NBA Comparison: Andrew Goudelock

Strengths: Hamilton is a natural scorer from the lead guard spot…Hung up nearly 25 ppg as a Sr., with a scorching 42% being from 3-point range…Was a tough assignment in the Summit League with ability to score from all 3 areas offensively…Plays with a fairly low center of gravity and was adept at keeping defenders in his hip as he slashed to the rim with his solid frame…Pretty aggressive looking for his shot…Does a very good job of keeping his dribble alive and making counter moves if his initial path is cut off…Really crafty about getting his shot off, and has a few step-back moves he likes to utilize to get himself space to make jumpers…Puts pressure on the defense to stop him when he has the ball…Can hit NBA range shots, but is most comfortable around 18-20 ft…Can hit shots off the dribble effectively from as far as 24 ft…Also able to make shots off screens reasonably well…Likes to play out of the pick and roll, and is pretty effective knowing when to look for his shot and when to kick out because of weakside rotation…Got 5 apg last season…Has a shifty off the dribble game and can set up defenders to get slashing lanes with his head and shoulder fakes…Got to the foul line quite a bit with his slashing mentality and makes few mistakes when at the line (87% on 8 FT attempts a night as a Sr.)…Showed quick hands and picked up 2 spg as a Sr…Pretty tough and competitive, doesn’t back down from big moments

Weaknesses: As a 6’1 guard, Hamilton really doesn’t show NBA level lead guard skills…Is a good scorer, but he rarely sees the floor very well or makes teammates better…Was highly ball-dominant for Oakland and a high usage player, but wont be rode nearly as much as he was in college against NBA competition…A volume scorer, and will have to tone down his shot selection quite a bit…With his high usage, was a high turnover rate (3.7 topg)…Has a habit of dribbling with his head down, and will miss open teammates when attacking at times…Doesn’t possess high-quality athleticism, which is needed for most combo guards in the NBA…Even against lower level competition, Hamilton had a pretty hard time getting clean slashes to the lane usually relying on his strength and craftiness to best finish around the rim…Not especially quick or fast…Wasn’t a particularly efficient finisher from 2-point range last year (just under 47%), which is concerning considering his level of competition…Although he shot a high percentage from deep as a Sr., there are going to be questions about whether he can be a pure shooter in the NBA since that was his only season shooting over 40% from downtown…A bit of a streak shooter, and will try and shoot himself out of slumps…Doesn’t project to be a high quality defensive player, with his lateral quickness and physical limitations…Level of competition is not to be ignored, as he never faced NBA caliber athletes on a consistent basis

Overall: Hamilton’s natural ability to put the ball in the basket is going to be his niche…He’s an aggressive scorer with limited physical and athletic ability, and his level of competition is also a bit concerning…He will get looks from NBA teams, but he’s likely to be undrafted…Definitely has the look and game of a future overseas player if the NBA doesn’t work out

Jorrye Nixon 6/18/12