Scouting Report: Duke Target Patrick Baldwin Jr.

Five-star small forward is an intriguing prospect at both ends of floor

The first thing you notice about Patrick Baldwin Jr. is that he’s never in a hurry. That’s because he’s always in motion.

His highlight film doesn’t as many feature explosive drives as other prospects. It’s reminiscent of Justise Winslow, who I used to compare to an airport tram when he was at Duke. He just kind of glides along and gets where he needs to be, when he needs to be there. Seth Curry and UNC’s Justin Jackson had a similar ability to seem to never be going full speed but still beat everyone on the defense to their spot, because they’re always on the move.

The big difference between Baldwin and those players, however, is the length of his arms. He has a freakishly large wingspan that gives him a shot that looks nearly impossible to block. Unlike many players with incredible length who struggle to coordinate all the moving parts of their limbs, Baldwin has a smooth shot and fast release, giving him an accurate shot from three-point range and beyond. His shot draws many comparisons to NBA sharpshooter Klay Thompson. At 6-foot-8, 190 pounds, he’s two inches taller than Thompson, however.

He’s also able to make moves off the dribble and is tough to defend when he backs a defender down, just because of the sheer length of his reach. He seems to be dribbling near the three-point line, then turn and have a short jumper to bank in.

There was only one blocked shot on the highlight film, and that came from behind, but his length seems to suit him to blocking shots, defending passing lanes and rebounding. He may need to bulk up a bit to survive on the boards in college.

His father Pat Baldwin Sr., is the head coach at Wisconsin-Milwaukee, which might explains why Baldwin always seems to be in the right spot. Basketball IQ may not make for the sexiest mix tape, but Baldwin is an intriguing prospect and whoever coaches him in college will have a lot of fun trying to take full advantage of all his gifts.