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44 - William Buford

6-5, 215 Shooting Guard
Ohio St. Senior
Birthday
01/01/89 (35.2 yrs)
Hometown
Toledo, OH
High School
Libbey
Team Site Profile
Statistics
Athleticism
7
Size
7
Defense
8
Strength
6
Quickness
8
Leadership
7
Jump Shot
9
NBA Ready
8
Ball Handling
7
Potential
7
Passing
7
Intangibles
7

NBA Comparison:

Strengths: Buford is a nicely sized 6’5 SG who is coming off a very nice college career for Ohio State…Buford looks like a standard NBA SG physically, having both respectable strength and length (6’9 wingspan)…Buford is also a solid athlete, who shows decent explosiveness and leaping skills as well as speed and quickness…Offensively, Buford makes hay with his jump shot…Is a very effective mid-range shooter, where his pull-up elbow shot is his favorite move to utilize…He has NBA range on his shot and a very nice stroke with his jumper…Shooting fundamentals are very consistent and prototypical, good form, release speed and nice elevation…Was a pretty good shooter throughout his career, being a threat to make shots off screens and with his feet set from 3…Very consistent spot-up shooter when left open…Generally is an unselfish player, and isn’t a bad passer…Plays a very smooth, controlled game and rarely ever appears to be in a rush to make things happen…Has no problems playing within the offense, and doesn’t need to dominate the ball to be effective…Doesn’t look bad playing in transition, being a threat to trail for jumpers or make basic finishes at the rim in the open floor…Generally shows a high IQ, doesn’t really makes a lot of mistakes and keeps things basic…A willing defender…Pretty solid rebounder for a wing…Good FT shooter…A winner and durable player who was a 4-year starter for some very good Ohio State teams

Weaknesses: Buford doesn’t have any truly elite characteristics…His best attribute is his jump shot, but he has gone through shooting slumps and saw his shooting percentages drop across the board as a Sr. after being a 44% shooter from deep as a Jr…Buford’s being weakness right now is his ball-handling skills…He rarely ever makes it to the rim in half-court situations…He’s a pretty average athlete by NBA standards, and it really is concerning if you consider that the ball slows him down even more when he looks to operate off the dribble…Not much of a factor as an isolation player…Struggles against more athletic matchups offensively, who can crowd him without worrying about him beating them off the dribble often…Not the best finisher around the rim when amongst the trees…Although adequate as a defender, he doesn’t stand out and can have some trouble against quicker slashers…Kind of conservative, not really the type who will do extra things, which is good at times but also makes him pretty predictable…Gets to the foul line at a below average level, further showing his lack of comfort attacking off the dribble

Overall: Buford shows some decent skills, but he also has limitations…His jump shot is his bread and butter and he uses it to open up his entire offensive game…He is able to get shots without handling the ball much and he is really experienced…His lack of ball-handling will limit him though, as will his just OK physical tools and athleticism…He will probably develop into a serviceable defender, but quick guards give him trouble…He has the shot teams will like, but a team will have to deal with his weak points if they like him…Draft range appears to be in the mid-late 2nd round …

Jorrye Nixon 6/18/12

Strengths: Athletic 2-guard with decent size and good length … Extremely agile and explosive. Athletically he appears to be a cut above and just beginning to tap into his upside … Buford has a pretty jumpshot with excellent form and developing range. Gets good lift and has a high release point, that along with a quick release and long arms make him an efficient shooter … He has gained a lot of confidence in his shot … He is most effective when he can create a rhythm by shooting off of one dribble but is also adept catching and shooting … He gathers and sets quickly and can shoot without much space, effectively … Shows a preference to go left and shoot but is effective pulling up going in either direction … Understands the offensive side of the game well, coming off screens and shooting off curls … Does a good job of setting defenders up for screens and creating shots for himself on the perimeter and shoots with a quality shot selection … Effective at midrange pull ups and runners … Although he’s not a great passer, he’s also not a bad passer and rarely forces things or makes bad decisions with the ball … Defensively he shows a lot of potential as well. His long arms and quick feet allow him to stay in front of defenders and be disruptive. He shows solid fundamentals and a willingness to work at it which should allow him to become a strong defender as his body matures …

Weaknesses: Buford should learn to better utilize his athletic gifts by becoming a better ball handler … Needs to become better at attacking the rim off the bounce … His one on one skills are very average at this point, he should become better at creating offense for himself. But playing alongside a great facilitator like Evan Turner makes that less essential within the team framework … Gets out of control sometimes when going to the basket, he needs to become better at finishing, as his shot on the move isn’t as effective … This is an aspect of his game that clearly can be improved with familiarity/experience and confidence … Not a tremendous passer. Needs to develop his vision and ability to find open teammates … His outside shot is good but he can definitely extend his consistency shooting from 3 point range (36% as a freshman) … Could stand to add some muscle which would allow him to finish stronger at the rim …

-Aran Smith 8/28/09

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2 Comments

  1. Solid rotation player 8-10 in

    Solid rotation player 8-10 in the NBA. Reminds me of Jimmy Butler more than anything.