Earl Boykins

Vital Info
Height: 5'5"
Weight: 135 lbs.
Position: Point Guard
Born: 6/2/1976
College: Eastern Michigan
Drafted: Not drafted

Player Type: Pint-sized playmaker
Strengths: Because of his superior quickness and ballhandling ability, Boykins can make it very difficult for defenders to stay in front of him on dribble drives, and he has great finishing instincts when he gets around the basket. Even with all the tall trees around him down low, Boykins still shoots a good percentage by hoisting it over them. Boykins also excels at drawing fouls when he drives, and he's a good free throw shooter. But he's not just a shoot-first point guard -- Boykins is also a very good passer.
Weaknesses: Boykins is, and always has been, a major defensive liability because of his height. It goes without saying that he can be posted up at any time, and he's not good enough at ball pressure to make up the difference. He's also literally a non-factor on the glass, grabbing just 34 rebounds all of last year. On offense, Boykins' midrange game -- formerly one of his biggest strengths -- went south in '08, as he hit just 36.7% on 2-pointers. And as is the case with most small guards as they enter their 30s, his quickness is slipping fast; Boykins' rate of steals and, more importantly, his ability to create shots declined pretty seriously in his half-season stint with Charlotte. He turns 32 this summer, so this could be the beginning of the end for Boykins, one of the best ultra-small players in NBA history.
Favorite shot: Medium-range jumper.