AlexKirk.gif

53 - Alex Kirk

6-10, 252 Center
New Mexico Junior
Birthday
11/14/91 (32.3 yrs)
Hometown
Los Alamos, NM
High School
Los Alamos
Team Site Profile
Statistics
Athleticism
6
Size
8
Defense
7
Strength
7
Quickness
6
Leadership
7
Jump Shot
8
NBA Ready
8
Rebounding
7
Potential
5
Post Skills
8
Intangibles
7
84 Overall:

NBA Comparison: Kenny Frease

Strengths: A versatile offensive threat, Kirk averaged a solid 16.6 points per 40 minutes this past season at New Mexico …  Can score both inside and out; has a soft right-handed hook shot and a very smooth jumper, with range that extends to the NBA three-point line …  Most effective inside 18 feet – according to Hoop–Math.com, Kirk made an impressive 70% of his shots at the rim and a respectable 38% of his 2-point jumpers …  Not afraid to put a ball on the floor and drive past slower defenders …  Can shoot off the dribble … Sets solid screens and effective on the pick and pop …  Good size and length – had the 2nd longest standing reach at the NBA combine at 9 feet and 1.5 inches…  Solid rebounder and shot blocker – averaged 10.9 and 3.4 per 40 minutes in those respective categories this past season at New Mexico…  A coach’s son, Kirk plays within himself, hustles, is alert, and communicates well on the floor…  Good stamina for a true center, averaging 32 min. per game this season for the Lobos.
 
Weaknesses: Not overly physical on either end of the floor, and as a result, struggles to carve out space underneath the basket …  Not much lift – relies on his height and length when rebounding and blocking shots…  Does not get many rebounds outside his area … Lack of speed greatly hinders his on-the-ball and help defense … He would fit into the NBA 40 years ago, much better than today’s game, as the game has gone to speed over size for bigmen … When defending the pick and roll, he often does not show strong and gets caught in no man’s land…  Not shy about shooting, even when well beyond the college 3-point line. This past season, he made just slightly more than 21% of his threes, a number that would likely be significantly higher if he had better shot selection…  Prefers to play in space – not afraid of contact, but sometimes struggles in a crowd…  Has difficulty with double teams, frequently forcing up wild shots or committing turnovers …  Struggled to stay out of foul trouble against athletic big men, including Joel Embiid (KU) and Khem Birch (UNLV) … Though an underclassmen early entrant, he’ll turn 23 at the end of this year, limiting his potential …
 
Notes: Kirk is a redshirt junior who has already earned his degree in marketing … According to his agent, Graham Boone, Kirk has at least 10 workouts scheduled with teams such as Chicago, Indiana and Philadelphia, starting next week …  Most of Kirk’s weaknesses can be attributed to either a lack of speed/quickness or a lack of explosiveness, and with that in mind, Boone had Kirk focus on improving in those areas and increasing his flexibility at the elite training facilities of the IMG Academy prior to the combine. The work appears to have paid dividends. Kirk lost 13 pounds and posted very respectable numbers in the lane agility (11.2) and shuttle drills (3.19); in fact, the former number was 2nd best among big men. Kirk also did very well in the midrange shooting drills.  On the downside, he did not fare very well in the sprint and vertical drills…  As noted above, Kirk was a bit of iron man for the Lobos this past season; in November at Charleston Classic, he played in three games in four days, averaging 40 min., 12 rebounds, 4 blocks, and 21 points per game.
 
Outlook: Kirk is an intriguing prospect – a true stretch 5 who can rebound and block shots, though his lack of speed, quickness, and explosiveness limit his potential.  He relies on finesse more than power, much like many European players, and may be better suited playing overseas …

Richard Harris 5/23/14

Related Content

Facebooktwitterredditmail