Post#439 » by LuessiT » Mon Mar 26, 2018 4:58 pm
With only being one game away from the 6th seed (and keeping our pick) I wonder what you guys think about Malik Newman.
He was off my radar after his disappointing season at Mississippi State but he's been surging recently with big performances in the tournament. He's a former all-american and top 10 recruit and redshirted his sophomore year (transfer). So while he's still eligible to play two more years in college, he's sophomore-aged.
So based on his last performances, I watched a lot of film on him. At 6'4 he's an undersized 2-guard with at best average length. He has some passing and ball-handling skills but as of now, he's mostly a shooter on offense. He's excellent off the catch, has a quick release, gets good elevation and has shown NBA-range occasionally. He's very good at moving off the ball and getting himself open. When he does handle the ball, he's utilizing hang dribbles and crossovers. He can shoot of the dribble in a pinch but should mostly be used as a shooter in transition or off the catch.
If run off the 3-point line, he can attack closeouts with a great first step and attacks the rim all the way. His frame can absorb some contact and doesn't shy away from it anymore (other than at Mississippi) but he doesn't embrace the contact either and needs to do a better job at getting to the line (only 3.6 FTA per 40). He isn't that great of an athlete vertically so living at the line is going to be very important for his further potential. He also lacks an inbetween game other than the occasional pull-up, which makes his game very predictable once he starts driving.
On defense he lacks size and length for the 2-guard position. He has the ability to navigate through screens and moves his feet decently. He can read passing lanes but lacks the length to be truely disruptive. He lacks in strength to deal with bigger 2's but is surprisingly competitive. He's also a decent rebounder for his size.
All in all I see some CJ in him. He's not as skilled coming out, but a better athlete and rojects to be a better defender. He's probably most valued in a role that features him as an off-ball guard on offense but having to defend the 1-position. I'm not even sure he declares but if he does his draft stock could be very volatile. What do you guys think?
