[JNixonParticipant]

 48: Maalik Wayns, 6’2 200, PG/SG, Villanova, Jr.

A former McDonalds All-American who was a valuable 3 year player for Villanova in the Big East, combo guard Wayns skipped his Sr. season to declare for the draft. A tough guard from Philly, Wayns led Villanova in scoring (17 ppg) and assists (4.6 apg) last year, and was an All Big East 2^nd Team performer as a Jr. His Villanova squad struggled this past season to a 13-19 record (5-13 in conference) and really underachieved compared to preseason expectations. Physically, Wayns is not great, but he does have some tools. He’s of average height at 6’2 and he has a very strong 200 lb build. Looks like a running back. Does have a short wingspan for his height at 6’2 though. Athletically, Wayns is a very fast straight line runner and does have a quick 1^st step and explosive acceleration. He’s not a very good leaper though, and he is a little stiff laterally at times.

On offense, Wayns likes to function as a scoring guard. His biggest strength is his ability to slash and get to the rim. He shows a great 1^st step and some wiggle off the dribble. Needs the ball to be effective. Has a low center of gravity with the ball and is able to use his body strength to keep defenders on his hip on the way to the hoop. Is an aggressive slasher, but does get into trouble at times. Got a lot of charges against him because too often he gets out of control on his drives. Showed some signs of being able to uses floaters when in the paint, but still is very likely to drive to the rim as opposed to picking his spots and taking a jumper. Likes to play in the pick and roll, and mostly looks for his own shots when he does. Struggles to finish amongst the trees due to middling explosiveness and a lack of length, and also his wild style of play. As a shooter, Wayns is below average. He has developed more confidence in his shot, but his shot selection is usually not good enough for him to be efficient. Takes a lot of jumpers with a hand in his face. Likes to shoot off the dribble, but isn’t consistent at all when he does. Adequate ability to make shots with his feet set, but not anything special. Shot over 5 3’s a night as a Jr., and was only a 31% shooter. Likes to shoot off the dribble. Not a pure distributor despite averaging 4.6 apg, and struggles to make his teammates better. OK ability to find the open man, especially in the drive and dish. Likes to look for his own shots in pick and roll most times. Can be a bit too turnover prone because of the speed he plays at, and the fact that he doesn’t pick his spots that well. Is at his best as a player in transition, is a blur with a head of steam. Can change directions and use his low center of gravity to weave through the defense and make plays. Draws fouls due to his aggressive mentality as a slasher, and makes no mistakes when he’s at the line.

Defensively, Wayns is physical and plays with urgency. He lacks the size to be an elite defender, but he has the toughness, footwork and strength to be a real tough matchup when he’s on the ball. Wont get you many steals. Closes out on shooters. Able to deny penetration well due to his strength and footwork. Kind of gets hung up on screens at times. Will struggle against taller guards with quickness, but he has the effort and tools to be a good on-ball defender.

Overall, Wayns is a scoring guard who plays with aggression, and a team might think he can be a capable facilitator. He struggles with playing at more than 1 speed, and it hurts his efficiency. I think he can play in the NBA if he changes that, and just continues to improve his subpar jump shot. He also will need to prove to be more of a PG. But his speed, aggression, and defense are all good starting points.

47: Jared Cunningham, 6’4 195, SG, Oregon State, Jr.

A player who slid firmly on the radar after a few monster games early in the season, we have former Oregon State guard Jared Cunningham. He has had some highlight worthy finishes around the rim, and has steadily improved his skill level in his 3 years in the Pac-12. Was a 1^st Team All-Pac 12 performer as a Jr., and a 2^nd team performer as a Soph. Made the Pac 12 All-Defensive squad his last 2 years as well. Physically, Cunningham has some nice tools. He has adequate height for a SG at 6’4, and he shows good length and and a frame that is developing. He’s pretty thin, but he is well-defined and can definitely add more lbs. Athletically, Cunningham is really good. He is an impressive leaper, and he’s also got good quickness, speed and really nice fluidity and explosiveness.

Offensively, he shows the ability to do a good amount of things but he is still gaining polish. As a shooter, he is still developing but he does have the groundwork to be a threat in time. He shows good form and touch, and is a decent option with his feet set, but he likes to shoot off the bounce, and isn’t efficient when doing so. Struggles with shot selection at times, and settles a bit more than you’d like to see for somebody with his quickness. Had to shoot a lot because his team lacked talent. Needs to develop a better mid-range game. Does move well without the ball. As a slasher, Cunningham has potential. He possesses a quick 1^st step and solid handle, and is a really smooth athlete in the lane. Can play above the rim, and will slam with authority if you aren’t careful. A capable finisher around the hoop, and shows good touch and the ability to make crafty lay-ins. Able to hang in the air and has a real smooth type of explosive leaping skills. Will need more strength for this to translate effectively in the NBA though. Will shy away from contact at times, and try and get too cute in traffic at times. Not bad as a passer, but is an inconsistent decision maker. Sometimes make bonehead passes when slashing to the rim, but he is unselfish. Played some PG, and has the potential for that to carry over with some added basketball IQ. Got to the foul line a good bit, and is an OK shooter when he gets there. Loves to play in transition and is excellent in these instances. Is pretty fast in the open floor, and finishes real well with a head of steam. Could be a target for backdoors and alleyoops with his athletic ability. Will sneak around box outs and get a putback every once in a while if the D isn’t careful. Will need time to round out his skill set, but he has potential in every area of his offense.

Defensively, Cunningham has a lot of promise and was a great defender for Oregon State. He is an exceptional ball thief, and shows really quick hands and strong anticipation skills. He really plays the passing lanes well and gets transition chances off of it. Can struggle with defending guys who run through screens to score, due to him taking too long to get through. Also needs more discipline on the ball at times, because he can be caught falling asleep. Does show some ability to play stifling defense on drives at times, using his length to contest and quickness to stick to his matchup.

Cunningham’s got some nice potential. He really should polish his game a bit more, but there is potential. He is a very good athlete, he is unselfish, has progressed each year as a jump shooter, and he has promise as a slasher. He’s more of a long term prospect than he is ready to contribute to an NBA squad though. Oregon State struggled while he was there, and the Pac 12 hasn’t been a strong league in about 3 years. Still, some team is gonna like his upside and pick him more than likely. There is talk about him possibly going at the end of the 1^st round.

[Lotto StudParticipant]

 Who the f*ck would be ignorant enough to give Jorrye a negative on this valuable information!

Anyways I like Wayns a lot he reminds me so much of former Nova PG Kyle Lowry.

[RUDEBOY_Participant]

Alot of people compare him to Lowry,becuz of their similar style of play and built..But Lowry isnt the shooter that Wayns is…..Wayns nor Lowry have great court vision or are great playmakers..But they have good instincts and both are good passers… Lowry’s breakout season will help ease doubters who have questions about Wayns ability to play in the league..Wayns has a nice mid-range game,he can shoot off the dribble and in catch & shoot situations..After he announced he was going pro,i read online that some writers said he wouldnt get drafted at all…But i wouldnt surprise me at all if he gets selected by The Thunder or Pacers with their late 1st round pick…And i dont see him getting pass Philly with 1 of their two 2nd round picks….

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