NBA Comparison: Norman Powell

Strengths: A top shelf athlete who showcases the power and explosiveness to immediately translate to the next level … Versatile guard who can handle the ball effectively enough to run the offense at the 1 but also move to 2 or 3 with the size and strength to play off the ball … Elite potential as a playmaking guard who could also take over games with his scoring at all three levels … Dramatically improved his three-point shooting towards the end of his freshman season before a leg injury ended it prematurely. He shot 12-25 over his last six full games to show that he has the potential to shoot far better than his 30% season average suggest from behind the arc … Finds ways to score even on bad shooting nights by getting to the line and shooting a high percentage of 80% as a freshman … Attacks the glass and rebounds well for a guard with a high vertical and strength going up … Three-point shooting will further unlock his head fake and allow him to do what he does best, which is attacking the rim with physical finishes and pull up in the mid-range … Opportunistic defender who can explode into passing lanes and take the ball away for easy transition dunks. Was able to capitalize on this with 1.5 steals per game at Arizona State … Handles and speed to attack in transition and get to the rim for flashy dunks and layups … Creates space in isolations with creative ball-handling and retreating defenders who are wary of his speed and first step … Young draft age of 19 which will allow him plenty of time to develop and unlock his exceedingly high potential … Possesses great length with a 6’8 wingspan at 6’4 …

Weaknesses: While his three-point shooting improved towards the end of his season, there are still concerns about his ability to attack on the perimeter consistently … Without a consistent perimeter threat, teams could force him to take deep jumpers and negate his more potent strengths of driving to the basketball and finishing at the rim … His three-point shot has a bit of a slow, awkward release that goes from his left hip to the top of his release, but this is only a minor concern that could have little to no impact … Puts his head down quite often in transition as he attacks the basket causing him to miss teammates finding spots on the perimeter or running to the rim alongside him … The inability to find open teammates in transition is noticeable on the stat sheet as well with only 1.4 APG vs 1.7 TO during his freshman season … Lack of considerable impact in a disappointing season for the Sun Devils is concerning as a player of his caliber should have done more to lift his team around him to a better record …

Notes: Measured: 6’3.25” barefoot, 6’4.5” in shoes,  8’5.0” standing reach, 214.8 lbs, 6’9.25” wingspan at the 2021 NBA Draft Combine … Christopher measured 6’3 barefoot, 6’4.25 in shoes, 203 lbs, with a 6’8 wingspan, and a 8’3.5 standing reach in mid 2018 … 14.3 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 1.4 AST, 1.5 STL, and 1.7 TO in his only season at Arizona State … Godson of former NBA star Tayshaun Prince … Older brother played for Arizona State but is now transferring … #11 recruit in ESPN 100 …

Derek Bast 4/28/21

Strengths: 6’4.5 scoring guard … Good length with a 6’9 wingspan … Good scoring ability and naturally reads the game as a scorer. Scores in bunches and puts up points when his team needs it. Scores well in transition and in the half-court. Creates well and only needs a little bit of space to get his shot off. Slashes and gets to the rim off the dribble. Sells crossover, changes directions well with the ball at full speed and gets into the paint at a good rate. Quick step with the ball … Averaged 19.9 points per game over the Nike EYBL in 2018 and 21.4 points per game in 2019 … Good athlete and body control. Attacks the rim and finishes with aggression. Strong body and finishes well through contact. Posts up smaller guards and shows a fade away when given the size mismatch … Draws fouls at a high rate. Shot 6.6 free throws per game over the Nike EYBL in 2018 and 7.5 free throws per game in 2019 … Although not known as a playmaker, he makes nice lead passes to cutters and shows solid court vision at times. Averaged 5.2 assists per game over the Nike EYBL in 2019 … Good tools defensively and puts good pressure on the ball handler when committed. High steal count. Averaged 1.6 steals per game over the Nike EYBL in 2018 and 1.2 steals per game in 2019 … Highly confident and good competitor …

Weaknesses: Can improve as a jump shooter, with his identity primarily as a scorer, it will be important to round out his ability. Stance is a bit staggered on jumper. Sometimes he makes hitting difficult shots look easy while other times he misses open knock down opportunities. Shot 22.4% 3PT% over the Nike EYBL in 2019 … Can utilize floater more … Settles for contested shots at times. Forces shots and attacks without a plan on occasions. High-volume shooter and will need to improve shot selection moving forward. Took 15.1 shots per game at 44% FG% over the Nike EYBL in 2018 and 17.1 shots per game at 44% FG% in 2019 … Can move more when playing off the ball … Finding that balance of when to score vs when to facilitate may take some time. Can have tunnel vision as a scorer and can work on limiting turnovers. Tries to make passes in traffic and lobs that get intercepted, causing live ball turnovers. Averaged 2.8 turnovers per game over the Nike EYBL in 2018 and an 8th most 3.8 turnovers per game in 2019 …

Notes: Christopher measured 6’3 barefoot, 6’4.25 in shoes, 203 lbs, with a 6’8 wingspan, and a 8’3.5 standing reach in mid 2018 …

Outlook: 2019 All-EYBL: Second Team … Earned MVP of the 2018 Underclassman All-American Game with 22 points …

Evan Tomes 12/12/19