NBA Comparison: Brandon Bass/Loy Vaught

Strengths: Chiseled power forward with an NBA frame, burly shoulders and relatively untapped physical potential ... High-level athlete with 7'1 wingspan and tremendous vertical lift ... His game is currently marked by POWER and explosive finishing ability ... Outright intimidating presence. Thunderous and copious dunker ... Relentless rebounder with constant motor, believes every miss is his property (7.3 RPG, 1 every 3.5 minutes) ... Snatches boards at their apex, often above rim level ... Possesses the tools and timing to be a dynamic shot blocker (1.7 BPG) ... Good agility for a 245 pounder, runs the court with a high motor and creates a numbers advantage in transition ... Displays the lateral quickness to defend in space ... Has the hands to corral passes amidst congestion, and is a frequent target of alley-oops ... Young is showing improved passing skills as a sophomore, averaging nearly 2 assists per game ... When the defense collapses, he is capable of finding the open man ... A late bloomer, he is still improving. Rare combination of length/muscle + athleticism/motor ...

Weaknesses: Just how far Young can take his athletic prowess remains to be seen ... He's very much a "blank slate" in the basketball sense ... His offensive arsenal remains in the extremely raw stage of development ... While he shows glimpses of footwork in the post, he doesn't yet possess the comfort level to execute a move without thinking ... He needs to be setup in a position to finish, or take matters into his own hands on the offensive glass ... All of his points come directly around the bucket ... Asked to play the 5 spot for Florida, he's not getting a thorough opportunity to cultivate his perimeter skills ... Ability to knock down an open jump shot (59% FT) and ballhandling are currently missing ingredients ... He may never be much of an offensive player as his touch is below average ... Overall, he's passive offensively (7.6 FG ATT) unless he's dunking, seemingly unsure what his game/role is ... Defensively he plays with almost too much energy, often finding himself out of position and taking unnecessary risks e.g. leaving his man under the basket to step out on a non-threat penetrator. Finding a middle ground, under control tempo would suit him well ... Young is obviously no stranger to the weight room as he has completely ripped his body, but he appears to have lost some flexibility and his movements appear stiff while running and making moves with the ball ... Listed at 6'9 but appears to be an inch or so shorter ...

Adam Ganeles 12/5/11

July 30, 2012