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Could he be Jimmy Butler? He doesn't get a lot of pub, but I love watching him play. It should be noted that since he's been on the team, Wichita is 64-9 with a Final Four appearance and undefeated regular season. He's got good size for the 3 and is athletic enough. He's shooting 47% FG, 36% 3FG (on nearly 5 attempts per), 84% FT. Not a great passer nor great defensive statistics, but has potential on that end.

Thoughts?

He's above average in height for a SF (measured 6'7" barefoot at KD camp), but has a fairly small wingspan (6'9"). Despite that, I think he'll have good standing reach measurements, as the he has a narrow frame that probably doesn't translate well to wingspan tests. Good, athletic weight in the 210-220. My video estimates have his max vertical at 38 or 39" which probably means a no-step vertical of 31 or 32".

Skillwise he has good form on his shot (shown by his great FT shooting), but he has some inconsistency from long range. I expect he'll grow into a 3PT threat but wouldn't be one in his first year, but he is a good to great midrange shooter (though he often takes inadvisable shots, leading to low percentage numbers). His best offensive attribute at the collegiate level is his touch around the rim, where he shoots 71% and does a good job absorbing contact. Last year Early scored 1.4 points per possession with his back to the basket, the most efficient of any player with his usage rating.

However, despite his efficiency his toolset is relatively small. He relies on turnaround jumpshots and hook shots off his left shoulder in the post, and straight-line drives off the right hand from the perimeter. He doesn't use many crossovers or behind the back dribbles, mainly using a spin move and his speed to get around defenders. At the NBA level he'll need to work on expanding his moveset to stay effective, though if he maintains a solid jumpshot he'll always have a role as a catch and shoot player.

As a 22 year old senior with a relatively limited skillset, his draft ceiling is late 1st round if he shows he can play SF at the NBA level. He'll need to continue his high level of play in the tournament, have good measurements and most importantly showcase a broader skillset in workouts. Jimmy Butler is probably a good comparison, though Early may a little more limited from a skill perspective and a slightly better athlete/shot.

After his game today, I think he has solidified himself a spot in the 1st round.

I think his inefficiencies makes him a possible sleeper star. They're insignificant enough to make little to no difference.

Thanks for the insight, CBB_Fan

I'd love to see him on The Spurs.

he looked more like a young caron butler out there without the dribble dribble dribble contested 2.

One of maybe 3 things I've said all year here.

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=1278464&start=30

My initial thoughts?
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rT1nGjGM2p8[/youtube]

Hahaha spot on

Looks like he should look to get stronger going into the draft.

His highlights against UK. Showcases his shooting touch, athleticism, ability to create space, and his touch around the rim (though you'll notice his drives were still straight right-hand drives).

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7eYVPMVDC6k[/youtube]

Hard to believe he won't be a first round pick after yesterday's performance against NBA talent. Good athleticism and a nice shooting touch he showed. I also thought he showed good clutch ability hitting a number of pressure jumpers late in the game to keep WSU in it

I'm a fan and I agree he is a sleeper. Would love for Philly to grab in early round two.

slc24 wrote:Could he be Jimmy Butler? He doesn't get a lot of pub, but I love watching him play. It should be noted that since he's been on the team, Wichita is 64-9 with a Final Four appearance and undefeated regular season. He's got good size for the 3 and is athletic enough. He's shooting 47% FG, 36% 3FG (on nearly 5 attempts per), 84% FT. Not a great passer nor great defensive statistics, but has potential on that end.

Thoughts?

You ask can he be Jimmy Butler then proceed to say he doesn't have great defensive statistics?

No Nintendo?

yeah, i think i made the mistake of looking too much into his statistical profile. if you look too deeply into his stats he looks more like a late 2nd rounder.
he's a better player than his stats would indicate. he's well-schooled on both ends, strong, athletic, great in transition, has an economical face up game, a short compact stroke and very little wasted movement in his game at all. sounds like a guy who can play a role.

reminds me of a poor man's jamal mashburn
they are similar in that they were both tweeners 3/4 with both inside & out game. obv his jumper's mechanics are good. he is adept at catch and shoot which is really nice. stats show his inside game PPP is solid.

unlike mashburn though, his handles are basically non-existent
the nice thing about the nba is that if you have one defining skill that you are excellent at, you can have a long career and i think early has that potential. some guys have made a living off of one-two dribble shots and as long as he can drill those jumpers or get his inside buckets, nobody will really care too much that he only uses a few dribbles to do it.

Better version of Harrison Barnes IMO.

I think he's gonna develop quite a bit of craftiness and have a really nice career. Borderline all-star in his prime imo.

Bubstubbler wrote:I think he's gonna develop quite a bit of craftiness and have a really nice career. Borderline all-star in his prime imo.

I don't see that. Can definitely see him being a contributor but more like instant offense off the bench at the SF spot.

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How about his teammate Ron Baker? I think he'll eventually be a late 1st/early 2nd combo guard and has enough athleticism, intelligence, and aggressive competitiveness to become a worthwhile bench player for a winning team. Maybe something like a guard version of Luke Walton, but a bit better.