khris-middleton-hd.jpeg

22 - Khris Middleton

6-8, 216 Shooting Guard/Small Forward
Texas A&M Junior
Birthday
08/12/91 (32.6 yrs)
Hometown
North Charleston, SC
High School
Porter-Gaud HS
Team Site Profile
Statistics
Athleticism
8
Size
8
Defense
7
Strength
7
Quickness
7
Leadership
7
Jump Shot
9
NBA Ready
7
Ball Handling
7
Potential
8
Passing
7
Intangibles
8

NBA Comparison: Gordon Hayward

Strengths: Middleton is a late blooming prospect with solid size for a SF at 6’7 210, and he’s still growing into his body…Silky smooth operator on offense, and can score effectively at all 3 levels…Has a sweet jump shot…Soft touch, and is consistent out to about 22 feet and shows raw NBA range…Able to make shots off screens, spotting up or off the dribble…Functional in the triple threat…Likes to operate in the mid-range area, most comfortable from 15-18 feet, and utilizes a nice pull-up game and an interesting blend of runners in his arsenal…Middleton can stick the 3 ball with his feet set, and he has the release speed and form to get his shot off against contests effectively…Plays the game at his own pace, and has a very unique and unorthodox style of play…Very unselfish and won’t go outside of the offense to get his own shots or production very often, which will benefit his eventual transition to the pros…Doesn’t need to dominate the ball at all to make his presence felt on the court…Nice passing skills…Will contribute some on the glass…Appears to be very coachable, and he still has upside remaining as he get stronger and fills out his frame…

Weaknesses: Has had a lot of work to do to come close to regaining the momentum he had before the season as a prospect…Had an ankle injury that nagged him all of his Jr. season was never 100% and comfortable under the new Texas A&M coaching staff… Didn’t really show any signs of improvement in any aspects of his game…Middleton right now needs to work on getting stronger to maximize his athleticism and ability to withstand tough defense…There are times when he can get pushed around on both ends by physical play…Middleton also would be well-served to continue to work on his ball-handling some more, were he’s currently mediocre…He does sporadically make moves with the ball that show his potential, but he’s not consistent with it yet and he’s not a guy who operates all that effectively in pure isolation sets…Doesn’t handle double-teams or extra defensive attention all that well…Can struggle to finish around the rim at times due to a lack of explosiveness and strength…Could stand to get more aggressive and play with more urgency…Middleton is a middle-of-the-road defensive player, and he can struggle with on-ball defense at times…A bit upright in his stance and middling lateral quickness…

Overall: Middleton’s late blooming status and promising Soph. season making him a prospect worth keeping an eye on…His lackluster Jr. season, despite injury, has dropped his stock from a possible lottery selection to a 2nd rounder… He’s a good shooter with a smooth, unselfish floor game and the tools that project well to the next level as a complementary piece…He isn’t the best defender, but as he grows into his body he can be an even better player and prospect, as it looks like he hasn’t peaked physically or athletically yet…Still has upside as a prospect and could be a big value pick for a team

Notes: Measured 6’7.5 (in shoes) 211 lbs, with a 6’10 wingspan at the 2011 Kevin Durant Skills Academy.

Jorrye Nixon 5/29/12

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