Menu

Will Blalock

Drafted #60 in the 2006 NBA Draft by the Pistons
RCSI: 94 (2003)
Height: 6'0" (183 cm)
Weight: 194 lbs (88 kg)
Position: PG
High School: Notre Dame Preparatory School (Massachusetts)
Hometown: Boston, MA
AAU: BABC
College: Iowa St
Current Team: Iowa St
Win - Loss: 27 - 7

Articles

NBA D-League Showcase, Day One

Jonathan Givony
Jonathan Givony
Jim Hlavac
Jim Hlavac
Mike Schmidt
Mike Schmidt
Richard Walker
Richard Walker
Jan 15, 2008, 04:15 am
It was a struggle today for Blalock, who seems out of his element running the Anaheim offense. The second year point guard looked much more comfortable in transition, but still lacked confidence with his decision-making. Blalock’s outside jumper has a lot of room for improvement as well, but he shouldn’t be written off after one bad game. He has the physical tools to play in the NBA, and could really make an impact later this week if Anaheim starts running more. He will need to show better leadership skills, and also be more assertive.

DraftExpress All-Orlando Pre-Draft Camp Teams

Jonathan Givony
Jonathan Givony
Mike Schmidt
Mike Schmidt
Joseph Treutlein
Joseph Treutlein
Eric Weiss
Eric Weiss
Jun 15, 2006, 03:36 am
Blalock is the perfect example of a player who really separated himself from the pack, despite not standing out in the box score. Even with a shaky-looking first game (1 assist, 6 turnovers), Blalock answered some major questions in Orlando. First off, he proved that he could run an offense effectively. While Iowa State’s backcourt developed a reputation of thinking score before pass, Blalock distributed the ball well and generally made good decisions. He plays much bigger than his listed height, thanks to large 6’6 wingspan, good strength, and some serious bounce in his step. This most clearly showed on the defensive end, where he was able to really bother opposing point guards as they attempted to initiate half-court offense. As a scorer, Blalock earns mixed reviews. Except for a stunning power dunk down the middle of the lane in game two, he rarely got all the way to the basket. There were a few successful midrange forays into the lane, but he doesn’t appear to be that “blow-by” guy on the offensive end. His shot is also a major concern, as he struggled to connect all week. Blalock’s game two was one of the week’s best individual showings of the camp, but a badly airballed 3-point attempt in the closing moments put a damper on the performance.

Blalock was a big reason for his team’s somewhat surprising success, and won his individual matchups all week. Even though the stats didn’t completely show it, he looked like one of the top all-around floor generals at the camp. With his ability to run a team and defend, Blalock looks like a prime candidate to get drafted in the second round and fill a third point guard role for a couple of developmental seasons. If Blalock can make strides with his jumper, he could develop into a very successful point guard down the road.

Orlando Pre-Draft Camp: Day 3 (Last Update: 10:46 AM)

Jonathan Givony
Jonathan Givony
Mike Schmidt
Mike Schmidt
Joseph Treutlein
Joseph Treutlein
Jonathan Watters
Jonathan Watters
Eric Weiss
Eric Weiss
Jun 08, 2006, 11:52 am
Will Blalock

Blalock turned in the most impressive performance of the morning. He completely dominated his matchup with Daniel Horton on both ends of the floor, getting into the lane at will on the offensive end and giving Horton nothing easy defensively. Horton is known for being strong and athletic, but Blalock clearly had another gear today. Blalock impressed as a floor general today, and showed none of that tendency to overdribble that we have seen in the past. He threaded the needle on several passes into traffic, and generally did a good job of keeping the offense flowing. Despite looking to create offense with his passing at times, he managed to play relatively mistake free. The play of the game came midway through the first half when he split a double team and exploded to the basket for an emphatic dunk. He also hit a couple of contested midrange jumpers, but his outside shot remains a weakness. The last notable Blalock moment in this game was a badly airballed 3-pointer. Nonetheless, Will Blalock’s excellent play set the tone for his team’s easy victory, and he clearly went a long way towards proving that he can play point guard.

Will Blalock NBA Draft Scouting Report

Jun 01, 2006, 03:25 am
Strengths
Blalock is a deceptively strong, athletic point guard with a massive (6-6) wingspan for someone his size. He’s a true point guard with strong ball-handling and passing skills. Blalock has a quick first step and does well in the lane, especially excelling on the drive-and-dish, where he uses his good court vision and passing to exploit defensive seams and get the ball to his teammates in open position, either near the basket or on the perimeter. He can take the ball to the basket or pull-up in the lane, having a good touch near the basket and nice elevation and balance on his pull-up jumper. Blalock runs the break just as well as he does a halfcourt set, making good decisions and getting the ball to the open man. Defensively, Blalock is a scrappy defender that uses his length and good hands to harass his opponent.

Weaknesses
Blalock’s biggest weakness is his outside jumper. He is an adequate shooter from behind the arc, but lacks consistency and has not shown NBA range. He could be a little more careful passing the ball to cut down on turnovers, though it’s not a significant problem at all. Blalock struggled from the free-throw line in his junior year, shooting only 66%. Defensively, his team exclusively played zone defense, so it’s tough to assess how he’d adjust to playing man-to-man in the pros. At 6’0, he’s slightly undersized for a point guard, though has the length to partially make up for it.

Competition
Played in the Big 12, and has played heavy minutes since day one at Iowa State.

As a freshman, he averaged 7.5 points, 2.8 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 2.2 turnovers per game in just under 31 minutes. As a sophomore, he averaged 12.3 points, 3.2 rebounds, 4.9 assists, and 2.5 turnovers in just under 37 minutes per. As a junior, he averaged 15.4 points, 3.3 rebounds, 6.1 assists and 3.0 turnovers in 35.7 minutes per game.

Outlook
Blalock, a junior, was a three-year starter for Iowa St., and has improved with each passing year. He played point guard for all three years, though he shared the ball-handling duties with fellow backcourt mate Curtis Stinson. Blalock is much more of a pure point guard than Stinson, was the primary ball-handler for Iowa St., and should not have a problem making the transition to point guard in the pros. He should get drafted somewhere in the second round, and has a good enough combination of skill and physical attributes to be a good backup point guard in the NBA, should he reach his potential.