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| Top NBA Draft Prospects in the ACC Part One (#1-5)
October 18, 2009
Kyle Nelson
Chris Singleton was not the best or most publicized player on Florida State’s roster. He was not even the best or most publicized freshman. He did, however, start 34 of 35 games, and prove himself to be a valuable player on both sides of the ball while showing flashes of NBA potential. Now that seniors Toney Douglas and Uche Echefu have moved on, Singleton must distinguish himself on a roster that features projected lottery pick Solomon Alabi and one of the nation’s top freshmen, Michael Snaer.
From a physical standpoint, Singleton is an intriguing prospect with the potential to play on the wing or in the post. At 6-8, with great length and a solid frame, Singleton has excellent size for the NBA. He is also a very good athlete, with the quickness and explosiveness to make his mark anywhere on the floor. While he is a combo-forward at this point, he will have no trouble physically adapting to the perimeter at the next level and, in the meantime, he has the potential to be a match-up nightmare this season.
While Singleton is better than his numbers suggest, he is anything but efficient on the offensive end at this stage and has a long way to go before being able to contribute at the next level. Singleton is at his best when he is shooting the basketball from the perimeter. Despite his mediocre percentages, he is a solid, albeit streaky, spot-up shooter, particularly comfortable in catch-and-shoot situations. He has a quick release and solid shooting mechanics, though he fades away after shooting the basketball. He shows good poise under pressure, but his range is questionable and his form gets worse as he gets farther away from the collegiate three-point line. According to Synergy Sports Technology, 58% of his offensive possessions in half-court situations were comprised of jump shots, and 84% of his jump shots were three point attempts. He must become a better perimeter shooter next season, which means that his form, range, and shot selection must continue to improve.
Outside of his perimeter jump shot, Singleton is very limited on offense, most notably because of his extremely poor ball handling ability. He has a quick first step, which combined with his athleticism and size makes him a very difficult match-up for collegiate post-defenders, but his inability to dribble the ball severely limits his effectiveness in this area. Similarly, he can only drive to the basket when he has a clear, straight path to the hoop. Next season, he should look to his slashing game more as scouts will look to see if he can better incorporate his physical advantages into his offense.
Also intriguing are the flashes of a mid-range game that he showed at times last season, including a pull-up jump shot that would be a very good addition to his offensive repertoire. Needless to say, however, his extremely shaky handle hurt him in this area, as does what looks to be an average basketball IQ, both of which are largely responsible for the 2.9 turnovers that he averages per 40 minutes pace adjusted. Singleton must continue to improve, though he is just a freshman and he has plenty of time left to prove that he can score efficiently and in a variety of different ways at this level.
On the defensive end, Singleton has tremendous potential, but still has some work to do. Considering his impressive defensive numbers, 2.3 steals per 40 minutes pace adjusted and 2.0 blocks per 40 minutes pace adjusted, it is remarkable how raw he is on this end of the floor. While his size, length, athleticism, and better than average lateral quickness allow him to guard players on the perimeter and in the post effectively, his lack of fundamentals and unrefined defensive awareness hurt him significantly. Most notably, Singleton bites for a tremendous amount of pump fakes, inside and outside, which compromises his defensive position as well as puts him in jeopardy of getting called for cheap fouls.
Similarly, it is important that he maintains his awareness on the floor and improves his understanding of Florida State’s defensive rotations. Far too many times last season, he was out of position and left his man with space on the perimeter. He also is not nearly as good of a rebounder as one would expect a player with his physical gifts to be and developing his fundamentals, including blocking out his man when a shot goes up, is essential. Singleton does bring some very nice skills to the table, however, primarily his quick hands, quick feet, and good timing. He has the potential to develop into an even better shot blocker at this level, as he is a threat on the ball, from the weak side, and even while trailing his man. Next season, he must show scouts that he has improved on the defensive end because he has a tremendous amount of potential in this area.
Singleton was just a freshman last year, but he showed enough flashes to suggest that he is a legitimate NBA prospect. It will take time for him to develop his skills, primarily his ball handling abilities, but if he continues to improve, his name will begin to emerge in draft conversations. The key is consistency and efficiency on both ends of the court, and last year, he showed very little of either. This season, Singleton has the opportunity to legitimize himself as a leader and assume more responsibilities on both ends of the court. Scouts will be watching Singleton next season to see if he can improve upon his inconsistent freshman campaign and realize his potential with more touches and against stiffer competition.
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adidas Nations Basketball Experience: 2008 High School Prospects
August 14, 2007
One of the most athletic players seen at the entire camp, the word upside certainly comes to mind when watching Chris Singleton play. Right now he’s more of a 4 than a 3, as he lacks quite a bit of polish, but he did drop a few glimpses that might lead you to believe that he does have some future on the perimeter. College coaches might not mind him as he is right now, though. A superb athlete with a great wingspan and an excellent body, Singleton dished out quite a bit of contact to the much less physically mature players he matched up with all week. He’s a tough guy with good timing, something that allowed him to come up with a couple of emphatic blocks rotating from the weak-side. He might not be the smartest or most skilled player around—which caused him to commit some unnecessary fouls at time far from the basket. As far as his perimeter skills go, Singleton got to the basket on a few lone occasions on straight line drives and also showed a nice looking mid-range jumper. Nothing too polished, nothing too inconsistent, but enough to keep us intrigued as to how he’ll continue to develop down the road.
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