Pat Calathes

The Pre-Draft Camp circuit has proven to be a comfortable setting for Calathes, a 6'10 small forward from St. Joe's. After a very impressive performance at Portsmouth back in early April, he carried over his strong play to Orlando, packing on about 10 pounds of muscle in the process.

It is rare that you find a player approaching the seven foot mark that is legitimately a small forward, but Calathes is one of those rarities. He is blessed with an offensive skill set of someone much smaller, looking completely content playing outside on the perimeter facing the basket against much quicker defenders.

Calathes showed off his ability to extend his shooting range to the NBA three point line, both in the drills and in the games themselves. Already a proven shooter from the collegiate arc (40% 3PT as a senior), he appears perfectly comfortable hitting the jumper from the NBA mid-range area.

Not only a shooter, Pat is a surprisingly effective slasher for a player his stature. He goes left and right equally well, using his high basketball IQ to compensate for his lack of verticality. Even more impressive is the senior's passing ability for a small forward, evidenced by his dishing out a team-high 5 assists in day two of the camp. His aforementioned basketball IQ and court vision come into play here, where he shows the ability to refrain from turning the ball over when a playmaker.

Defense is the area of Calathes' game that could stand for most improvement, as he at times lacks the lateral quickness to effectively stay in front of his man. His witty play allows him to compensate for his lack of athleticism only temporarily, before his lack of ability on that end is exposed. Likewise his lack of bounce hurts him on the offensive end, where he gets his shot blocked more than one would like out of a player his size.

Calathes strong play in the two camps so far have virtually made him a lock to get drafted once the time comes in June. Private workouts will ultimately determine exactly how high the small forward lands, but he did virtually all he could to bolster his stock in Orlando.

Pat Calathes only got to play 15 minutes (sitting an extensive amount of time between stints), but really made the most of his time out on the floor, scoring 10 points and dishing off 5 assists (compared to just one turnover), many of the spectacular variety. His ball-handling skills, vision and all-around creativity were on full display throughout, looking aggressive and intelligent while not forcing the issue in the least bit. He would have had even more assists playing with some more skilled big man. He seems like a lock to get drafted at this point, and may be able to work himself considerably up the board if he continues to play like this in the next two days.

This isn’t really the setting to evaluate “feel” guys like Pat Calathes, as he’s not going to blow you away with his body, or the way his shot looks, or his athleticism in a workout. He definitely seems to be working hard on his game, whether it’s making sure his release point is consistent, tightening up his handle and adding some more “wiggle” to his off the dribble game, or adding strength to his fairly frail frame—which has already put on 7 pounds of weight since he arrived here. He was at his most impressive in the shooting drills, draining NBA 3-pointer after NBA 3-pointer, making it look incredibly easy at his size.

Clearly the top prospect in the tournament, at least according to the numerous teams we spoke with, Calathes was extremely smart to come here and show the teams in attendance just how unique a player he is. Many in fact had never seen him play before, so he had the added bonus of catching them by surprise and forcing them to go out and do as much research as they can on him, which will in turn give him some nice momentum going into the pre-draft process.

There aren’t many 6-10 ½ true wing players out there, but that’s exactly what Calathes is. He is extremely adept at putting the ball on the floor (particularly to bring the ball up in transition) with either hand, and has outstanding vision to see over the top of the defense and find cutting teammates on their way to the rim. His basketball IQ is off the charts and he’s particularly adept at making post-entry passes—which is somewhat of a lost art these days. He’s an active player who is constantly looking to make things happen, whether by putting pressure on the opposition with quick, assertive moves to the rim, or with his hustle defensively or on the glass—which gets him 1.2 steals and blocks per game and 7.5 rebounds. He has quick feet and a good first step, and is not shy in the least bit about taking the ball strong to the rack and using every bit of his size to slam the ball home—looking a lot more explosive in the process than you’d initially guess on first glance, and getting to the free throw line at an excellent rate of 5.1 attempts per game. His shooting form is highly unconventional—in front of his face, but from a high vantage point and absolutely lightning quick—but it works for him, to the tune of 40% on the season from beyond the arc (on 5.4 attempts per game), although it didn’t fall quite as regularly at Portsmouth.

Offensively, there is no question whatsoever that Calathes has a lot to offer a number of NBA teams who could benefit from the terrific versatility he brings to the table at the small forward position. The main thing teams will be wondering is—will he be able to hold his own on the other end of the floor? Not possessing outstanding lateral quickness, and clearly lacking in strength at just 206 pounds, Calathes could have issues staying in front of quicker wing players, and already has some problems fighting through screens and being backed down in the post. He does have some good weapons to counter that, though—particularly his size, length and timing, which he could clearly learn to use to his advantage to at least funnel his man into his help defense more effectively. The fact that he’s intelligent and extremely active helps him out in this area.

Calathes will now need to move on into private workouts and likely the NBA pre-draft camp to continue to show teams why he’s one of the more unique players you’ll find in this year’s draft. He looks to have put himself in great shape to be drafted somewhere in the second round, and now should try and find the right situation in terms of the coach and playing style to try and stick in the league for a while.

Pat Calathes wasn’t quite as dominant as he was in the first day, but he still had a very strong all-around performance with 15 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 blocks and 3 turnovers, on 6-14 shooting. He was his typical versatile self, impressive with his passing especially, and very aggressive looking for his own shot. He used any opportunity possible to put the ball down on the floor going left in particular, and came up with a very memorable play at the end of the first half taking the ball to the basket and finishing with a thunderous two-handed dunk right in front of the few dozen scouts in attendance. There are very few 6-10 players out there who can handle the ball the way he can, let alone have the audacity to finish in traffic like that. He showed great court vision (enjoying a huge advantage seeing the floor from the perimeter at his height) with his outlet passes and zipping bullet passes from the perimeter into the paint, and again was not afraid to take a rebound and bring the ball up the floor to get his team into their offense. He did everything with the utmost confidence, never hesitating for a second with his decision making, and usually ending up making something positive happen with his terrific activity level.

Defensively, he struggled at times trying to match up with the very offensive minded Gary Forbes, showing questionable lateral quickness getting beat on the perimeter, and not attacking the pick and roll aggressively enough in other instances. This is really the main concern people have about him—his ability to defend his position at the next level, especially considering his lack of strength. His jumper wasn’t falling for him quite as well as it has in the past (he has a tendency to rush himself at times), hitting only 1-4 from beyond the arc, but when his team needed a bucket down two points with under a minute left, he stepped up big in the clutch (as he has so many times this season for St. Joe’s) by draining a huge 3-pointer that ended up playing a huge part in his team staying undefeated and making tomorrow’s finals. Every NBA person we spoke with seems to have pegged him as the most impressive prospect here in Portsmouth (by a wide margin), and most people seem to think that he’s set himself up nicely to get drafted in June. A good showing tomorrow should lock up MVP honors for him.

The most impressive player on the floor in both games, and really by a huge margin, was St. Joe’s forward Pat Calathes. He came off the bench like a hurricane scoring 8 points and grabbing 6 rebounds in his first 8 minutes on the court, knocking down shots, showing a nice first step taking his man off the dribble, running the floor in transition, and looking extremely active crashing the glass.

His incredible feel for the game was evident from the moment he stepped out on the floor, particularly with the terrific court vision he showed on a number of drive and dish plays or post-entry passes—often times bringing the ball up the floor and starting up his team’s offense as their defacto point guard. He finished repeatedly around the hoop with his left hand, scored on catch and shoot 3-pointers or pull-up jumpers from mid-range, and generally did everything humanly possible to show just how versatile and skilled a player he is in this setting.

Defensively, the biggest question mark most people have about him, Calathes did a solid job staying in front of his man, and even when he got beat at one point, still managed to recover nicely and block the player’s shot at the rim. He did have some problems getting backed down around the basket by stronger players than him (he only weighed out at 206 pounds reportedly)—he will clearly have to work on his technique here and find a way to add some bulk to his lanky frame. It was nice to see how active he was trying to contest shots, using his length and timing intelligently in transition to bother players—but it won’t be quite the same against NBA caliber players most likely.

Speaking to NBA people here about Calathes, it seems this was the first time that many here had seen him—which probably ends up working in his favor considering how impressive he looked. We heard comparisons to Mike Dunleavy being made here on more than one occasion, and one NBA scout we spoke to who is extremely familiar with his game even went as far as to say that in his mind, Calathes is just as gifted athletically as Dunleavy is.

There just aren’t many players who are 6-10 ¼ (his measurements today) that can beat players off the dribble from the perimeter and handle full-court pressure the way he did today, and the fact that he’s as versatile as he is and clearly nowhere near a finished product at this point makes him all the more unique. We’re looking forward to seeing how he can follow up his performance today in the next game—he’s been ranked all season on our board, so we obviously weren’t caught off-guard by the way he played—but he really exceeded all expectations.

In a rematch of a game I attended eight days ago, Xavier and Saint Joseph’s met in the tournament semi-final in a game that resembled their last meeting in every possible way, including a Saint Joseph’s upset.

Pat Calathes started off the game slowly, missing his first three shots, but then could not miss. His first couple shots drew front iron and it looked as if he was simply tired and not getting enough help from his legs. Increasing his lower body strength could definitely help him in this department considering the fact that he will likely make a lot of money based on his ability to shoot the basketball.

From that moment on, however, he could not miss. You would think that Xavier, of all teams, would not give him open looks on the perimeter, but just as he has done throughout the entire tournament: if left open, he never misses. Calathes also showed his versatility on offense by pulling up for a series of mid-range jumpshots and attacking the basket. There is little that he cannot do offensively against this type of competition, and while it looked as though C.J. Anderson had locked him down in the beginning, Calathes adapted well and showed that he can score against long and athletic defenders.

While his lateral quickness is much improved this season, and looks even better during the tournament, he is still not quick enough to play efficient defense against wing players and likely will not be quick enough to avoid getting beaten off the dribble by more athletic perimeter players at the next level. He does put in a good amount of effort on the defensive end, though, which sometimes makes up for his lack of physical ability.

Calathes’s passing ability remains one of the most underrated aspects of his game, as his court vision and basketball IQ are unrivaled at this level. He throws bullet passes into traffic, and if his teammates were better finishers, his assist totals would certainly be higher.

One of the most well-rounded players in college basketball is long overdue for a spot in this space, as he’s not only one of the best players in the terrific Atlantic-10 conference, but is also garnering legit consideration to be considered one of the most unique prospects in the 2008 draft.

You’d be hard pressed to find many more 6-10 (possibly 6-11 as he’s at times listed) players in college basketball who start every game at the small forward position and play the majority of their minutes there. Pat Calathes (brother of outstanding Florida Gator freshman Nick Calathes) grew up as a point guard, standing “only” 5-10 as a high school freshman. Calathes grew all the way to 6-10 by the time he was ready to attend St. Joe’s, although it wasn’t until this past summer that his body really caught up. He never seemed to lose his ball-handling skills and court vision, though, which has made him one of the most versatile players in the country this year. Calathes leads his team in scoring, rebounding and made 3-pointers, and is second in assists and blocked shots.

Athletically, Calathes is fairly average, possessing average footspeed and not being particularly explosive finishing around the basket in traffic. Offensively, Calathes is a terrific shooter, hitting over 45% from behind the arc on the season, and showing an incredibly quick release that he gets off flat-footed with a speedy and unconventional flick of the wrist. He moves well without the ball, always looking ready to catch and fire away instantaneously, if the situation calls for it. He likes to slither between the defense and find seams where he can get his shot off, being particularly hard to stop considering his size and high release point, combined with his ability to knock down shots while on the move or fading away.

Although his shooting is impressive, Calathes’ most impressive attribute is clearly his overall feel for the game. He’s a calming influence on his somewhat wild guards in his team’s half-court sets, showing an outstanding commitment to creating spacing on the floor and rarely if ever taking a bad shot. He’s an extremely quick decision maker, unselfish to a fault at times, but the type who makes everyone around him better just by being on the court. His court vision is outstanding, and he’s capable of making every type of pass imaginable, moving the ball quickly up the floor in transition, executing smooth drive and dish plays, but being especially good at making crisp post-entry passes, which will serve him well as a pro. He is obviously one of the smartest players you’ll find in all of college basketball.

Calathes also has some versatility to his game from what we can tell. A strong ball-handler driving with either hand, especially in transition, he’s pretty active looking to slash to the basket, despite his average first step, getting to the free throw line over 6 times per game this season. He’s improved this part of his game dramatically as he’s progressed from season to season and grown into his frame—going from 2.7 free throw attempts per 40 minutes pace adjusted as a sophomore, to 5.2 as a junior, to 7.6 this season. He still struggles finishing with contact around the basket at times, but clearly looks more comfortable operating on the court. He seems to have developed a nice looking floater he can get off in the lane to help counter this problem. Calathes would benefit from polishing up the mechanics of his mid-range pull-up jumper, as this is a weapon that could be of great use to him in the NBA with the greater spacing he’ll enjoy out on the perimeter. Adding something resembling a post-up game to be able to take advantage of his superior size at the 3-spot would also help him out.

The biggest question Calathes will have to answer through the draft process will revolve around his ability to defend his position at the next level. His lateral quickness is clearly an issue, as it’s not rare at all to see smaller wing players blow by him out on the perimeter, and he struggles chasing them around screens as well. His excellent timing and length do help out in this area, though, and he’s actually coming up with a steady amount of blocks and steals (1.4 each per game) to back that up. He also isn’t a bad rebounder for his position (8.4 per game), leading his team and stacking up fairly well in comparison with other small forward draft prospects. Rarely will he outquick or outjump other players, but his excellent wingspan, hands, timing and reflexes are very helpful in this area, and he seems to have a knack for just sticking his hands in the right places and coming away with the ball. There is no question that he needs to continue to work on his body, though, if he’s to deal with the rigors of the NBA.

Calathes doesn’t look like your prototypical NBA draft pick on first glance, and that’s why it isn’t shocking that he isn’t even being discussed as a prospect by any other outlet besides this site. Once you dig a little deeper and study his game, though, you can really begin to appreciate just how interesting of a player he truly is. It’s definitely not of the question that someone falls in love with him (particularly a head coach), as he brings a unique skill-set to the table that is not very easy to find. He doesn’t really look like a finished product either at this point, as he’s improved noticeably on every part of his game over the past few years, and might not be finished quite yet as he continues to get stronger.

Something we wonder about is just how good of a shooter is he? Calathes knocks down a fair amount of 3-pointers (2.3 per game on a 45% clip), but he doesn’t make quite enough to categorize him as a specialist just yet—something teams will probably want to learn more about in private workouts.

Calathes looks like a classic player to bring to the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament to give teams a chance to further evaluate him against stronger competition. If the NBA doesn’t work out for him, he apparently has the possibility to acquire a Greek passport. That would make him an extremely hot commodity this summer at the top level of Europe, where he would have an outstanding future.