Please go to DraftExpress for more detailed scouting reports and great videos - they are the best in the business.
Continuing our look at draft prospects. Most info from Draftexpress.
Devin Booker, 15, SG
R.J. Hunter, 23, SG
Norman Powell, 30, SG
Rashad Vaughn, 30, SG
Michael Qualls, 31, SG
Devin Booker, SG, 18 years old, 12th in DX Top 100
Measurements: 6'6", 206 lbs, 6'8" wingspan, 35" max vert
Scouting report:
Athleticism: Fluid athlete with good quickness, not particularly explosive, decent strength, mediocre lateral quicks.
Offence: Tremendous shooter, one of the best in the class. Textbook form and quick release; great spotting up or off the dribble. High IQ player, moves well off the ball and makes good decisions with it. Rarely takes bad shots, almost never turns the ball over. Not a one on one player, but is capable in the PnR and coming off screens, though his strength lies in spacing the floor. Not very good finishing inside, nor does he get many shots there.
Defence: Although he lacks the tools to be a good defender (slow and not particularly long), he's not a serious liability either, due to playing smart positional defence and with endless effort on that end. Not a stopper one on one (can get beat off the dribble) and can be slow back out to contest shots. Doesn't generate steals or blocks, and is a sub par rebounder.
Other: Considered a low risk, low potential pick. Pretty much guaranteed to be a contributor, but very little chance he's ever a difference maker (which is basically the only reason there's a chance he slips to 20).
R.J. Hunter, SG, 21 years old, 26th in DX Top 100
Measurements: 6'6", 185 lbs, 6'11"wingspan, 35" max vert
Scouting report:
Athleticism: Another fluid athlete with good quickness, not particularly explosive, limited strength but has a lot of filling out to do - has the frame to carry a lot of muscle in time.
Offence: Very good shooter and has tremendous range. Good off the dribble, spotting up. Low release point but very quick release. Very pretty stroke. Only hits on 35% from 3, but takes a lot of deep and contested shots (7 attempts per game is very high volume). Very good free throw shooting, and gets to the line a lot when opponents close out too fast. Another guy who isn't really a shot creator, not great finishing inside, and he can be very streaky. Has a good eye for passing though, and doesn't turn it over too much.
Defence: On the upside, he has all the tools - length, quick feet laterally, quick hands. On the downside, played zone throughout his career, so his man defence is something of a mystery. There's certainly risk in this area, if not a clear weakness.
Other: His age (he'll be 22 by the time the season starts) makes his weight a potential issue - if he hasn't filled out by now, might not ever, which could mean he is undersized throughout his career. Add that to the lack of scouting on his individual defence and he might get bullied on that end.
Norman Powell, SG, 21 years old, 43rd in DX Top 100
Measurements: 6'4", 215 lbs, 6'11" wingspan, 41" max vert
Scouting report:
Athleticism: Incredible athlete, amazing leaping ability and strength for a guard. Great length, if short for his position. Very quick first step.
Offence: First and foremost a slasher. Uses his athleticism to drive head first into the defence, and is very effective playing above the rim even in traffic. Very poor shooter, poor mechanics, tends to hesitate on his jumper. Gets tunnel vision when he drives, poor passing in general. Also not a great ball handler.
Defence: Has all the tools but is only an average defender. Tends to gamble too much, and is only a decent rebounder considering his physical attributes. Heavy workload offensively may play into it as he was a very good defender in previous years.
Rashad Vaughn, SG, 18 years old, 45th in DX Top 100
Measurements: 6'5", 199 lbs, 6'7" wingspan, 34" max vert
Scouting report:
Athleticism: Smooth athlete, nothing spectacular. Not explosive, average quickness. Good strength.
Offence: Very good shooter (38% from 3) and from all over the floor. Can create his own shot, shoot off screens and spot up equally effectively. Very good at creating space for midrange jumpers. Has strength to finish in the lane and draws fouls well, and has a nice floater. Can score every which way but loose, rare for such a young player. That said, very poor shot selection - takes many tough shots instead of passing, fadeaways and contested jumpers. Poor passing vision on the rare occasion he does look for a teammate. Not a great ball handler, tends to dribble in straight line drives, depending on his strength to bully past opponents, and his step back to get himself open shots.
Defence: Another guy who has all the tools but not the mentality. Part of a terrible defensive team, so coaching might play into it, but was often blown by, not in a proper stance, lacked awareness.
Other: Questions about whether he can play a less selfish game, or be more disciplined defensively. But at his age, someone will take a swing at him, because if you can correct his shot selection and defensive focus, he's much better than the position he'll be drafted at. Said to have a great work ethic, but also sees himself as a star even if his performance doesn't quite line up with that view.
Michael Qualls, SG, 21 years old, 39th in DX Top 100
Measurements: 6'5", 201 lbs, 7'0" wingspan, 40" max vert
Scouting report:
Athleticism: Good athlete - decent quickness and speed, strong and very explosive leaped.
Offence: Decent shooter, mostly in catch and shoot - not very effective shooting off the dribble. OK on the drive, but lacks ball handling skills, so relies on explosiveness to get past his man in a straight line. Can draw fouls well. Good offensive rebounder for a wing. Poor passer and turns the ball over a good deal when asked to do to much on the ball.
Defence: Not super quick, but very aggressive. This forces turnovers, but also gets him blown by and chasing his man a lot. His length helps him out here, but even with that he's an average defender at best. More discipline could get him above average, but his lack of elite quickness will leave him short of a stopper.
Hmm, not a great class of shooting guards here. Vaughn is intriguing - young, seems like a DeMar clone except can hit the three. Hunter can shoot but he's a complete question mark defensively and he's already 22. Booker is interesting, he's sold as a low upside pick but at 18 years old who knows? None of them are perfect and I'm not sold on any, but those three are the three I'll be holding onto for a final big board.