NBA Comparison: Derrick Rose/Russell Westbrook

Strengths: One of the most electrifying players to come out of the college ranks in years … Has an heir of supremacy/confidence that only the truly great ones possess … His speed in the open floor and first step blow by ability is absolutely jaw dropping … His body control and ability to make plays around the rim as well as find teammates with passes while playing at such a break neck speed is what sets him apart. At first you think he’s out of control but he actually makes great decisions while playing at such a fast pace … Fearless attacking the basket off the dribble and seems to find a space in the defense when it isn’t there … His ability to contort his body and finish from all angles around the basket with both hands borders on the absurd … There is a ton of room for growth and improvement, and his style of play (SPEED) is tailor made for the NBA level … Point guards with his size and athleticism are rare, Rose and Westbrook are two of the most athletic lead guards to come along in years, and Wall has some of each of their attributes … Possesses elite athletic ability with unusual length and explosiveness for a point guard … Excellent finisher in transition with both hands and his speed and ability to change direction allows him to get any place he wants on the floor … Pushes the ball up the floor as well as any 6-foot point guard … Can become dominant at both ends of the floor being able to use his length as both a defensive stopper and above average rebounder from the wing … An excellent passer, particularly on the move. Can pick a part a defense setting up teammates for easy scores using his great vision, and creativity … A true floor general, not just an athlete masquerading as a point … Huge hands give him excellent command of the basketball … Good ball handler with either hand … A ball hawk able to rip opposing point guards using his quick hands and feet and long arms. Excellent anticipation on passes contributed to his 1.8 steals per game … Shows leadership ability and will look to become a more vocal leader as he matures … Has a chance to be a merchandising phenomenon with his incredible talent and charisma …

Weaknesses: Similar to Derrick Rose entering the league, Wall’s jumpshot is a work in progress … Shooting is the easiest skill to improve upon in the league and Wall’s shooting form is not horrible, but it will require some tweaking and hard work (repetition) in the gym to become a real strength to his game … Wall is not a good set shooter, preferring to create a rhythm using the bounce. His shot lacks great lift and is a little slow to get off. His form and release are decent, but should look to get a little more trajectory … At times it appears Wall is too caught up in impressing instead of focusing on the ultimate goal of winning … More comfortable operating in the open floor than in the half court … Will need to hone his pick and roll skills and half court command of the game … His ability to get into the lane and make plays around the basket in the half court game is more effective than his jump shooting … While possibly even quicker than Rose, he lacks the same body strength and ability to absorb contact. Adding some core body strength would allow him to finish stronger around the rim … Gets careless passing the ball at times. 4 turnovers per game show his lack of ball protection and that his point guard skills are still raw. His 1.6 a/to ratio is solid for a freshman but should be better for such an elite level player … Wall is blessed with such incredible physical gifts that it will be up to him to put in the work to get the most out of his abilities. Too often the most talented players aren’t the ones willing to work the hardest, and at such a young age it’s too early to definitively say whether he “wants it” … Competitive player, but will need to develop his killer instinct and ability to take over at the end of games …

Outlook: A virtual lock for the first pick in the 2010 draft … Led Kentucky to the Elite Eight with just 3 losses all year in his one season in college … Hit a game winning shot with .5 on the clock in his first ever college basketball game …

Aran Smith – 5/18/2010

Strengths: Has the size and physical tools to become an incredible player … Not many players at his position have the combination of speed and athleticism that he possesses … At least once or twice a game he will make a brilliant play that shows the amount of potential that he has … He is able to consistently finish above the rim, both in transition and in traffic … He has an extra gear which allows him to turn the corner or to explode by defenders in the open court … Going full speed he is not only faster than anyone else on the court, but he is also very comfortable handling the ball as he is weaving through defenders … Very impressive is his ability to change direction in mid-stride while going full speed … In ISO situations, he is almost impossible to stop because of his great first step as well as the variety of moves that he can use off the dribble … He has good instincts and because he consistently gets into the lane, he is very good at finding teammates when the help defense comes over … His freakish athleticism and extremely long arms make him a serious threat in the passing lanes as well as a weakside shotblocker …

Weaknesses: He is still a very raw player, heavily depending on his athleticism to help him get away with a number of things … As a playmaker he is much more effective in transition, once the tempo slows he struggles making reads and deliver passes … His release is a little slow, but his shooting form is decent, unfortunately at this point he is a non threat from the outside … The shooting inconsistency limits him since people back off, making his driving lanes that much more congested, forcing him to drive into heavy traffic … In pick&roll situations, he is also very shaky because defenders always go under the screen daring him to shoot, which limits the movement and action as well as his passing options … His touch around the rim is unrefined, unless he is dunking he struggles to convert on layups as well as floaters and teardrops … As a defender, he has the length, athleticism and lateral quickness to become a stopper, but at this point he is not very dedicated on that end … He takes plays off and lets inferior players get by him off the dribble … He is very turnover prone, sometimes attempting to throw passes that have no way of finding the target …