Thoughts on Terrance Ferguson?
At first glance here are the obvious pros and cons via DX:
Strengths
-Good size for a wing at 6' 7”. Decent length – 6' 9.5” wingspan.
-Big-time leaper in transition. Best off of one foot.
-Can really get going from the perimeter with his feet set. Excellent when he's able to step into it in transition. Catches on the hop. Gets his feet set quickly. Nice elevation. Can run off of screens a little bit. Solid rotation and wrist action.
-Can make a one-dribble pull up.
-Capable of attacking a closeout.
-Outstanding feet on defense. Tremendous on ball defender when he digs in. Does a great job keeping the ball contained. Has the size and length to recover and contest.
Weaknesses
-Doesn't have a great frame – 186 lbs.
-Super bouncy but doesn't quite know how to use his athleticism in the half court. Very rigid ball handler. Offensive game is a little vanilla. Right-hand dominant.
-Can improve his ability to get to his jump shot vs a set defense.
-Dangerous when he gets going but can be very streaky as a shooter.
-Not much of a playmaker.
-Has some lapses as an off ball defender.
Reading the description and looking at his stats made me almost write him off immediately... Run/jump athlete who has limited skills, skipped college to make money in Europe and doesnt get rebounds, assist, steals, or blocks...Yuck Im out
But then I looked a little closer.
Turnovers - dont happen because he freezes out his teammates and then loses it, but because he tries to be to unselfish and make the pass. He actually has very natural vision and his passing will improve as his ball handling does.
Rebounds - 1st off he is a guard, so its not as important. But it should be said that all the video I've seen of the kid shows him fighting for rebounds, but he does play against grown men. I like his willingness to attack the rebound and the angles he takes. I believe he becomes a much better rebounding in time
Defense - He doesnt rack up steals and blocks, but he has great quickness and get in a good posture and will fight through screens. Really strong foundation for getting better there
Skipping college - I thought it was just a money grab, but he wrote this article (See below) stating why he made the decision and I actually think he is truly focused on getting better and working on his craft
http://www.theplayerstribune.com/2016-6-30-terrance-ferguson-arizona-australia-basketball/We have to remember that he went from being the best shooting, most athletic player in every game he played in HS... to playing against grown men fighting for a paycheck. His frame really reminds of Otto, in that he is weak/frail, but hardworking and physical. I actually think his defense and rebounding will really improve as he gets stronger.
Another issue is his terrible ball handling. Improving that over the next couple years will be great for shooting off the dribble and lowering turnovers.
In conclusion, he has a lot of Otto to him as far as frame and being scrappy, but not as savvy or long. He is more athletic which makes me think he'll be better at getting to the line, one area Otto cant quite seem to overcome.
We've also seen Beal improve at getting to the line, shooting off the dribble, and lower turnovers as his ball handling got better...
My (VERY VERY Early) forecast is Zach Lavine. But he could be better as he seems a little more focused and gritty. I think he is worth a shot around 20-25.
