NBA Comparison: Eric Paschell

Strengths: A wide-bodied 6’7 235 lb PF with good length (7’ wingspan at the 2021 Combine) and physical strength, and he knows how to use his frame well to seal off players … Had a very productive college career on both ends of the court, and a big reason why is because he’s a cerebral player with excellent anticipation skills and the floor awareness that allows him to establish positioning and beat players to their spots, a key for front court guys who may lack great height … Unselfish player with good floor vision; made defenders pay numerous times with good kick out passes to open teammates when the defense collapsed on him in the post … Plays with a high motor and a solid base; is a tough player who will seek out contact … Got to the foul line at a good rate the past 2 seasons and is solid for his position when there (about 75% FT on over 6 FT/A per game the past 2 seasons) … Also showed improved conditioning as a Jr., playing nearly 5 more mpg than the previous season and visibly adding more mobility and quickness after slimming down … Shedding weight had a direct correlation to his increased shot-blocking production (from 1 BPG his 1st 2 seasons to over 2.5 BPG this past season), as he factored much more swatting shots in help side defense and on the move this year than just walling up at the point of attack like previous seasons … Likes to use right hand floaters and jump hooks from the 10 ft area … Often played as a C by necessity at Ohio State throughout his career, and could potentially steal minutes in a small lineup at that spot in the NBA … Made nice strides in his spot-up & pick-and-pop perimeter shooting over his career after starting as mostly a back-to-basket low post player (went from below 20% as a Fr. to an my above average 37% on nearly 4 attempts a game from deep as a Jr.), which has been a welcoming sight for NBA teams … Solid rebounder in his area (7.9 RPG as a Jr.) … An overachiever type who gets the most out of himself; his ability to improve and expand his game to better suit himself for an NBA role each year speaks to a player who not just works hard, but smart …

Weaknesses: Has improved his athleticism and physical profile, but Liddell still lacks great explosiveness and though his length allows him to play bigger than he is, he is still undersized for NBA standards as a PF/C combo at 6’7 … Not a particularly quick or sudden player, and it shows most when he looks to create off the bounce when facing the basket, where he poses minimal threat to break down NBA-level frontcourt players…Has to use his body to create driving lane spacing to the rim due to a below average 1st step, which could potentially make him susceptible to picking up offensive fouls from more savvy pro defenders … Doesn’t get much lift on any of shots, which is particularly concerning on the low post amongst the trees where he tends to drift and fade away to get shots above contests … Wont play above the rim much and had a number of his shots in the paint altered/blocked at the college level when he couldn’t create daylight to score (very mediocre 49% FG, never shot above 50% FG in his 3 college seasons) … At times is foul prone and falls for pump fakes, though he did improve on that this year compared to the past (2.5 fouls a game as a Jr compared to 3 a game as a Soph) … His shooting footwork when he isn’t wide open from the perimeter is inconsistent also, doesn’t always handle contests well and at times wildly kicks his feet and elbows out in his followthrough … Pretty right-hand dominant, loses effectiveness when he has to improvise and use his off hand …

Overall: Liddell is coming off a 1st Team All-Big 10 season as a Jr, where he led Ohio State in scoring with just over 19 ppg and anchored their pretty tough defense … He has always been a sturdy-bodied post player, but his steadily improving skill level has pushed his NBA Draft stock as high as it’s been in his career … He showed the ability to post and score, step out and hit from the perimeter as well as being a facilitating valve for the Buckeyes offense when defenses became to try and collapse on him to get the ball out of his hands…His shot blocking and all around defensive effort also stood out … He isn’t a great athlete and will always be more of an undersized frontcourt player; and he still needs to refine and polish his scoring arsenal at all 3 levels a bit more from a fundamental standpoint, but it’s hard to not like the motor … It’s worth noting that his lack of height is alleviated somewhat by the floor spacing and smaller lineups NBA teams frequently use too, and isnt as much of a glaring weakness at it had been before…Still, he projects favorably to being a frontcourt role player and could be a factor in a teams rotation in the mold of Marcus Morris type if he lands in the right situation…He’s projected as a late 1st round pick and has boosted his stock and improved on the main areas that the draft advisory spoke to him about polishing up in his NBA Combine debut after his Soph. season last summer

Notes: Measured 6’5.5” barefoot, 6’7.0” in shoes 8’10.0” standing reach, 242.8 lbs, and 6’11.75” wingspan at the 2021 NBA Draft Combine …

Jorrye Nixon 4/24/22

Notes: Measured: 6’5.5” barefoot, 6’7.0” in shoes, 8’7.5” standing reach, 243.0 lbs, 6’11.75” wingspan at the 2022 NBA Draft Combine …