Chris Wilcox

Overview: A tremendous athlete who finds a way to be effective despite possessing a very unrefined all-around game. Has decent size for the power forward position at 6-9 ½ in shoes, with a nice 7-1 ½ wingspan that allows him to see small minutes at center in a pinch. Shows a very strong frame featuring wide shoulders. Probably one of the most athletic big men in the league. Gets off the floor quickly when finishing around the basket or rebounding the ball. Runs the floor well for a player his size. Primarily uses his athleticism to make an impact on both ends. Can do some damage from the block. Still has a lot of room to improve offensively, but it’s questionable at this point whether he will be able to do so. Can be effective on the defensive end as a shot blocker. Had an up and down collegiate career at Maryland, playing on the NCAA Championship winning 2002 team. Has carried the underachieving tag for quite a while, and hasn’t shown enough interest in shedding it. Has improved since entering the League, but remains a pretty raw player. Physical tools and scoring ability make him a nice asset for Oklahoma City, but it’s questionable whether he’ll ever achieve his full potential.

Offense: A relatively efficient scorer who is more effective with his athleticism than his skills. Not a prototypical NBA power forward offensively due to his lack of skills facing the basket, which limits his team to a certain extent. So athletic that he can often score regardless. Gets almost two fifths of his offense in post, but will also make plays off of his hustle. Near automatic finisher around the basket—one of the league’s best. Displays a streaky jumper with range out to about 15 feet, and is very limited beyond that. Cannot shoot off the dribble. Struggles to put the ball on the floor as well. Not a great back to the basket player—struggles to create his own shot in the post. Gets most of his touches on the left block. Tries to score over both shoulders, but doesn’t find much success over either. Needs to polish a single move and then work from there. Always seems to be in a bit of a hurry and attacks the rim at some unusual angles when posted up. Decent passer off the block. Is exponentially more efficient working off the ball. Will duck and get some easy baskets off of cuts, offensive rebounds, and dump passes. Dunks everything at the rim with his impressive leaping ability. Tough to stop when he is already at the basket. Will get sent to the line pretty frequently, but could still improve his percentages from there. Needs to improve his skill-level both facing and with his back to the basket to show that he can be a starting power forward on a contending team.

Defense: Possesses the tools to be a terrific defender, but doesn’t always play with great focus. Has the athleticism to defend the low and high post with some effectiveness. Will struggle with stronger players. Has been very foul prone throughout his career. Displays quick hands and a quick second jump. Won’t block many shots, but will challenge some at the rim. Solid rebounder. Has great potential on this part of the floor, but is still developing consistency and gaining the experience to use his tremendous natural tools.