NBA Comparison: Channing Frye/Craig Brackins
Strengths: An offensively gifted power forward with ideal size for his position … Stands about 6’10" in shoes with a long wingspan … Has good overall strength, which he uses often in post-up situations … Has a very versatile low-post game … Exceptional footwork with fast and efficient pivot moves … Looks great on either side of the hoop and can finish after turning over either shoulder … Has a developing hook shot that shows a lot of promise … Soft hands and a knack for establishing position makes him an easy target for post-entry passes … Uses a lot of fakes under the rim … Makes the defense commit and then takes advantage … Doesn’t waste any time making his move after catching the ball … Keeps the ball high and away from roaming defenders … Tough to knock off balance … Has a nice 10-15 foot turnaround jump shot … Can also score facing up … Displays a good form on his jumper, displaying a very high release … Great catch and shoot player from either shoulder or the baseline … Looks comfortable shooting out to the college three point line … Good ball-handler, but prefers only one or two dribbles to get his spot on the block or pull up for a perimeter jumper … Unselfish player that can find open teammates when double-teamed… Despite not being much of an athlete, is a good finisher in transition … Showing a lot of improvement on the defensive side of the court … Contests shots well and doesn’t give up when his opponent gets a step on him …
Weaknesses: Not a great athlete … Leaping ability is below average … Has quick feet around the rim, but won’t win many foot-races in the NBA … Poor lateral movement limits his defensive potential … Solid shot blocker, but won’t be very intimidating at the next level … Conditioning has been an issue for him throughout his college career (measured a 15.5% body fat at the 2011 NBA Draft Combine) … Stands to gain a lot in terms of athleticism by improving conditioning, which begs the question: why hasn’t he improved it already? … Toughness has been questioned … A bit turnover prone when trying to make ambitious passes … Questionable motor that can probably be attributed to his conditioning …
Overall: Thompkins has the potential to be a good scoring threat in the NBA … He has a great inside/outside game that a lot of teams could find appealing in a bench scorer, but 82 games is a long season and Thompkins could have problems getting and staying in shape … Even with his flaws he’s got the talent to contribute, and a team in the late 1st to early 2nd round will be willing to pick him up…
Tyler Ingle 6/12/11
Strengths: A graceful 6-foot-10 bigman with a polished offensive game and feathery touch … One of those players that wows you with skill level instead of athleticism … Can face the basket and knock down shots as well as do work on the block … Highly effective in the half court but also excels in transition … Smooth footwork in the post and strong all around feel for the game … High basketball IQ … Great understanding of post positioning and use of box out … Also does a good job of freeing himself from his man off the ball for passes … Wide base allows him to post up opponents and create space inside … Textbook use of his pivot feet … Has a nice righty baby hook shot … Has range out to three point land … Likes to face up against opposing bigs and use his guard like ball handling ability to create shots … An excellent finisher after contact … Soft hands, very good at corralling bad passes and quick to make plays once he gains possession of the ball … Body strength is good … Uses his big wingspan to clear the boards effectively (8.3 rpg) … Very effective on the offensive glass, utilizing his excellent length and soft hands for tip ins … Does a good job in pick and roll or pick and pop situations … Solid go to player with the ability to get the line and knock down free throws (75%) … Highly advanced skill level for a player with just two years of college basketball under his belt … Has a very calm, even keeled demeanor. Doesn’t get rattled easily … Body has shown solid development in the past year …
Weaknesses: Not a jaw dropping athlete … Upside somewhat limited by his lack of pure athletic ability … Not the most explosive leaper and despite a big wingspan not much of a presence as a shot blocker … Uses finesse instead of athleticism to break opponents down offensively … Skill set makes him more of a threat in the half court. Needs to become a better shooter in the intermediate 12-18 foot range … Needs to get better with his passing and not be quite as careless with the ball … Could stand to tone his body some more …
Notes: A hard worker who played in a college environment in high school at Oak Hill Academy … One of the top returning post players in college basketball … Averaged 17.7 ppg, 8.3 rpg and 1.9 apg while hitting 23-61 (38%) on 3 point attempts.
Aran Smith 7/5/10
Thompkins is amazing
Thompkins is amazing