Calling all wannabe NBA Scouts...Ever disagreed with one of our scouting reports, disappointed by a player you know well not being written about quick enough, or just wanted to be able to have your own say at DraftExpress? Well starting today, you will be able to make your own custom scouting reports or player observations exactly the way YOU think it should done.
All you need to do to join in on the fun, if you have not done so already, is register for a free username with DraftExpress. Once you have done so, follow THIS link, find the player you want to write about from the pull-down menu, edit the subject line accordingly and start writing your report.
Another way to access this feature is by clicking on the scouting report of your favorite player, lets say Lamarcus Aldridge for example, and clicking on the Create Scouting Report link you will see right above the scouting report tabs IF you are logged in. After youre done, run it through your own spell checker, hit the submit button afterwards and our staff will be summoned to look at your report and approve it so it can be added to that players individual profile, in both the comments and links tab.
You must be registered to create your own scouting reports or observations so you can save it to our database, make changes and let all our visitors view your work. This is just another of many present and future interactive features that will require this as well.
A few things to keep in mind:
-At this point this is strictly an experiment. Whether we expand this, how far we take things and how much leeway we give our users is up to you guys. Take your time and be thorough.
-A minimum of 500 characters (not words) has been put in for quality control purposes. This is roughly the equivalent of 5-6 well written sentences or so. There is no maximum.
-Not every report will be automatically available to be seen by our visitors. Every report will be looked over by a staff member shortly after its added, and only reports that we deem have value for our readers will be approved. If your report is rejected, you will be informed along with the reasoning and what you might want to change before you resubmit.
-You can make changes or remove your entire report at any time via the My Scouting feature. Just use the buttons that are in place.
-If this feature turns out to be as useful as we think it might, we will add a box on the front page of the site (like the headlines or TV watch) spotlighting some of the best user scouting reports or observations.
-If you want your entry to stand out from the crowd, give it an interesting title in the subject line. Player X Scouting Report is the default, but you can edit it anytime to describe it better.
-Should you choose to abuse the system and either steal or plagiarize a report from somewhere else, or just enter in nonsense to waste our time, you will be banned not only from writing future scouting reports, but also from ever visiting DraftExpress.
-From now on, people who email us (sometimes via the opportunities section) wanting to possibly join the staff and begin to write for DraftExpress will be encouraged to use this system. So if you want to impress us or the hundreds of professional scouts and executives in the business who visit our site, you have a great tool at your disposal. Even if you just want to blog about specific draft or NCAA related issues that you are interested in, this is a great way to start.
-You'll have no editor, so proofread your work, plug it into a word processor, make sure the grammar and spelling looks OK, and then submit it.
-If you have any problems whatsoever using this new feature, or have an idea about how to improve it, please let us know via the contact us section.
Suggestions on what to write about:
-Its called My Scouting, so obviously the main purpose was to give people a place to write scouting reports and let them share them with the world. Below and eventually in its own separate tab you will find a template and guidelines on how to write a DraftExpress caliber scouting report, complete with specific things you might want to look at and lingo you might want to use. You can even print this out to use while you are watching the player in question. Dont be lazy, you have to actually go out and scout the players, sometimes multiple times. It doesnt end there, though.
-An interesting matchup you watched between two teams or players (similar to our Marquee Matchup series) could also make for an interesting feature. Think about this while you are watching the NCAA and conference tournaments.
-More personal accounts about a players background or specific skills you would like to talk about. For example: J.J. Redicks outside shooting, Paul Millsaps rebounding ability, Marco Killingsworths post moves, etc. The possibilities are endless.
-Disagree with our own scouting reports? Make an entry titled: why DraftExpress is wrong about so and so. Write in a legible and expressive fashion and there is no reason why we will not approve your report.
-As our database of players grows, you can also write about players from last years draft or next year, players from two years ago. A report on Chris Pauls adjustment to the NBA, an evaluation of why a certain rookie is struggling, a player who is not getting the recognition he deserves
all are things that could be of interest to our users.
-Be creative. If you have something to share that our readers might find interesting to read, dont hesitate to write about it and submit it.
Template/Guidelines for writing DraftExpress caliber scouting reports
Property of DraftExpress
Make five different categories/sections, matching the five tabs on every DX player profile, with only the first two being absolutely essential to write about. Bold them.
Strengths
Weaknesses
Competition
Outlook
Facts
Start off in the first paragraph of either the strengths or weaknesses by talking about their physical attributes and athleticism. If its a 6-4 PG with superb quickness, that goes in the strengths. If its a 6-9 center with short arms, that goes in the weaknesses. Players should realistically have strengths and weaknesses in both their offensive and defensive games, and a mix of the other attributes, so write about them.
Use these as suggestions about things to look at and potentially write about. You obviously do not need to write about all of them. Some may refresh your memory about things you should talk about.
Physical Attributes:
Size (relative to NBA position)
Wingspan/Length
Frame
Bulk
Upper-body and lower body strength
Conditioning
Athleticism:
Compared with what's expected from his NBA position?
Quickness
Agility
Explosiveness
Overall speed
First step
Leaping ability
Quickness of vertical leap (how fast gets off ground)
2nd bounce
Strength
Reflexes/Instincts
Fluidity
Motor Skills/Coordination
Offensive skills: (Or lack thereof
)
Ball-handling
How fast do they dribble
How comfortable/in control are they dribbling the ball
Do they protect it well
How high does it get off the ground
Advanced Dribble moves? Crossovers, behind the back,, spin-moves, splitting defenders, etc.
Do they always dribble with their left or right hand? How good is off-hand?
Shooting:
Spot-up/Off-dribble?
Off-ball movement
Mechanics
Quickness (of release)
Range on shot
Consistency
Footwork
Balance
Elevation on jump shot
Improvisation ability
Mid-range shooting
Diverse in spots on the floor?
Free throw shooting
Shot selection
Slashing:
Ability (athleticism, ball-handling, first step, strength, toughness?)
Willingness
Skill
Finish with off-hand?
Vision (seeing openings and taking them)
Vision off dribble (passing)
Left/Right?
Explosiveness
Shifty? Changes Gears?
Finishing ability
Creativity
Free throw attempts
Pull-up ability (stop and pop)
Ability to utilize floaters
Headfakes/body fakes (to create space, get man off-balance)
Patience (forces? turnovers?)
Post-Up game:
Back to basket skill/feel
Footwork
Strength
Toughness
Offensive arsenal
Jump-hooks? Sky-hooks, regular hooks?
Finish with either hand?
Post and then repost?
Passing out of post
Patience
Spin moves
Using glass
Power or Finesse?
Turnaround jumpshot?
Passing:
Court Vision
Ability
Timing
Unselfishness
Passiveness
Off-dribble/On move
Static positions
Post entry passing
Out of double team
Outlet passes
Bounce passes
Simple/Flashy?
Defense
Perimeter Defense:
Lateral Quickness
Reaction Speed
Footwork
Fundamentals
Hands (for steals)
Playing Passing lanes (gamble?)
Vision/Anticipation
Pressure defense
Tenacity
Team defense/Help/Rotating
Defending pick and roll- hedging, switching, going underneath screen
Team play zone or man to man?
Interior Defense:
Footwork
Strength
Toughness
Smarts
Timing
Shot-blocking ability, changing shots
Steals/Deflections
Fronting
Patience (jumping too soon?)
Foul trouble?
Wingspan
Lateral movement/quickness
Rotations
Rebounding (leaving man/rotating for blocked shot, exposing glass)
Team play zone or man to man?
Rebounding:
Technique/Fundamentals
Out of area?
Boxing Out
Strength
Timing
Length
Tenacity
Hands
Skill
Production (averages)
Quickness
2nd bounce
Anticipation
Offensive/Defense
Relying on athleticism?
Hustle
Intangibles/Miscellaneous
Age
Potential
Basketball IQ/Feel for game
Character (off-court problems?)
Coachability
Leadership Skills
Court Demeanor
Clutch?
Versatile?
Experienced?
Needs plays called for him?
Body Language
Conditioning
Heart
Work Ethic
Playing same position now as NBA position?
Fundamentally sound?
Team--good, bad? Record, accomplishments?
Role player/Superstar potential?
Raw/Polished?
Whatever YOU want to talk about.
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