ben-mclemore-hd.jpeg

23 - Ben McLemore

6-5, 190 Shooting Guard
Kansas Freshman
Birthday
02/11/93 (31.1 yrs)
Hometown
St. Louis, MO
High School
Christian Life Center
Team Site Profile
Statistics
Athleticism
10
Size
8
Defense
7
Strength
8
Quickness
9
Leadership
7
Jump Shot
10
NBA Ready
8
Ball Handling
7
Potential
9
Passing
7
Intangibles
8

NBA Comparison: Ray Allen

Strengths: Prototypical 2-guard with a mouth watering combination of athleticism and shooting ability … A top shelf athlete with spectacular leaping ability and body control … Appears to have just scratched the surface of his abilities in his one season of college ball … Without question has elite level NBA 2 guard potential with the talent to eventually place himself among the top shooting guards in the league in his prime … Shooting efficiency was off the charts for a freshman, hitting 50% FG, 42% 3p and 87% from the line (totaling 179, he was a point away from being in the 180 club) More efficient shooting than Steph Curry was in his freshman season at Davidson (172) … Smooth operator. His jump shot is absolutely a thing of beauty and rarely do you find such a gorgeous stroke on such a gifted athlete … Shoots with a fluid and concise motion and takes the same shot every time. Gets excellent elevation and has a quick release … Has range out to college 3, and there’s no reason to think he won’t be able to extend to the NBA line … If he plays with a top level PG, he will be deadly in catch and shoot situations … His pull up off the dribble shows a lot of potential, as does his ability to blow by defenders due to a quick first step … Ball handling potential is there. Has much better ball handling ability than he’s been given credit for. Shows one and two dribble pull up skills, plus can utilize three and four dribble moves to get to the rim … When asked to isolate, has done a good job of creating off the dribble, though was rarely asked to be a primary ball handler, or ISO, and spent most of his time running off screens for spot up looks … Excellent off the ball, using constant motion to tire out opponents and has been coached well to wait for screens and run his man off them to free himself for looks … Great at finding seems in the defense, running the baseline for ally oop dunks … Has a chance to be an excellent defender due to his length and lateral speed. Despite their reputations, McLemore actually graded out much higher on overall defense in Synergy analytical statistics than Victor Olidipo … McLemore allowed .625 PPP (points per possession) scoring in the 89 percentile (Oladipo .856 PPP and in the 39th percentile) Granted Oladipo has better ISO defensive analytics … Unselfish, team player who shows solid ability to pass the ball for an off guard (even a/to ratio) … Good size at 6’4.75 in shoes with a 6’7.75 wingspan … Persevered through a rough upbringing showing a fortitude and inner strength …

Weaknesses: "Lacks assertiveness" and "passivity" are the two most common criticisms that have been made about him. Is it possible that the bar was set a little high for a freshman that averaged 15.9 ppg on highly efficient numbers? … Still must learn how to operate in pressure situations and develop focus and mental toughness … It’s easy to confuse a lack of focus for a lack of passion, and it’s a real possibility that his struggles were more related to inexperience and concentration lapses instead of competitiveness or mental toughness issues … A young and naive kid, there are some concerns about how he will handle all of NBA’s off court temptations and not get caught up in the "lifestyle". By all accounts a good kid, who just needs solid people around him steering him in the right direction, making positive decisions … Just one season of college ball after redshirting his first year at Kansas due to Academics … Some worry about his maturity level and confidence after his interviews and workouts. He reportedly was out of shape and unprepared during the draft process … Extremely humble kid. May need time to grow and mature, develop a better feel for the game, defensive spacing, etc. He will likely gain confidence and develop a swagger in time … The truth is he’s a great kid who’s just naive, like most 20 year olds … As one scout put it, "Just imagine what he’ll be like when he gets some confidence and hits his stride" … Had one dreadful performance against North Carolina (2 pts 0-9 fg) during their tourney run in which he disappeared and somewhat crumbled under the pressure, and detractors point to this game as proof that he lacks a killer instinct or the "alpha dog" personality. In reality the same criticisms could be made about Bradley Beal for "running from the basketball" in the key minutes of Florida’s loss to Louisville in the NCAA tournament. McLemore bounced back with 20 pts on 8-15 in their next and last game vs. Michigan … Sometimes the moment overcomes players and only a fool would judge a player based on one college performance … Needs to work on his ISO game, become a better ball handler and not be so careless turning the ball over … Where McLemore struggled defensively was in isolation, showing a need to expand his feel for the game, focus on fundamentals, get lower and not bite on fakes as heavily. Shows solid effort, he just needs to make a better effort of getting low, anticipating, and not allowing opponents to get by him on penetration … Had an extremely tough upbringing so there are some concerns about how he will be able to handle immediate riches … Two years at Kansas were crucial for his maturity and long term development off the court, but has a bigger adjustment curve than the average prospect and needs time and patience from the team that invests a pick in him …

Notes: Kansas Coach Bill Self described McLemore as the most talented kid he’s ever coached. Impressive considering he had Deron Williams at Illinois …. Grew up in St. Louis, Missouri … AAU teammate of Bradley Beal … Has been compared to Ray Allen due to his picture perfect shooting stroke and similar attributes. He lacks Ray Allen’s all around feel for the game and mid range game at the same age, but shows more explosiveness than 20 year old Ray Allen …

Aran Smith 6/25/13

Strengths: Ultra smooth shooting guard with a lethal combination of athleticism and scoring ability … Absolutely an elite level athlete with prototypical size and athleticism for the 2-guard position … Shot has tremendous form, great elevation with the range to knock down the 3 ball consistently … Shows a good feel for the game with the ability to create shots off the dribble … Unselfish, team player who whows strong ability to pass the ball for an off guard … Great length. At 6’5, he appears to have a 6’9 or greater wingspan … Highly coachable kid. Solid feel for the game. Doesn’t gamble for steals or play out of control … Terrorizes opponents with back door cuts that often result in ally oop dunks … Appears to be just scratching the surface of his abilities …

Weaknesses: Feel for the game must continue to advance. Still figuring out what he’s capable of and learning how to use his immense talents. Shot selection is good but can improve. Learning when to force the issue and when to pass up contested shots. Also when to be aggressive defensively and when not to, in order to stay out of foul trouble … Must develop as a ball handler and become better at creating in isolation … In high school he had some issues with consistency, so he’ll need to learn to exhibit a high level of effort on a more constant basis … Can be a streaky shooter at times … Missed a year having sat out an Academic redshirt season in 2011-12, but it doesn’t seem to have negatively affected him …

Notes: Kansas Coach Bill Self described McLemore as the most talented kid he’s ever coached. Impressive considering he had Deron Williams at Illinois.

Aran Smith 12/4/12

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