NBA Scouting Report

Early Predicted Standings (From Player Ratings)

2008-08-15T18:39:00.005-04:00

Atlantic	W	L
BOSTON CELTICS	59	23
PHILADELPHIA76ERS	45	37
TORONTO RAPTORS	39	43
NEW JERSEY NETS	27	55
NEW YORK KNICKS	18	64
Central	W	L
DETROIT PISTONS	58	24
CLEVELANDCAVALIERS	50	32
INDIANA PACERS	39	43
CHICAGO BULLS	37	45
MILWAUKEE BUCKS	32	50
Southeast	W	L
ORLANDO MAGIC	44	38
WASHINGTONWIZARDS	39	43
MIAMI HEAT	36	46
ATLANTA HAWKS	34	48
CHARLOTTE BOBCATS	27	55
Northwest	W	L
UTAH JAZZ	56	26
DENVER NUGGETS	47	35
PORTLANDTRAILBLAZERS	40	42
MINNESOTATIMBERWOLVES	32	50
OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER	27	55
Pacific	W	L
LOS ANGELES LAKERS	62	20
PHOENIX SUNS	48	34
GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS	40	42
LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS	39	43
SACRAMENTO KINGS	33	49
Southwest	W	L
HOUSTON ROCKETS	65	17
SAN ANTONIO SPURS	48	34
NEW ORLEANS HORNETS	45	37
DALLAS MAVERICKS	44	38
MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES	18	64

Disclaimer: This simple projection assumes no injuries next season, as well as a 60%-30%-10% distribution of minutes between each team's starting 5, 2nd 5, and other players. Everyone knows these are naive projections; for instance, as talented as Houston is after the Artest deal, Yao and T-Mac's injury problems will keep them from winning 65 games... Still, it's not a bad system to be based entirely on a 0-10 player scouting method.

Early Team Depth Charts & Player Ratings

2008-08-15T18:38:00.003-04:00

	BOSTON CELTICS
	STARTERS		KEY BENCH		MORE BENCH
PG	Rajon Rondo	8	Eddie House	6	Gabe Pruitt	4
SG	Ray Allen	8	Tony Allen	7	J.R. Giddens	6
SF	Paul Pierce	9	Brian Scalabrine	5	Bill Walker	5
PF	Kevin Garnett	9	Leon Powe	7
C	Kendrick Perkins	7	Glen Davis	6	Patrick O'Bryant	6

	NEW JERSEY NETS
	STARTERS		KEY BENCH		MORE BENCH
PG	Devin Harris	8	Keyon Dooling	5	Maurice Ager	4
SG	Vince Carter	8	Jarvis Hayes	5	Chris Douglas-Roberts	7
SF	Bobby Simmons	7	Trenton Hassell	5	Stromile Swift	5
PF	Yi Jianlian	5	Eduardo Najera	7	Ryan Anderson	6
C	Josh Boone	6	Brook Lopez	6	Sean Williams	7

	NEW YORK KNICKS
	STARTERS		KEY BENCH		MORE BENCH
PG	Chris Duhon	7	Stephon Marbury	6	Anthony Roberson	5
SG	Jamal Crawford	6	Nate Robinson	8	Mardy Collins	4
SF	Quentin Richardson	6	Danilo Gallinari	6	Jared Jeffries	6
PF	Zach Randolph	6	Wilson Chandler	6	Malik Rose	4
C	Eddy Curry	5	David Lee	8	Jerome James	3

	PHILADELPHIA 76ERS
	STARTERS		KEY BENCH		MORE BENCH
PG	Andre Miller	8	Louis Williams	7	Royal Ivey	5
SG	Andre Iguodala	9	Willie Green	4
SF	Thaddeus Young	7	Kareem Rush	4
PF	Elton Brand	9	Reggie Evans	5	Shavlik Randolph	5
C	Samuel Dalembert	7	Marreese Speights	6	Theo Ratliff	6

	TORONTO RAPTORS
	STARTERS		KEY BENCH		MORE BENCH
PG	Jose Calderon	8	Roko Ukic	6	Will Solomon	4
SG	Anthony Parker	8	Hassan Adams	4
SF	Jamario Moon	8	Jason Kapono	5	Joey Graham	5
PF	Chris Bosh	9	Kris Humphries	4
C	Jermaine O'Neal	7	Andrea Bargnani	5	Nathan Jawai	5

	CHICAGO BULLS
	STARTERS		KEY BENCH		MORE BENCH
PG	Kirk Hinrich	7	Derrick Rose	8
SG	Ben Gordon	7	Larry Hughes	6	Thabo Sefolosha	6
SF	Luol Deng	8	Andres Nocioni	6	Demetris Nichols	4
PF	Drew Gooden	6	Tyrus Thomas	7	Cedric Simmons	4
C	Joakim Noah	7	Aaron Gray	6


	CLEVELAND CAVALIERS
	STARTERS		KEY BENCH		MORE BENCH
PG	Mo Williams	8	Delonte West	6	Eric Snow	4
SG	Daniel Gibson	8	Wally Szczerbiak	6	Tarence Kinsey	5
SF	LeBron James	10	Sasha Pavlovic	5	Billy Thomas	4
PF	Ben Wallace	7	J.J. Hickson	6
C	Zydrunas Ilgauskas	7	Anderson Varejao	7	Lance Allred	4


	DETROIT PISTONS
	STARTERS		KEY BENCH		MORE BENCH
PG	Chauncey Billups	9	Rodney Stuckey	7	Will Bynum	4
SG	Richard Hamilton	8	Arron Afflalo	5
SF	Tayshaun Prince	8	Amir Johnson	8	Walter Sharpe	5
PF	Antonio McDyess	7	Jason Maxiell	7	Walter Herrmann	6
C	Rasheed Wallace	8	Kwame Brown	6	Cheick Samb	5


	INDIANA PACERS
	STARTERS		KEY BENCH		MORE BENCH
PG	T.J. Ford	7	Jarrett Jack	6	Travis Diener	5
SG	Mike Dunleavy Jr.	8	Brandon Rush	5	Marquis Daniels	6
SF	Danny Granger	8	Shawne Williams	6	Stephen Graham	5
PF	Troy Murphy	7	Maceo Baston	6	Josh McRoberts	4
C	Jeff Foster	7	Rasho Nesterovic	6	Roy Hibbert	6


	MILWAUKEE BUCKS
	STARTERS		KEY BENCH		MORE BENCH
PG	Luke Ridnour	6	Ramon Sessions	6	Tyronn Lue	5
SG	Michael Redd	8	Charlie Bell	7	Damon Jones	6
SF	Richard Jefferson	7	Adrian Griffin	6	Awvee Storey	5
PF	Charlie Villanueva	6	Joe Alexander	5	LucRichardMbahaMoute	4
C	Andrew Bogut	8	Dan Gadzuric	6	Malik Allen	4

	ATLANTA HAWKS
	STARTERS		KEY BENCH		MORE BENCH
PG	Mike Bibby	7	Acie Law	5	Speedy Claxton	5
SG	Joe Johnson	8	Ronald Murray	5	Salim Stoudamire	4
SF	Marvin Williams	7	Maurice Evans	7	Jeremy Richardson	4
PF	Josh Smith	8	Solomon Jones	5	Othello Hunter	5
C	Al Horford	7	Zaza Pachulia	6	Randolph Morris	4


	CHARLOTTE BOBCATS
	STARTERS		KEY BENCH		MORE BENCH
PG	Raymond Felton	7	D.J. Augustin	5	Shannon Brown	4
SG	Jason Richardson	8	Matt Carroll	6	Kyle Weaver	5
SF	Gerald Wallace	8	Adam Morrison	5	Jared Dudley	7
PF	Emeka Okafor	7	Sean May	6	Jermareo Davidson	4
C	Nazr Mohammed	5	Ryan Hollins	6	Alexis Ajinca	4

	MIAMI HEAT
	STARTERS		KEY BENCH		MORE BENCH
PG	Marcus Banks	5	Mario Chalmers	6	Chris Quinn	7
SG	Dwyane Wade	9	Daequan Cook	5	Bobby Jones	5
SF	Shawn Marion	8	James Jones	7	Yakhouba Diawara	5
PF	Michael Beasley	8	Stephane Lasme	6	David Padgett	5
C	Udonis Haslem	6	Mark Blount	5	Joel Anthony	5


	ORLANDO MAGIC
	STARTERS		KEY BENCH		MORE BENCH
PG	Jameer Nelson	7	Anthony Johnson	6
SG	Mickael Pietrus	7	Keith Bogans	6	J.J. Redick	5
SF	Hedo Turkoglu	8	Courtney Lee	6
PF	Rashard Lewis	8	Tony Battie	4	Brian Cook	5
C	Dwight Howard	9	Adonal Foyle	6	Marcin Gortat	5

	WASHINGTON WIZARDS
	STARTERS		KEY BENCH		MORE BENCH
PG	Gilbert Arenas	9	Antonio Daniels	7
SG	DeShawn Stevenson	6	Nick Young	4
SF	Caron Butler	9	Dominic McGuire	4	Oleksiy Pecherov	4
PF	Antawn Jamison	8	Andray Blatche	6	JaVale McGee	5
C	Brendan Haywood	7	Etan Thomas	5	Darius Songaila	5

	DALLAS MAVERICKS
	STARTERS		KEY BENCH		MORE BENCH
PG	Jason Kidd	8	Jose Juan Barea	4	Keith McLeod	4
SG	Jason Terry	8	Eddie Jones	6	Antoine Wright	4
SF	Josh Howard	8	Jerry Stackhouse	5	Gerald Green	4
PF	Dirk Nowitzki	9	Brandon Bass	5	James Singleton	5
C	Erick Dampier	7	DeSagana Diop	7

	HOUSTON ROCKETS
	STARTERS		KEY BENCH		MORE BENCH
PG	Rafer Alston	7	Aaron Brooks	6	Sean Singletary	5
SG	Tracy McGrady	9	Luther Head	7	Steve Francis	6
SF	Shane Battier	8	Brent Barry	8	Patrick Ewing Jr.	4
PF	Ron Artest	9	Luis Scola	7	Mike Harris	4
C	Yao Ming	9	Chuck Hayes	8	Carl Landry	7

	MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES
	STARTERS		KEY BENCH		MORE BENCH
PG	Mike Conley	6	Kyle Lowry	7	Javaris Crittenton	4
SG	O.J. Mayo	6	Marko Jaric	6	Greg Buckner	5
SF	Rudy Gay	8	Antoine Walker	5
PF	Hakim Warrick	5	Darrell Arthur	4
C	Darko Milicic	6	Marc Gasol	4

	NEW ORLEANS HORNETS
	STARTERS		KEY BENCH		MORE BENCH
PG	Chris Paul	9	Mike James	6
SG	James Posey	8	Rasual Butler	6
SF	Peja Stojakovic	7	Morris Peterson	6
PF	David West	8	Julian Wright	7	Ryan Bowen	5
C	Tyson Chandler	7	Hilton Armstrong	4	Melvin Ely	4

	SAN ANTONIO SPURS
	STARTERS		KEY BENCH		MORE BENCH
PG	Tony Parker	8	Jacque Vaughn	4	George Hill	5
SG	Manu Ginobili	9	Roger Mason	6
SF	Bruce Bowen	7	Ime Udoka	6
PF	Tim Duncan	9	Matt Bonner	6	Anthony Tolliver	4
C	Fabricio Oberto	7	Kurt Thomas	7	Ian Mahinmi	5

	DENVER NUGGETS
	STARTERS		KEY BENCH		MORE BENCH
PG	Allen Iverson	9	Chucky Atkins	6	Anthony Carter	6
SG	J.R. Smith	8	Dahntay Jones	5
SF	Carmelo Anthony	9	Linas Kleiza	6	Sonny Weems	4
PF	Kenyon Martin	7	Renaldo Balkman	6	Chris Andersen	5
C	Nene	7	Steven Hunter	5

	MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES
	STARTERS		KEY BENCH		MORE BENCH
PG	Randy Foye	6	Sebastian Telfair	5
SG	Mike Miller	8	Rashad McCants	7	Brian Cardinal	5
SF	Corey Brewer	6	Rodney Carney	5	Craig Smith	6
PF	Kevin Love	7	Ryan Gomes	7	Mark Madsen	5
C	Al Jefferson	7	Jason Collins	5	Calvin Booth	5

	PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS
	STARTERS		KEY BENCH		MORE BENCH
PG	Steve Blake	6	Jerryd Bayless	6	Sergio Rodriguez	5
SG	Brandon Roy	9	Rudy Fernandez	7	Von Wafer	4
SF	Martell Webster	6	Travis Outlaw	7	Nicolas Batum	6
PF	LaMarcus Aldridge	8	Channing Frye	5	Ike Diogu	5
C	Greg Oden	7	Joel Przybilla	6	Raef LaFrentz	5

	OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER
	STARTERS		KEY BENCH		MORE BENCH
PG	Earl Watson	7	Russell Westbrook	6
SG	Kevin Durant	8	Damien Wilkins	6	Donyell Marshall	5
SF	Jeff Green	6	Desmond Mason	6	D.J. White	5
PF	Joe Smith	6	Nick Collison	6	Saer Sene	5
C	Chris Wilcox	6	Johan Petro	4	Robert Swift	4

	UTAH JAZZ
	STARTERS		KEY BENCH		MORE BENCH
PG	Deron Williams	8	Ronnie Price	7	Brevin Knight	7
SG	Ronnie Brewer	8	Kyle Korver	7	Morris Almond	4
SF	Andrei Kirlenko	8	Matt Harpring	6	C.J. Miles	7
PF	Carlos Boozer	9	Paul Millsap	8	Kyrylo Fesenko	5
C	Mehmet Okur	7	Kosta Koufos	5	Jarron Collins	5

	GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS
	STARTERS		KEY BENCH		MORE BENCH
PG	Monta Ellis	8	Marcus D. Williams	4	C.J. Watson	5
SG	Stephen Jackson	7	Marco Belinelli	4	Anthony Morrow	5
SF	Corey Maggette	8	Kelenna Azubuike	6	Anthony Randolph	5
PF	Al Harrington	7	Brandan Wright	6	Richard Hendrix	6
C	Andris Biedrins	8	Ronny Turiaf	7	Kosta Perovic	4

	LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS
	STARTERS		KEY BENCH		MORE BENCH
PG	Baron Davis	9	Jason Williams	7	Jason Hart	5
SG	Cuttino Mobley	6	Eric Gordon	6	Mike Taylor	4
SF	Al Thornton	5	Ricky Davis	7
PF	Marcus Camby	8	Tim Thomas	7	Steve Novak	5
C	Chris Kaman	7	Brian Skinner	5	DeAndre Jordan	6

	LOS ANGELES LAKERS
	STARTERS		KEY BENCH		MORE BENCH
PG	Derek Fisher	7	Jordan Farmar	7	Coby Karl	6
SG	Kobe Bryant	10	Sasha Vujacic	7	Dwayne Mitchell	4
SF	Lamar Odom	8	Luke Walton	7	Trevor Ariza	7
PF	Pau Gasol	9	Vladimir Radmanovic	7
C	Andrew Bynum	8	Chris Mihm	5	D.J. Mbenga	5

	PHOENIX SUNS
	STARTERS		KEY BENCH		MORE BENCH
PG	Steve Nash	9	D.J. Strawberry	4
SG	Raja Bell	7	Leandro Barbosa	7
SF	Grant Hill	7	Matt Barnes	7	Alando Tucker	4
PF	Amare Stoudemire	9	Boris Diaw	7
C	Shaquille O'Neal	8	Robin Lopez	4

	SACRAMENTO KINGS
	STARTERS		KEY BENCH		MORE BENCH
PG	Bobby Jackson	6	Beno Udrih	5	Bobby Brown	4
SG	Kevin Martin	8	John Salmons	6	Quincy Douby	4
SF	Francisco Garcia	7	Donte Greene	6	Jason Thompson	5
PF	Mikki Moore	7	Spencer Hawes	5	Shareef Abdur-Rahim	5
C	Brad Miller	8	Kenny Thomas	5	Shelden Williams	4

Legend:

10	-	All-time great talent level
9	-	Superstar caliber talent
8	-	Borderline star talent
7	-	Average to above-average talent
6	-	Mediocre to average talent
5	-	Well-below-average talent
4	-	Replacement-level talent
3	-	Sub-replacement-level talent

Josh Childress

2008-07-03T19:51:00.008-04:00

Vital Info
Height: 6'8"
Weight: 210 lbs.
Position: Guard-Forward
Born: 6/20/1983
College: Stanford
Drafted: 2004 - 1st Round, 6th Overall

Player Type: Lanky, versatile 2-way guard-forward
Strengths: Childress is an insanely efficient offensive player -- his offensive ratings over his 4-year NBA career have been: 113.0 in '05, 121.3 in '06, 118.8 in '07, and 126.5 in '08. These numbers are driven by Childress' monster shooting percentages; in 2008 he shot 57.1% from the floor and had a 64.7 TS%, and his career TS% is 59.9%. Basically, Childress is a fantastic finisher inside, a very good offensive rebounder for a wing, he's adept at drawing fouls and making FTs, and he has a talent for getting easy buckets in transition. You can say that his great percentages are the result of taking nothing but easy shots, but he's constantly getting himself into position to take (and make) those easy baskets. Defensively, Childress has long arms and can be disruptive on the wing.
Weaknesses: The flip-side to Childress' great efficiency is that he can't really create shots with any regularity. His handle and floor game aren't very good, his jumper is weak with bad form, and he rarely takes shots from outside the paint, so he's a limited offensive player in that regard. He's also rail-thin and can't defend stronger players, especially inside. Because of these drawbacks, Childress will never be more than a highly-efficient NBA role player.
Favorite shot: Anything inside.

Edit: Childress eventually signed a surprising contract with Olympiakos of the Greek league, spurning the Hawks and the NBA in the process. What does this mean for American basketball? Well, it certainly shows that foreign leagues are willing to shell out major cash to compete with the NBA... but we're not looking at a WHA situation just yet. Restricted free agents like Childress can try to leverage foreign offers into better NBA deals, but I would imagine few U.S.-born players would actually be willing to pull the trigger on a similar move overseas. Childress may be an early pioneer here, but I'm willing to bet he's the exception, not the rule -- the money difference just isn't big enough to convince the typical NBAer to leave the premier league in the world for a little extra cash. Until a foreign club actually offers Kobe or LeBron $50 million/year (and they actually accept), I'm not convinced the exodus is going to involve anyone other than marginal players who would have been lucky to find a roster spot in the United States.

Josh Smith

2008-05-15T12:35:00.011-04:00

Vital Info
Height: 6'9"
Weight: 225 lbs.
Position: Forward
Born: 12/5/1985
College: n/a
Drafted: 2004 - 1st Round, 17th Overall

Player Type: High-flying dunk machine who also shines on D
Strengths: Smith is one of the NBA's finest athletes, and this allows him to be a major factor on defense and in transition. Smith has always been an amazing shot-blocker, but in '07-08 he also ramped up his defense in the team concept, which made him one of the league's top overall defensive players. He's a good defensive rebounder as well, and has the quickness to pick up his share of steals. Smith's superior quickness is also one of his primary offensive assets, as he likes to use speed and athleticism to beat his man to the basket in transition or to finish inside on drives. He isn't a bad passer, either.
Weaknesses: The rest of Smith's offensive game is still lacking. He doesn't shoot jumpers effectively at all, and he doesn't handle the ball especially well, either. His jump shot is so poor, in fact, that he only bettered a 35.5 FG% from two areas: straight-on 3-pointers (of which he took just 16) and the immediate basket area. While Smith can create shots with sheer athleticism, they aren't always the highest-percentage looks, and he can be played off of and forced into taking long Js. Smith is also a mediocre offensive rebounder for a man with his athleticism.
Favorite shot: Jaw-dropping jam in transition.

Joe Johnson

2008-05-04T16:36:00.010-04:00

Vital Info
Height: 6'8"
Weight: 225 lbs.
Position: Shooting Guard
Born: 6/29/1981
College: Arkansas
Drafted: 2001 - 1st Round, 10th Overall

Player Type: Durable 2-way guard who can create off the bounce
Strengths: Johnson emerged on the national stage during the playoffs, when he took over late in Game 4 of the Hawks' surprising series with Boston, showcasing the game he's been honing for the past 3 years in Atlanta. Johnson's best trait is his versatility -- he commands some of the finer skills of a point guard, including good court vision and ballhandling, but he's also 6-8 with solid strength and athleticism, to go along with a nice shooting stroke. He can knock down threes and midrange jumpers in both catch-and-shoot situations and off the dribble, and can shoot over smaller guards in the post. Defensively, Johnson is very good because he can match up with a variety of player types on the perimeter, although the Hawks don't ask him to man up on the opponent's best scorer very often.
Weaknesses: Johnson is a legitimate superstar who does a number of things well, but he's not without his flaws. He has a slow first step, so he doesn't penetrate (and, consequently, get to the line) as much as some other comparable scorers. Because of this, more of his 2-pointers were jumpers than ever, he shot just 45% on twos, and his shooting efficiency wasn't as high as it had been in recent years. Also, Johnson doesn't chip in a lot in non-scoring areas like rebounding, steals, or shot-blocking.
Favorite shot: Pull-up jumper off the screen-and-roll.

Quick Hits: Charlotte Bobcats

2008-05-04T15:44:00.000-04:00

Derek Anderson has quietly stuck around well into his thirties after starting his career as a first-ish option on the Cavs, Clippers, and Spurs. After a decent season with Charlotte in 2007, he was plagued by injuries again in 2008 and saw a lot of DNPs upon returning from the IL. When healthy, he's still a decent veteran who can swing between SG and PG, but his shooting evaporated last year and he's really starting to show his age.
A second-round pick in 2007, Jermareo Davidson shot (and missed) too many jumpers for a 6-10 PF, and he got lit up defensively. He plays with energy -- he can block shots and rebound a little -- but he's too thin for the post at either end and his shot needs work. Some NBDL action would help.
Longtime vet Othella Harrington spent the early part of the season rehabbing after offseason knee surgery, and for the second straight year he never really cracked Charlotte's rotation. When he did get some game action, his shot deserted him, and it looks like he's probably headed for retirement.

Adam Morrison

2008-05-04T13:54:00.005-04:00

Vital Info
Height: 6'8"
Weight: 205 lbs.
Position: Forward
Born: 7/19/1984
College: Gonzaga
Drafted: 2006 - 1st round, 3rd overall

Player Type: One-dimensional scorer
Strengths: As a rookie in 2007, Morrison showed he could create plenty of shots -- they weren't good shots, mind you, but shots nonetheless. He is a good shooter (not a great one, certainly not worthy of the Larry Bird/Dirk Nowitzki comparisons that were thrown at him in college), and will almost certainly improve on those horrid rookie shooting numbers with better shot selection. He is a solid ballhandler and passer, and he takes decent care of the ball. The overall package isn't as bad as the results were in his first NBA season.
Weaknesses: Morrison simply isn't an NBA-caliber athlete, and that really hampers his ability to make use of some of his basketball skills. He can shoot, but he can't really create high-percentage looks. He can handle the rock, but he doesn't have the burst or quickness to beat anybody off the dribble. He has decent size, but he can't rebound or block shots. He's generally an intelligent player, but he can't guard a soul. In other words, he's not suited to be an alpha dog at this level, and Charlotte would be advised to stop using him in that manner and just let him be a 2nd or 3rd option. And then there's the matter of the knee injury which cost him all of 2007-08... Since he wasn't reliant on speed or quickness beforehand, it probably won't hurt his game as much as it would other players, but it was just another setback for a guy who really couldn't afford one.
Favorite shot: Low-percentage fadeaway with a defender all over him.

Jeff McInnis

2008-05-03T23:25:00.002-04:00

Vital Info
Height: 6'4"
Weight: 190 lbs.
Position: Point Guard
Born: 10/22/1974
College: North Carolina
Drafted: 1996 - 2nd round, 37th overall

Player Type: Sub-NBA caliber guard
Strengths: McInnis has nice size for a point guard, passes reasonably well, and is (theoretically) a capable ball-handler. Because of his height, he can dribble down court and shoot midrange jumpers (of which he hit 41.6% in '08, better than average) over smaller PGs.
Weaknesses: A graduate of Jail Blazer Academy, McInnis has a rep as a clubhouse cancer, and his poor attitude has cost him jobs with multiple NBA teams. He has no 3-point range and can't really shoot anything but 15-footers, which isn't the greatest recipe for efficiency (those shots are still worth only 2 points, of course, despite the increased difficulty). McInnis used to be able to create shots for himself and teammates without turning the ball over, but those days are long gone -- he struggled to get his shot off in 2008 and, worse yet, he became one of the biggest turnover machines in the league. He adds nothing on the glass at this point, doesn't steal or block shots, and is a poor defender. All told, McInnis was one of the least valuable players in the entire NBA last season, and he'll be lucky to catch on with any team this summer.
Favorite shot: Midrange jump shot.

Earl Boykins

2008-05-03T22:04:00.003-04:00

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.

Ryan Hollins

2008-05-03T15:34:00.003-04:00

Vital Info
Height: 7'0"
Weight: 230 lbs.
Position: Center
Born: 10/10/1984
College: UCLA
Drafted: 2006 - 2nd Round, 50th Overall

Player Type: Athletic shot-blocking big man
Strengths: Hollins is a pure shot-blocker, plain and simple. He's athletic for a 7-footer, and this couples with his length to make him an intimidating presence coming in off the help side. Hollins will also run the floor for dunks and easy buckets, and is a good offensive rebounder.
Weaknesses: Simply put, Hollins has athleticism but lacks basketball skills. He has no post game to speak of and has no shooting range outside of five feet. Defensively, Hollins severely lacks strength, making it difficult for him to get rebounding position and contend one-on-one with opposing big men inside.
Favorite shot: Putback dunk.

Matt Carroll

2008-05-03T15:10:00.003-04:00

Vital Info
Height: 6'6"
Weight: 212 lbs.
Position: Shooting Guard
Born: 8/28/1980
College: Notre Dame
Drafted: Not drafted

Player Type: One-dimensional pure shooter
Strengths: Carroll can flat-out shoot the 3, having drilled at least 39% of his attempts from downtown in each of the past 3 seasons. He also has decent offensive instincts -- he knows his long-range stroke is feared, so he's not averse to buying himself space for midrange shots and the occasional dribble-drive with a clever shot fake.
Weaknesses: Unfortunately, Carroll's nice shooting stroke is just about his only asset these days. He used to be adept at drawing fouls on drives, but he slipped in that department last season, and as a result his scoring was way down. He used to have pretty decent hands for steals, too, but hasn't done well in that category in two years. And the rest of his game is seriously lacking, mainly because he lacks NBA-caliber quickness/athleticism. He's a poor defender despite decent court awareness, and adds very little on the boards. He's essentially a one-dimensional player at this point.
Favorite shot: Any 3-pointer.

Jared Dudley

2008-05-03T14:30:00.003-04:00

Vital Info
Height: 6'7"
Weight: 225 lbs.
Position: Forward
Born: 7/10/1985
College: Boston College
Drafted: 2007 - 1st Round, 22nd Overall

Player Type: Tweener who makes up for physical shortcomings with hustle & smarts
Strengths: Dudley is a very smart player with a high basketball IQ, which helps him on defense and the boards despite a lack of size or athleticism. Two physical gifts he does possess are long arms, which let him rack up steals and hassle opponents on defense. Dudley plays with a lot of energy, and this translates to very good offensive rebounding numbers. Overall, he's a versatile player who isn't particularly bad at any one skill.
Weaknesses: Dudley is a classic tweener -- he isn't particularly athletic or quick enough to be an impact small forward, and he doesn't have the height of a typical power forward. His midrange game, billed as a strength going into the draft, was a disappointment last season -- his eFG% on jumpers was just .383. He can't really create his own shot at the NBA level, either. And while he isn't bad at any skill, he doesn't really stand out in any category, either, save for his superior intangibles.
Favorite shot: Midrange jumper.

Nazr Mohammed

2008-04-30T13:53:00.003-04:00

Vital Info
Height: 6'10"
Weight: 221 lbs.
Position: Center
Born: 9/5/1977
College: Kentucky
Drafted: 1998 - 1st Round, 29th Overall

Player Type: Undersized rebounding center
Strengths: Mohammed wasn't blessed with great size or athleticism, but he can rebound with anybody, especially on the offensive glass. He's also not the worst finisher in the world, having shot 50 percent or better from the floor in 4 of the past 5 seasons, and he has a half-decent short-to-medium range jumper. In addition, he can block shots and does a solid job of drawing fouls.
Weaknesses: His hands are legendarily bad, as his high turnover rates will attest to. He is also a defensive liability because of his height and lack of quickness. Mohammed will never be considered a big scoring option in the post, and doesn't run the floor especially well, so a good deal of his points are of the garbage variety. He has a rep for being injury-prone -- although he has played 80 or more games in 3 of the past 5 seasons.
Favorite shot: Second-chance shot off an offensive board.

Raymond Felton

2008-04-29T14:46:00.004-04:00

Vital Info
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 198 lbs.
Position: Point Guard
Born: 6/26/1984
College: North Carolina
Drafted: 2005 - 1st Round, 5th Overall

Player Type: Pure point guard with no jump shot
Strengths: A great passer and ballhandler, Felton is a fantastic playmaker from the point guard position -- he's cat-quick, and he excels at penetrating into the lane, drawing defenders, and dishing off to open teammates for easy baskets. He also improved his finishing ability at the rim in 07-08 (he was awful, now he's just mediocre), converting on nearly 50% of his field goal attempts when close to the basket and drawing fouls at a higher rate. In addition, Felton is a good defensive player who compensates for his lack of height with superior quickness.
Weaknesses: Felton's jump shot continues to be shaky at best -- he's a below-average 3-point shooter, and he hit less than 45% of his 2-pointers despite improving his conversion rate on 2-point non-jumpers to 50%. Because of his subpar shooting and still less-than-satisfactory finishing skills, Felton isn't a big-time scoring point guard, notching just 13.9 pts/36 in each of the last two seasons. As you might also expect from a 6'1" guard, Felton is a complete non-factor on the boards.
Favorite shot: Dribble drive to the basket.

Gerald Wallace

2008-04-29T13:36:00.004-04:00

Vital Info
Height: 6'7"
Weight: 215 lbs.
Position: Forward
Born: 7/23/1982
College: Alabama
Drafted: 2001 - 1st Round, 25th Overall

Player Type: Athletic 2-way forward
Strengths: Wallace is long and athletic, and this gives him a real edge at the defensive end -- he's effective at stealing the ball, blocking shots, and forcing misses on the help side. He also excels in the transition game, getting out on the break and creating offense in the open court. He loves to attack the basket, and has enough burst and handle to swoop past defenders from the wing and finish at the rim or draw a foul.
Weaknesses: Wallace was forced to be even more of a go-to guy offensively for Charlotte last season, and that caused his efficiency to drop dramatically (his ORtg was 110 while using 22% of possessions in 2007, and it fell to 104 on 24% of possessions in 2008). There are only so many times that you can drive past a defender without him playing off and forcing you to shoot jumpers, and shooting isn't exactly Wallace's biggest strength: he only posted a .354 FG% on 2-point J's last year, hit only 32% of his threes for the second straight campaign, and is a below-average foul shooter (although he's much better now than he was a few years ago).
Favorite shot: Going right to the rim for a thunder dunk.

Emeka Okafor

2008-04-28T22:13:00.004-04:00

Vital Info
Height: 6'10"
Weight: 252 lbs.
Position: Center/Power Forward
Born: 9/28/1982
College: Connecticut
Drafted: 2004 - 1st Round, 2nd Overall

Player Type: Rugged frontcourt defender/rebounder
Strengths: Okafor is an outstanding inside defender despite his lack of a typical center's height. He excels at shot-blocking, especially in help situations, and is very smart in terms of executing team defensive concepts. His basketball IQ is high -- he always seems to be in the right place at the right time defensively. This also extends to the glass, where he's a force at both ends because of smarts and terrific timing. And he does all of this while keeping his fouls low (he fouled out only 3 times all year).
Weaknesses: Okafor will never be mistaken for an offensive-minded post player. His footwork is lacking, he can't create high-percentage post-up opportunities, and he most certainly can't step out and knock down jump shots. Basically, his only offensive value comes when he scores off of putbacks and other garbage chances around the basket. Of course, that's a small price to pay if you're Charlotte (or whoever he plays for next season), given Okafor's great defense and rebounding.
Favorite shot: Putback after an offensive rebound.

Jason Richardson

2008-04-28T18:07:00.005-04:00

Vital Info
Height: 6'6"
Weight: 220 lbs.
Position: Small Forward/Shooting Guard
Born: 1/20/1981
College: Michigan St.
Drafted: 2001 - 1st Round, 5th Overall

Player Type: Athletic swingman with a solid outside shot.
Strengths: Richardson is a top-flight scorer who can create his own shot with ease, especially when he gets out on the break -- a fact which shouldn't be surprising, given his resume (he's a 2-time Slam Dunk champion). In recent years, J-Rich has also honed his 3-point stroke, making him one of the more dangerous offensive players in the NBA. Richardson is above-average at steals, blocks, and defensive rebounds.
Weaknesses: Despite his athleticism, Richardson is not a particularly strong perimeter defender, a situation made worse by his recent knee injuries. Richardson has also settled for more jumpers than ever in recent seasons -- not necessarily a weakness, mind you, given that he has a solid jump shot, but still disconcerting for a 27-year-old former 2-time dunk champ. Maybe it's simply because his ballhandling skills are unimpressive for a perimeter player, limiting his options in half-court sets. Either way, only 28% of his FGAs came on inside shots (and only 5% were dunks), down from the 34% and 7% he posted pre-injury.
Favorite shot: Three-pointer from the wing.

About NBA Scouting Report

2008-04-28T15:21:00.000-04:00

Hi, and welcome to the NBA Scouting Report blog.

Basically, this is a blog where I'll write about the skills and tendencies of NBA basketball players. Why? Because I don't think there's enough scouting information on the web. And I'm the kind of sports fan who loves that kind of thing... Hopefully you are, too.

I'm going to start with some non-playoff teams, and go from there in alphabetical order. Most of the stats I reference are explained here. If you have any questions, feel free to e-mail me and I'll try to get back to you.