DiamondStone.gif

33 - Diamond Stone

6-10, 255 Center
Maryland Freshman
Birthday
02/10/97 (27.1 yrs)
Hometown
Milwaukee, WI
High School
Whitefish Bay Dominican
Team Site Profile
Statistics
Athleticism
6
Size
9
Defense
7
Strength
9
Quickness
7
Leadership
6
Jump Shot
8
NBA Ready
8
Rebounding
7
Potential
7
Post Skills
8
Intangibles
7

NBA Comparison: Kendrick Perkins/Nikola Jokic

Strengths: Smooth freshman big with nice combination of size, strength and skill … Very sure-handed player, catches almost every pass thrown his way … Can snatch rebounds away from opponents’ in traffic … Has a very long reach (7’3.5" wingspan) … Well put together physically at 6’11" and 255 lbs … Solid athlete with a quick second jump … Runs the floor well for a big man … Possesses good footwork in the post … His drop step is a very capable go-to move at the next level … Already developed a good range of interior offense … Understands how to finish below the rim well … Has a great blend of strength and agility to his game … Will often take advantage of a mismatch by playing "Bully Ball" against smaller defenders … Good free throw shooter shooting at an 80 percent clip … Has shown that he is also a threat in pick and pop plays … Nice form on his shooting mechanics could possibly extend range to NBA three with practice… Does a good job of not giving ground to his man as a post defender … His length can cause opposing players to alter their shots at the rim … Has the tools to become an effective defender against perimeter players in pick and roll defense … When fully locked in has a junkyard dog type quality and ferocity to his play … Confident player who believes in his abilities …

Weaknesses: Despite being very good at a young age, his upside is limited to a degree by his lack of great athletic ability … Attitude is at best "immature" … Can often be caught drifting or sleepwalking through numerous possessions … Developed a bad reputation for his practice habits early in his college career … Too often his motor runs hot and cold … If the offense isn’t running through him, do not expect him to give great effort or make much of an impact … Will lose focus and let smaller defenders get him out of position … Despite possessing great size and length he is no better than average as a rebounder … Most of his rebounds come off of his own misses … On the defensive glass he doesn’t box out as much as he should, often leading to him losing rebounds to an opponent … Not an elite level athlete. His length and strength makes up for it but he doesn’t run fast or explode off the floor particularly well … Needs to work on finishing through contact … Has trouble scoring against longer defenders … Defenders that match his strength are able to keep him out of the paint … Improvement as a screener is necessary if he is to be successful at the next level … Should not be viewed as a rim protector … Lacks maturity and is prone to losing his cool as he did in the game against Wisconsin, slamming an opponents head against the floor, and drawing a one game suspension …

Notes: Measured 6’10 (in shoes) 253 lbs, with a 7’2 wingspan at the 2012 LeBron James Skills Academy … Measured 6’10 (with shoes) 240 lbs with a 7’2 wingspan at the 2013 LeBron James Skills Academy … 2015 McDonald’s All-American selection … A consensus top 10 recruit in the 2015 class … Won four straight state titles in high school … Named Wisconsin Associated Press Player of the Year in 2015 … Member of the 2014 USA U-17 World Championship team and named to All-Tournament Team …

Overall: Stone is a hybrid sort of big. He possesses the size and physical stature of elite centers of the past, but has the necessary shooting touch and agility to make him a commodity in the modern NBA … Stone is far from a finished product and the thought of his potential will be his biggest positive for the team that drafts him … Could stand to slim down just a shade more, it could help him become a better athlete … Stone will need to find a way to keep his head in the game at all times if he wants to have a long and productive NBA career …

Brandon Jefferson 2/17/16

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