NBA Comparison: Antonio McDyess

Strengths: Long athletic forward who possesses great length with a 7'2 wingspan ... Extremely athletic and explosive ... Has the ability to knock down consistent shots out to 15 feet ... Possesses a good face-up game and a real ability to beat his defender off the dribble with his quickness ... Finishes explosively around the basket with powerful dunks ... Plays with a chip on his shoulder ... No doubt that with his athleticism and steady progression he could lead the country in rebounding and blocked shots.

Weaknesses: Lacks great polish in the paint offensively and a real go-to post move. He isn't necessarily a threat on the block to isolate with ... Hasn't shown he's capable of scoring with his back to the basket and needs to develop better footwork. ... Average free throw shooter ... Defensively, he rarely defends the post in man to man situations given the fact that his high school converted to the 2-3 zone to prepare him for life as an Orangemen ... Questionable motor and displays poor body language at times, has a tendency to appear dis-interested ...

Notes: Has performed well at the Amare Stoudemire Skills Academy for the past two seasons and Stoudemire is a player who Rakeem's athletic ability has been compared to. ... Christmas can be an impact player on defense at Syracuse but will need to develop a better motor in order to succeed in the Big East ...

Chris Clayton 1/24/11

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