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NBA Scouting Reports: Filling in the Blanks- Small Forwards (Part Two)

NBA Scouting Reports: Filling in the Blanks- Small Forwards (Part Two)
Nov 17, 2009, 05:53 pm
In these reports, we take a look at the point guards moving into their fourth year in the NBA. As we found when we identified which players from the 2005 draft were still in the League, the trajectory of a player's career is often unpredictable, which is why we opted to wait until this group was transitioning out of their rookie contracts to gauge their progress.

Ronnie Brewer

Overview:A talented former lottery pick who has developed into a quality player. Has excellent size, strength, and length for a wing player. A gifted overall athlete who can impact the game on both ends of the floor. Strong, quick, and explosive. An effective offensive player who is just as capable defensively. Does a lot of things well, but doesn’t stand out in any one area. Not a very good shooter, notorious for his awkward mechanics. Was a highly effectively player during his three year career at Arkansas, improved his offensive output each season and proved to be an impact defender. Played a bit part for the Jazz as a rookie, but came on strong in his second year. Has become a key cog next to a number of more productive offensive talents. Blends in to a lot of different lineups and can guard multiple positions. Great teammate on and off the court. Extremely high character. May not be able to develop his shot to become a high level scorer, but remains a very valuable asset because of how well-rounded he is. Son of former NBA player Ron Brewer.

Offense: A very efficient, mistake-free offensive player whose value lies in his ability to get to the free throw line and finish around the basket. Rare wing player who shoots over 50% from the field year in and year out. Gets roughly a fifth of his offense from each of cuts, spot ups, and fast breaks. Extremely effective player in transition who uses his speed and length well. Creates many of his own fast break opportunities by getting in the passing lanes. A no-frills finisher who takes the ball strong to the rim and doesn’t shy away from contact. Moves well without the ball, allowing him to benefit from a quality point guard like Deron Williams. Sets his cuts up well and is extremely decisive with the ball. A solid passer who displays good vision and is very unselfish. Fills his roll well. Takes care of the ball, and isn’t flashy with the ball in his hands, using simple crossovers and spin moves to beat recovering defenders. Turns the ball over at a minuscule rate, which is impressive considering his proficiency as a slasher. Doesn’t have good shooting mechanics due to a childhood accident. Elevates well and is able to shoot off the dribble, but can’t get his elbow in to refine his mechanics. Takes about as many jumpers as shots at the rim. A solid option due to his ability to complement the talents of his teammates. Can make shots running off screens from short range in the Flex Offense, but is less effective the further away from the rim he goes. Shooting is clearly his weakness, but he proves very capable in almost all other areas.

Defense:A high quality defensive player who has always been able to force turnovers with his outstanding size, length and lateral quickness. Extremely good at getting in the passing lanes and creating coast-to-coast opportunities. Active, but not to the point that he plays himself out of position. Plays a smart brand of defense. Won’t go for the block when closing out shooters of over-commit in one direction when his man drives. Plays with nice discipline and fundamentals. Will get on the floor to secure the ball, and hasn’t been asked to be a high level rebounder. Not as aggressive as a defensive specialist, but does a good job considering he often has to guard the opposing teams’ top perimeter threat.


Rodney Carney

Overview: An athletic wing who has had a hard time translating his awesome physical tools into a niche in the NBA. One of the most impressive leapers in the NBA. Elite run-jump athlete. Has very good size and length. Mother was an elite sprinter and half brother, Ron Slay, is also a professional basketball player. Has always been lauded for his athleticism, but is prone to taking too many jump shots. Improved consistently throughout his four year career at Memphis. Was named the Conference USA Player of the Year as a senior. Garnered a selection in the middle of the first round. Saw a decent amount of playing time as a rookie in Philadelphia, but has been unable to take the next step in his career thus far. Returned to the 76ers and played one year with the Timberwolves. Has been able to make some plays with his athleticism, but still has yet to reach his potential, due to his underdeveloped basketball IQ.

Offense: An inefficient offensive player who has the tools to be far more effective. Gets about half of his offensive opportunities in spot up situations with another quarter coming in transition. Excels in open space. Has solid form on his shot, which features excellent elevation. A solid set shooter whose efficiency plummets when he puts the ball on the floor. Will fade away a bit when he has a hand in his face. Has never been much of a ball handler, and still struggles to put the ball on the floor. Weak handle, limited feel and poor pull up jumper make it tough for him to take advantage of his absolutely outstanding first step. Proves to be a very capable finisher at the rim when he can get there. Explosive leaping ability makes it easy for him to out jump his defender to finisher. Will get in a bit of a rush in traffic. Doesn’t get to the line at all for a player that has the athleticism to get to the rim consistently. Takes a lot of jump shots considering how effective he is at the rim. Doesn’t turn the ball over too much, but doesn’t make his teammates better either. Not a terribly versatile offensive player, but has some tools that could serve him extremely well if he improved some parts of his game.

Defense: A solid defender when he wants to be. Doesn’t rebound the ball at a good rate or force many turnovers. Displays excellent lateral quickness at times when defending the ball, but doesn’t always get in a good stance. Does a solid job denying penetration when he commits to it. Able to defend multiple positions due to his foot speed. Doesn’t play a terribly aggressive brand of defense, but is prone to selling out to block shots when closing out. Has average fundamentals at best, maneuvering himself out of position when playing off the ball. Has his moments, but has the physical tools to be a real stopper. Feel for the game must improve to reach his potential.


Shawne Williams

Overview:A young combo forward who has plenty of talent but lacks the discipline or work ethic to take advantage of it. Very tall (6-9) and long (7-3 wingspan) for the three spot. Has the size to play the 4 in some spurts as a face-up option. Doesn’t display very much explosiveness, but is a smooth athlete who shows some deceptive athleticism. Lacks a degree of physical strength but has improved in that area a bit over time. Able to make some impressive plays with the ball in his hands. Had a solid campaign in his only season at Memphis. Named Conference USA Freshman of the Year due to his solid scoring, rebounding, and defensive production. Drafted by the Pacers, but struggled to translate his shot selection and versatility to the NBA level. Has had numerous off the court issues, and has not shown much willingness to act like a professional. Conditioning often looks questionable. Extremely young for a player of his experience level, and still has plenty of room for improvement if he were to get serious about basketball. May have burned too many bridges at this point and could be out of the league shortly.

Offense: Gets about one third of his offensive from spot up opportunities and another quarter from fast breaks. Likes to play more uptempo, where he can play to his strengths. Not the greatest option in a structured environment. Displays a quick release on his jumper, but isn’t always consistent with his form or rhythm. Will take some shots from beyond the arc, but proves erratic at best. A mediocre catch and shoot option, especially since with a hand in his face. Doesn’t always show ideal perimeter footwork and will take off balance shots. Not a very good ball handler for a forward hurting his ability to create better looks for himself. Extremely questionable decision-making off the dribble and equally questionable results when pulling up. Lack of bulk and explosiveness have hurt his finishing ability. Struggles in traffic, but displays a solid left hand at the basket. Will get some chances to face up with the ball on the block and looks pretty smooth when he does. Hasn’t gotten to the line much in the NBA. Not an efficient player. Not too turnover prone, but not much of a passer either. Can make some tough plays look easy thanks to his terrific talent level, but has yet to polish his game to the point that he can consistently connect the dots.

Defense: Not a very good defender. Has good length and some athleticism, but struggles to create turnovers due to his lack of great quickness. Doesn’t show the best fundamentals or awareness. Has a hard time getting over screens. Lacks the speed to recover once he’s beat. Will try and get a hand up shooters, but won’t always get in a good stance, loses the ball on the weakside, and will get pushed around by bigger defenders. Not a terribly poor rebounder, but lacks the bulk to hold his own in the paint.


Yakhouba Diawara

Overview: A long and athletic defensive-minded wing. Possesses a great build for either wing position and very good athleticism. Has a strong frame and nice quickness. Born in France, but played junior college basketball at Southern Idaho and two additional seasons in the NCAA at Pepperdine. Had a tremendous junior year, but took a step back as a senior. Wasn’t drafted, and returned to France to begin his career. Moved to Italy in mid-season where he found a tremendous amount of success, particularly shooting the ball. Earned an NBA contract in summer league with Denver, and saw the most minutes of his NBA career as a rookie. Signed as a free agent with the Heat.

Offense: Inefficient offensive player who relies very heavily on his 3-point shooting, with limited success. Gets the vast majority of his offensive opportunities in spot up situations with another significant portion coming in transition. Displays a compact jumper that accounts for nearly all of his shots. Doesn’t have much fluidity in his perimeter shot. Can hit the open three on occasion, but struggles when he has a hand in his face. Will miss some looks extremely badly. Seldom puts the ball on the floor, as he is a limited ball-handler who cannot create his own shot. Doesn’t get to the line too often. Camps out on the perimeter, maintaining his spacing, and waiting for kick outs. An opportunistic finisher who can attack the rim in a straight line and won’t force anything into the teeth of the defense. Doesn’t turn the ball over much, but isn’t a good foul shooter for a wing. Not much of a passer, feel for the game in general appears to be limited. Purely a role player, but needs to become a much more consistent 3-point shooter to carve out a role for himself in the NBA.

Defense: A quality defender who displays a high effort level and outstanding physical tools. Does his best to contest shots and uses his length to get a hand up on shooters. Displays active hands when defending the ball. A solid one-on-one defender who goes out and competes. Loses his man from time to time when defending the weakside, getting turned around when not defending the ball. Often defends players with superior physical tools, but is able to competently defend a few positions and makes up for that deficit with constant hustle. Doesn’t create many turnovers, but plays a solid brand of defense.

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