NBA Draft Prospect of the Week: T.J. Warren
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-Revisiting Giannis Antetokounmpo (Video Scouting Report)
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-Revisiting Nikola Mirotic (Video Scouting Report)
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Warren put loads of work into reworking his physique this previous summer time, reportedly slicing his weight from 235-240 kilos to a slender 218, which has made him downright not possible to defend on the school stage.
A extremely unconventional participant, Warren is as gifted a scorer as you will discover. He strikes off the ball exceptionally nicely, discovering gaps instinctually in opposing defenses. He’s troublesome to decelerate due to the flexibility he shows, being extraordinarily efficient at placing the ball within the basket in a large number of the way contained in the arc.
Warren has taken the third highest quantity of runners and floaters in all of faculty basketball this season in accordance with Synergy Sports activities Know-how, hitting over 50% of those makes an attempt, which is tops amongst DX Prime-100 prospects.
Whereas not a conventional one on one participant (most of his isolation performs come from the elbow or brief nook), he is extraordinarily robust to defend due to the standard of his mid-range sport and what number of totally different launch factors he has on his pictures. Incessantly used as a mismatch face-up energy ahead, He has terrific footwork, extraordinarily mushy contact and a knack for throwing the ball into the basket, typically going excessive off the glass.
He is additionally extraordinarily efficient within the direct neighborhood of the basket, making 69% of his non-floater makes an attempt across the rim within the half-court, which can be #1 amongst DX Prime-100 prospects.
Warren does an awesome job of getting out in transition, as the most important share of his offense comes on this style. Whereas not exceptionally fast, a excessive flyer, or a tremendous ball-handler, his scoring instincts actually shine by right here, as he shoots 65% from the sphere in these conditions, third greatest amongst Prime-100 DX prospects.
One main query mark in Warren’s analysis as a NBA prospect revolves round his outdoors shot. He made simply 29.5% of his 3-point makes an attempt on the season, though he does make over one per sport. A few of this has to do with poor shot-selection, however his inconsistent capturing mechanics play a considerable position in these mediocre percentages from past the arc as nicely. Warren exhibits sloppy footwork and a big ball-dip on the catch, not getting his toes beneath him and fading away badly on most of his makes an attempt.
He is typically gifted sufficient to throw ball into the basket regardless, regardless of his poor mechanics, which leaves some hope that he’ll have the ability to determine it out within the execs with higher teaching and extra follow time. His consistency has improved because the season moved on, as he made 35% of his 3-point makes an attempt in ACC play (17 video games). NBA groups will seemingly wish to get a greater really feel for this a part of his sport in personal exercises, as his means to house the ground successfully from the small ahead place will seemingly play a significant position in whether or not or not he is in the end profitable.
One other query pertaining to his role-player potential revolves round his passing means, or somewhat lack thereof. He is dished out simply 32 assists on the season in over 1000 minutes so far, or one each 33 minutes he is on the ground. His help proportion ranks third worst amongst DX Prime-100 small ahead prospects, and issues have been even worse final season as a freshman with higher teammates round him, as his 5.9% help proportion was an identical to Shabazz Muhammad’s.
Warren will seemingly need to make an adjustment in his sport when surrounded by higher expertise within the NBA. He would not see the ground very nicely and forces up loads of robust pictures, being considerably single-minded in his strategy. What’s attention-grabbing is that he would not even get that huge of a share of his offense in isolation settings, as he is not essentially the most superior ball-handler you will discover within the half-court, so he would not really want the ball in his palms to be efficient as a scorer, which ought to assist his transition to the NBA.
Principally requested to protect energy forwards on the school stage, Warren will seemingly see extra time on the perimeter defensively within the NBA, which poses one other set of questions he’ll need to reply in personal exercise settings. His effort right here might be questionable at instances, as he would not all the time get low the bottom in his stance, and will get beat ceaselessly off the dribble, typically preferring to easily swipe on the ball somewhat than enjoying a extra basically sound type. Alternatively, Mark Gottfried groups have by no means been recognized for his or her defensive prowess, so a change of surroundings may assist.
Warren’s instincts and anticipation expertise actually shine by in the best way he approaches his work on the high of N.C. State’s press, as he will get quantity of steals that means, which leaves some room for optimism. Nonetheless, his lack of size is considerably regarding, as he measured a 6-9 to 6-9 ½ wingspan on two separate events on the Kevin Durant Expertise Academy in 2011 and 2013. Will he have the ability to guard small forwards constantly within the NBA?
Measured at 6-9 in footwear, or near it, Warren is tall sufficient to spend period of time at energy ahead within the NBA as nicely, however his very poor defensive rebounding charge on the school stage may make that troublesome at instances if he would not make a extra concerted effort right here. He solely pulls down 4.4 defensive rebounds per-40 (final yr 3.1), which ranks extraordinarily poorly for a PF prospect, and nonetheless beneath common for a SF.
With that mentioned, Warren has one very worthwhile ability he can grasp his hat on in his supreme scoring means, and contemplating he is solely 20, he can seemingly nonetheless enhance on his very correctable weaknesses (perimeter protection, 3-point capturing) sufficient to develop right into a stable NBA participant. Discovering a task for him on the NBA participant is not a cinch, although, which is why his draft inventory hasn’t actually taken off simply but regardless of the gaudy scoring numbers he is produced this season.
Matchups in opposition to the likes of Duke, Syracuse, Virginia, Tennessee, Cincinnati, North Carolina, Pitt and others have given us ample alternative to guage Warren’s strengths and weaknesses as a prospect, which we have carried out within the following video scouting report, courtesy of Mike Schmitz.
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All of our video scouting reviews this season might be discovered right here.
