Andrea Renzi

We had already penciled Renzi in as one of the most interesting big men in the very weak European class of 1989, and even if he clearly stood out among the very disappointing Italian team, he probably failed to take that final step in order to lead his team into the qualifying round.

Renzi is a pretty skilled player in the low post, a guy who feels comfortable there, relying both on his nice physical set and solid moves. He’s a 6-10 player, with a very good wingspan, nice strength and broad shoulders to add as much weight as necessary. Showcasing pretty polished footwork, he’s a reliable guy going one-on-one in the low post, also taking advantage of his right-handed hooks, where he shows a certain soft touch. Although decently athletic, Renzi is more of a solid leaper than a really quick guy. That’s a reason why he’s not a very productive slasher, besides the fact that his ball-handling skills are not out of this world. So even if he can put the ball on the floor, he rarely gets real advantages. In the end, he prefers to settle for his jumper, which is not particularly pretty in the release, but not that bad in terms of effectiveness and enjoying range out to the three point line. A decent rebounder, he produced in this tournament mostly relying on his wingspan and leaping ability.

Still, there are concerns about his game, basically two big ones. First, he’s looking a bit soft these days, particularly on the defensive end. He doesn’t work very intently and he’s not physical guarding the lane, so he doesn’t challenge his opponents that heavily. He’s neither overly aggressive on the offensive end and settles for too many jumpers instead of taking advantage of his low post game. The second big problem here is his position on court. His struggles playing off the dribble and his average quickness limits his potential as a power forward, while he’s small for a center. Of course, this is a relative problem depending on which level he ends up reaching.

One of the few interesting new names (at least, new for us) that we met in Greece was Andrea Renzi, a 6-10 Italian inside player with a nice wingspan and decent athleticism that showcased some solid skills in the post.

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Actually he was perhaps the guy who tried the most complicated moves in the low post among all the players in the tournament. He doesn’t always succeed, but he shows good footwork and nice ability finishing with both hands. He can also shoot from the mid-range area, with inconsistent results, as well as put the ball on the floor. A 1989 kid, next year he should be one of the best inside players in the next championship.