strides thus far during his senior season.

As has been written in the past, Flowers has above-average size for a combo-forward with good length to compensate. In addition, he is a fluid athlete, which makes his tweener skill-set more adaptable to the next level.

There is a lot to like about Flowers on the offensive end, as well, where he ranks amongst the best scorers in college basketball, shooting a very efficient 52% inside the arc and 44% from 3-point range. His shooting motion remains inconsistent and his jump shot gets little arc, but he has nonetheless developed into a solid perimeter shooter and a reliable pick-and-pop and spot-up threat at this level.

Inside of the arc, he continues to show potential as a face-up scorer with his growing comfort in his pull-up jump shot. He must continue to work on his ball handling, however, as he rarely is able to utilize his athleticism off the dribble and he is still very limited as a shot creator. He is a solid finisher around the basket, as well, where his quick feet, explosiveness, and soft touch off of the glass work to his advantage. While he struggles to carve out space in the post and he does not move particularly well without the ball, he has some solid post moves and can catch-and-finish.

At this stage his skill set resembles that of a face-up power forward, but his improvement and athleticism continues to suggest that with continued work he could see minutes at the small forward position in the future.

http://www.draftexpress.com/article/Trending-Prospects-1272011--3625/

NBA News 2011: NBA Prospect JaJuan Johnson

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JaJuan Johnson, 6-10, Power Forward, Senior, Purdue
20.6 points, 7.8 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 1.5 turnovers, .9 steals, 2.2 blocks, 51% FG, 79% FT, 36%

Sporting an improved frame, adding a good 10-15 pounds of much needed bulk, Johnson has slowly but surely expanded his offensive game each season he's been at Purdue, developing a very dependable right handed hook shot and turnaround fade away jumper over either shoulder in the post. The improvement has continued this year, as his 1.054 points per possession on post up situations is the highest of his four year career, a testament to the strength he's added. He has a very high release point on both shots, showing the ability to get the shot off over long defenders and the touch to make contested shots.

Johnson could stand to diversify his post-game, as he doesn't show much ability to use his left hand in these situations, nor much in the way of counter moves, although he has started showing signs of an up and under move he didn't have in years past. Despite solid touch and the ability to get his shot off against longer defenders, Johnson still lacks great lower body strength, which could hamper his ability to get good enough post position to consistently get quality shots at the next level. He also tends to struggle playing through contact at times and can be easily dislodged from the post.

Furthermore, there are question marks regarding whether a NBA team will be willing to run their entire half-court offense through him the way Purdue has elected to this season, as he'll likely have to transition into being much more a complimentary scorer than a go-to guy in the NBA.

Another area that has shown considerable improvement has been his perimeter jump shot. Johnson's range was primarily 15 feet and in during his freshman and sophomore seasons at Purdue, but he has extended that out to the collegiate three point line this year. Showing a high, consistent release point, this is an area of Johnson's game that could translate well to the pick and pop landscape of the NBA.

http://www.draftexpress.com/article/Trending-Prospects-1272011--3625/

Related articles

• Purdue Basketball: JaJuan Johnson Leads Boilermakers Past Michigan State (bleacherreport.com)

NBA News 2011: Lakers' Andrew Bynum is not worried about scoring

Image by Getty Images via @daylife
Andrew Bynum had more rebounds than shot attempts against the Utah Jazz on Tuesday and had more blocked shots than personal fouls.

That was a sign of how far the Lakers' center has come since being inserted into the starting lineup.

His focus, however, is not on offense, but on defense, rebounding and being a deterrent.

"We have a lot of scorers on this team, so offensively, if you get a play run for you, you better be successful with it because we've got a lot of guys who are able to score," Bynum said after the 29-point win over the Jazz. "But defensively, I think I can be active and challenge a lot of shots, change a lot of shots."

And that's what he did against the Jazz, blocking three shots, altering several others, while picking up just two fouls.

http://www.latimes.com/sports/basketball/nba/lakers/la-sp-lakers-fyi-20110127,0,4440438.story

Related articles

• The Lakers' B-Factor: Bynum (espn.go.com)

NBA News 2011: NBA Prospect Malcolm Lee

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Malcolm Lee, 6-5, Junior, Point Guard/Shooting Guard, UCLA
12.4 points, 3.1 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.6 turnovers, .5 steals, 43% FG, 76% FT, 31%3P

Standing at 6'5” with nice length and a physique that has improved over his career at UCLA, Lee certainly passes the eye test for an NBA combo guard prospect. Unfortunately his skill set and feel for game have yet to catch up with his physical tools.

While he's spent time playing the point and now the two spot, it's still unclear what type of role offensively Lee is most comfortable in, and best suits his game for the future. Former Bruins Russell Westbrook and Jrue Holiday both also had some trouble adjusting to Ben Howland's methodical offensive system, and spent the majority of their time playing shooting guard. Their NBA success obviously bodes well for Lee, and has likely had some scouts giving him the benefit of the doubt for his lack of production, but at some point he's going to have to give them more reasons to take a chance on him.

When taking a closer look at Lee's role this season, it's clear from that he's been spending more time off the ball. His assist numbers are down, but his turnover numbers have decreased at a similar rate as well, as he's spending more time spotting up on the wing and less time creating offense with the ball in his hands.

Lee is still far from a shooting specialist, but he has shown flashes of having the potential to be an adequate perimeter shooter at the NBA level, and has definitely made some nice strides in this part of his game. He's shooting more 3-pointers this season and shooting 31% from behind the arc, which is up from the poor 25% he shot as a sophomore, but his mechanics look much better than when we wrote about him before.

Looking forward, it's clear that Lee is a talented player with some potential to build on, as he's still only 20 years old and possesses all of the physical attributes that scouts covet. His undefined position and role, and lack production in his third season at UCLA are definitely concerns that scouts will have to consider though.

His experiment at the point didn't lead to much success last year, and he doesn't seem to have the instincts or decision making skills to ever be a pure point guard. And while he's become more efficient on catch-and-shoot opportunities, he still doesn't project to be a big-time shooter or scorer on the wing.

Lee's defensive potential is probably the area where he stacks up best as an NBA prospect at this stage. In order to give himself the best chance in the future, Lee should embrace his strength as a defensive stopper who can cover either guard position. If he can do that while he continues to improve his perimeter shooting and adds polish to his slashing and overall floor game, Lee will earns looks from NBA teams looking to fill that void on their roster.

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

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 2011: NBA Prospect Tobias Harris

Image by Tennessee Journalist via Flickr
Tobias Harris, 6-8, Freshman, SF/PF, Tennessee
15.6 points, 7.4 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.9 turnovers, .9 steals, 1.2 blocks, 46% FG, 74% FT, 32% 3P

One of the most productive members of this year's freshman class, Tobias Harris has played a key role for Tennessee from the moment he arrived on campus. And while the Volunteers have been a roller coaster rider of a team all season, Harris has been a model of consistency, scoring between 15-21 points in virtually every game he's participated in, despite being one of the youngest players in college basketball.

The biggest intrigue around Harris stems around his versatility, as he's a solidly built 6-8 power forward with a very good skill-set and an excellent feel for the game. Harris is a tremendous mismatch threat at the college level as he has the ball-handling skills to take his man off the dribble from the perimeter, but is still big and strong enough to make his presence felt inside the paint on both ends of the floor. He's also a very good passer who moves off the ball well and shows great maturity and unselfishness operating in the half-court.

Harris has the freedom to grab a rebound and go coast to coast on his own, showing really nice body control handling the ball fluidly in the open floor, and even being able to change directions on the fly. Tennessee takes advantage of his unique skill-set frequently, allowing Harris to score over 20 points per-40 and get to the free throw line at a strong rate.

Harris is able to knock down shots from the perimeter, but is nowhere near consistent enough with this part of his game just yet. He's knocked down just 16 of the 57 jumpers (28%) he's attempted on the season thus far, showing a slow, flat-footed release, and converts under one 3-pointer game. To reach his full potential Harris will need to become much more proficient in this area, as it's an absolute key to the way he'll have to operate in the NBA.

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

NBA News 2011: NBA Prospect Marshon Brooks

Image by Getty Images via @daylife
Marshon Brooks, 6-5, Senior, Shooting Guard, Providence
23.8 points, 8 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 3.4 turnovers, 1.8 steals, 1.3 blocks, 50% FG, 80% FT, 36%3P

Marshon Brooks is a name that pops up in nearly every conversation when discussing the most improved players in the country this season. The Providence senior has put together an extremely productive first half of the season, proving to be one of the best scorers in the Big East.

Standing at 6'5” with a wiry frame, Brooks has a smooth, attacking game on the offensive end with the ability to score points in bunches. And while he often finds himself playing different positions for an undersized Providence team, his body and skill set suggest that he's best suited as shooting guard prospect for the NBA.

Brooks's overall improvement and efficiency can be seen in virtually all areas of his game, as evidenced by his excellent 31.2 PER, which currently ranks him among the top 20 players in the country. His biggest strength though, is his ability to create his own shot and score, as he's averaging 23.8 points per game so far this season, which puts in him in the top five in the nation.

On the defensive end, Providence plays quite a bit of zone in the halfcourt and likes to get out in pressure in the fullcourt as well, so Brooks will have a big adjustment when he's faced with playing almost solely man-to-man defense. He does appear to have adequate length and lateral quickness to defend shooting guards though, and his activity level is generally pretty good too. His 8 rebounds per game for a player his size is an encouraging sign, as are his block and steal numbers (1.8 steals and 1.3 blocks per game). Giving maximum effort on every possession and becoming an asset on the defensive end will be a key for him down the road.

http://www.draftexpress.com/article/Trending-Prospects-1142011--3613/