NBA Comparison: Alexey Shved

Strengths: A fluid athlete with a great feel for the game … Left hander who shows excellent shooting ability … Has the ability to create shots for himself … Shows solid versatility … Has an excellent body with athleticism and fluidity … Solid ball handling and passing ability … A strong defender with the athleticism to block shots as well as the wherewithal to draw charges … Shows the ability to rise to the occasion and play well in big games …

Weaknesses: Needs to get stronger physically … Defense needs a lot of attention and improvement ... Coming from Russia makes it tough for him to adapt to the NBA and in particular American culture, or other parts of Europe … Needs to work on his mid-range game and become less predictable offesnively ... Too enamored with the 3 point shot. Instead of looking for other ways to score, he continues to jack 3 pointers even when he's not feeling it ... Needs to become a more consistent outside shooter (shot just 11-45 from 3 in 24% the U18 championships) ...

Aran Smith 7/1/10