malik-newman-hd.jpg

14 - Malik Newman

6-4, 190 Shooting Guard
Kansas Sophomore
Birthday
02/21/97 (27.1 yrs)
Hometown
Jackson, MS
High School
Callaway
Team Site Profile
Statistics
Athleticism
8
Size
6
Defense
7
Strength
7
Quickness
8
Leadership
7
Jump Shot
8
NBA Ready
8
Ball Handling
8
Potential
7
Passing
7
Intangibles
8
89 Overall:

NBA Comparison: Eddie House

Strengths: A sharp shooting combo guard with great end to end speed, Malik Newman made the most of his one season at Kansas by catching fire late in the season and leading the Jayhawks to the Final 4 … Showing great shooting touch, Newman sported very efficient shooting percentages from the floor … Sporting clips of 46% FG, 41% from three, and 86% from the stripe … All these clips are drastic increases from his freshman season at Mississippi State where his suspect shot selection tanked his shooting numbers … As a redshirt sophomore, Malik showed the NBA translatable skill of being a deadly spot up shooter and floor spacer for the Jayhawks … He also acted as a secondary ball handler, and that he could be capable in pick and roll situations despite not being a natural point guard … One of his major strengths is his ability to man the defensive glass and push the tempo … His 5 rebounds per game (4.5 defensive) was an extremely high number for a 6’3” player … This strength paired well with his ability as a straight line driver, allowed him to be a major threat in transition … In today’s wide open NBA landscape, a guard who’s capable of hitting the glass and pushing the tempo in transition is a valuable thing in which to excel … As mentioned earlier, Newman is only 6’3” but he was able to finish around the rim at 60% (according to hoop-math.com) which is a good number for a player of his size and athletic profile … Athletically he’s very quick and has good end to end speed, while not overly athletic, he’s pretty well muscled and is in very good shape from a conditioning standpoint (averaged 37.8 mpg in the NCAA tournament, and always had great energy) … He’s improved a lot as a defender, and should be capable of guarding NBA point guards … Malik Newman showed great maturity at Kansas, and proved he was capable of meshing with a team with bona fide standout and still find a way excel at what he does best …   

Weaknesses:  Malik is not a point guard, and lacks the size to guard NBA two guards … His 6’5.5” wingspan is solid for a 6’3” player, but not enough to make think he could handle any position other than an NBA point, defensively … From a leaping standard he’s solid, but not elite … Not an above the rim player, NBA rim protectors could give him issues … He has seen the likes of Mo Bamba, Wendel Carter Jr, and Sagaba Konate and fared well, but seeing elite rim protectors night in and night out could diminish some of his effectiveness as a driver … While he’s improved his shot selection mightily, he can still fall back into bad habits and force contested mid-range jumpers when trying to find rhythm … Can get a little reckless in transition at times, and go head on into 1-3 situations … He’ll need to temper this part of his game if he hopes to maximize his ability to push the ball on the break …

Overall: Overall, Malik Newman is an NBA quality three point shooter with the ability to excel in transition … He’s very much a combo guard, and could have value providing spacing and scoring for an NBA team … While his size doesn’t give him the two position defensive versatility you’d hope for, he still is plenty big to match up against the vast majority of NBA points … He’s shown the ability to shine in big moments, and improved his game drastically after transferring to Kansas … While not the highest upside player, Newman definitely has the ability to carve out a niche as an offense first bench option who could really thrive in a fast paced system …

Notes:  Big 12 Tournament MVP (2018), Midwest Regional MVP (2018), Big 12 Newcomer of the Year (2018), Son of former Mississippi State player Horatio Webster … Measured 6’3 (in shoes) 174 lbs, with a 6’5 wingspan at the 2013 Nike Guard Skills Academy … Measured 6’4 (in shoes) 180 lbs, with a 6’5.5 wingspan at the 2014 LeBron James Skills Academy …

David Ray 4/5/18

Strengths: 6’3 scoring guard with great speed and scoring instincts … Intense competitior … Great work ethic. Student of the game … Best scorer in the 2015 high school class, and one fo the top shooters … Gets great elevation on jump shot. Has range out to NBA 3 … Can create for himself on offense with an advanced scoring arsenal for such a young player, step backs, pull up jumpers, floaters, etc … Great midrange skills … Polished in the ISO game and creating off the dribble … Scores in bunches … Knows how to play in transition and in the half court … Picks his spots well in where he wants to score from … Does a great job seeing the court, avoiding traps and double teams … Plays with patience … Always squared up to the basket and ready to score … Can get to the rim and challenge a bigger defender at the rim. Great body control and footwork … Great basketball IQ and feel for the game … Very tough mentally … Active and willing defender … Good rebounder for a guard … Quick first step. Can stop on a dime.

Weaknesses: Most of Newman’s weaknesses are concerns about him transitioning from a ball dominant scoring guard to a point/combo guard … If he can make the transition into a PG, he has great size, but doesn’t have ideal size for a shooting guard at 6-4 with a 6-5 wingspan … He has no problem creating for himself but needs to work on creating for others and bringing the best out of teammates … Solid athlete but not elite …

Outlook: Will go to play for Ben Howland at Mississippi State … Newman will provide Mississippi State with a sharp shooter who can score in a variety of ways. He led Callaway to four straight high school state championships. Callaway didn’t duck any opponents, playing a loaded schedule for Newman’s senior year. Despite being face guarded and double teamed, Newman was unstoppable as a scorer. With multiple 30 point performances, never a quiet outing, hitting difficult shot after difficult shot, rarely getting easy baskets. His love for the game and work ethic is well documented separates him from other talented guards in his class.

Notes: Son of former Mississippi State player Horatio Webster … Measured 6’3 (in shoes) 174 lbs, with a 6’5 wingspan at the 2013 Nike Guard Skills Academy … Measured 6’4 (in shoes) 180 lbs, with a 6’5.5 wingspan at the 2014 LeBron James Skills Academy …

Evan Tomes 6/20/15

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