Alabama Basketball Newcomer Breakdown: Grant Nelson
This is the third in a multi-part series where BamaCentral's Blake Byler will crunch the numbers and break down the film to give you everything you need to know about each of Alabama basketball's newcomers.
When Alabama basketball center Charles Bediako decided to remain in the 2023 NBA Draft, things started to look bleak for the Crimson Tide roster as it had a massive hole to fill, and little time to fill it.
As it stood, Alabama had no player on the roster over 6-foot-9, and only one returner in the frontcourt in Nick Pringle, who played well at times last season, but in a reserve role.
Enter, a kid from North Dakota.
Grant Nelson, the best player for the North Dakota State Bison, also had his name in the NBA Draft and attended the NBA Draft combine, but decided to withdraw and enter his name in the transfer portal.
Immediately, he became one of the hottest commodities in the sport, fresh off a season where he was selected to the All-Summit League First Team.
His decision came down to Alabama and SEC rival Arkansas, and the big man chose head coach Nate Oats and the Crimson Tide.
At 6-foot-11 and 235 pounds, Nelson is now the biggest player on the Alabama roster, something the team sorely needed with the SEC now featuring a plethora of 7-footers across the conference.
Originally from Devils Lake, North Dakota, Nelson began as a freshman at his in-state school and played the last three seasons there. Last season, Nelson averaged 17.9 points per game while shooting above 50 percent from the field and over 70 percent from the free throw line.
He was a monster on the glass, cleaning up over nine rebounds per game and posting a defensive rebound percentage of 26, ranking in the top-35 nationally. Alabama lost its top three rebounders from last season in Brandon Miller, Noah Clowney and Bediako, making Nelson's services on the boards greatly needed.
When it comes to Nelson's offensive game, he is one of the most skilled and fluid near-7-footers in all of college basketball. He has a tight handle that he primarily utilizes for sharp crossovers and quick spin moves, typically going downhill towards the rim. Once he gets there, he is an excellent finisher, converting on 65 percent of his looks a the rim last season.
Check out the two plays below to see the fluidity of Nelson's game on full display:
In the first play with the ball at the top of the key, Nelson sizes up his defender with a hesitation dribble, then drops into a crossover and explodes towards the rim.
He gets his defender on his back hip, and knowing the defender is desperate to recover, uses a pump fake to get him in the air before easily finishing the layup.
In the second play, Nelson is bringing up the ball off a defensive rebound and initiating the offense himself. He once again uses a hesitation and a crossover to get downhill, then when the defender overplays, counters with a sharp spin back towards the basket and elevates for an explosive dunk.
His movements are particularly impressive for someone his size, and his ability to get downhill will fit seamlessly into Oats' offense.
His driving ability creates unusually difficult situations for opposing teams to try to guard as well. In the following clip, Nelson is being guarded on the right wing by Arkansas center Trevon Brazile, who likely will be a preseason All-SEC selection this fall.
Brazile is an excellent rim protector and is also nearly seven feet tall, but doesn't have the lateral quickness to keep up with Nelson.
Nelson calls for a screen, getting Brazile to anticipate it and shade to one side. He then refuses the screen, exploding downhill into an empty lane (because he pulled the rim protector out to the perimeter to guard him), and showcases his athleticism by rising up for a slam.
With Nelson in the game for Alabama, Oats has a variety of options for how he can run his offense. If he wants to run Nelson at the center position, the offense can play a true 5-out, and pull the big men of opposing teams out onto the perimeter to guard him.
Nelson's defenders can't leave him wide open from three, either. He is a career 30 percent shooter from distance, and while he only shot around 27 percent last season, that's a very similar clip to what Clowney converted on, who was a consistent threat from downtown all season.
In addition to Nelson's driving and finishing abilities, he's a very capable passer and playmaker as well. He posted the second-highest assist rate on his team last season at 15.5 percent, and when he collapses the defense on his drives to the rim Alabama's spacing will leave plenty of shooters for him to find on spray outs.
The other thing he provides that has been a rarity for Alabama under Oats is a back-to-the-basket game. Granted, this was in the Summit League typically against smaller players, but his body control will translate regardless of the size of the defender:
While it is against a smaller defender, Nelson still shows his ability to walk a defender down into the post, use a drop step to gain position, and go up-and-under to finish the layup.
It will be more difficult against the size and strength of the SEC to convert on a ton of post-ups, but his stellar footwork is good enough for a bucket or two a night working the post.
The biggest weakness of Nelson's game comes of the defensive end. His high offensive versatility doesn't necessarily translate over to the other side, and while he has impressive straight line speed, he isn't nearly as fast as a lateral mover.
He is best positioned in the lane as a rim protector because of his size and verticality. He has a tendency to be out of position at times, and can't be trusted to switch onto guards or wings like Clowney could last season, but with the way Oats coaches defense it's possible for Nelson to turn into a solid rim protector with the tools he has.
Take this clip against Arkansas, for example. Nelson is positioned on the weak side, and when lottery pick Anthony Black gets by his defender, Nelson is there to swat the shot away.
Because of the void Nelson filled with his addition, there is an argument to be made that he's the most important newcomer on the Alabama roster this season.
His scoring will be on full display in Alabama's up-tempo offense, and his ability to stretch the floor, make plays for his teammates, and work off of guards like Mark Sears and Aaron Estrada will likely heighten his efficiency as well.
Nelson should be penciled in as a starter for 2023-24, and he could very well find his way onto draft boards by season's end.
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