Identifying The Swing Skills In NBA Draft Prospects: Part Two

Taking a look at the swing skills in select NBA Draft Prospects.

When evaluating NBA prospects, it’s important to remember that they aren’t finished products. Teams are drafting the foundation of a player and are tasked with developing them to their fullest potential. For a lot of these prospects, their proficiency in a specific skill can single handedly define their outcome as a player. Some swing skills are easier to improve upon than others. Some players have displayed more indicators of untapped potential in a swing skill than others. In part one of this series, I outlined the swing skills of former Arkansas standout Anthony Black and SEC Player Of The Year Brandon Miller. Let’s take a look at some swing skills of even more select prospects:

Gradey Dick: On-Ball Defense

Dick is most known for one specific skill: his shooting. This is only right given his marksmanship from behind the arc these last few years. He shot nearly 50% from deep in his senior season at Sunrise and continued this excellence in his freshman campaign at Kansas. The 6-foot-8 forward shot north of 40% from 3 this season in 5.7 attempts per game. His lightning-fast release and diversity of makes only makes this feat more impressive, and truly puts him up there in conversations regarding the best shooter in this draft class. In addition to shooting the ball, Dick is a very smart player who can consistently make the right pass on offense and the right rotation on defense.

However, as a non-creating forward, Dick will have to be a positive defensive player to reach his high-end outcomes. He has the off-ball capabilities, but as a wing, he’s going to need to work on his on-ball defense. He isn’t bad in this regard right now, but without good enough strength or footspeed, he could be a target for NBA creators. Dick will need to work on his physical traits once drafted to ensure he can be an adequate on-ball defender,

Cam Whitmore: Physicality

Whitmore has all the talent in the world. In his 6-foot-7, 232-pound frame, he has a tight handle, legitimate pull-up shooting, and impressive athleticism. As a result, the former Villanova WIldcat averaged over 12 points as a freshman earlier this year. He has the foundation of a big-time wing scorer at the next level.

Still, he’s missing the one piece needed to put it all together. One of Whitmore’s biggest gifts is his powerful frame, but he doesn’t yet use it correctly. He only shot 2.5 free throws per game this season. To be a potent scorer in the NBA, Whitmore will have to learn to lean on his overwhelming strength to get easy buckets.

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