Damion James - NBADraft.net (original) (raw)

NBA Comparison: Shawn Marion /Ryan Humphrey

Strengths: Well-built forward oozing with athleticism and agility … Exhibits superb fluidity of movement, running the floor like a guard (3.09 sprint at pre-draft combine) and quick to the basketball. Has been a rebounding machine since the moment he took the court for Texas … Possesses a 37 inch vertical leap, 7 foot wingspan and pursues every board relentlessly … Very quick off his feet on multiple jumps … He has taken his ferocious rebounding to another level through sixteen games as a Senior, averaging 11.2 per game … His scoring average has seen significant growth each season, from 8 ppg as a freshman to 17 ppg as a senior … The staple of his offensive game is the mid-range jumper … Takes a few power dribbles to his right or left and gets great lift on his shot … Combined with a high release, his jumper is virtually unblockable … Prefers to face up opponents in the post and elevate over the top … Displays range out to the college three, shooting 41% as a sophomore, 33% as a junior and 36% as a senior … In constant motion on the offensive end looking for openings and easy buckets … Shooting an efficient 48% from the field throughout his four years … Explosive finisher at the rim … Displays a great set of hands, retrieving even errant deliveries … If he gets his hands on the ball, he doesn’t let it go … Plays with an extremely high motor on the defensive end … Averages a steal and block per game for his career … Has the strength and lateral quickness to guard multiple positions.

Weaknesses: Lacks a clearly defined position at the next level, but is so talented he is a "player" and will find a role regardless … Ball handling needs further development. Appears very insecure when putting the ball on the deck. Rarely attacks all the way to the cup when being guarded. Dribbles with his head down … Off the bounce moves are very methodical, more concerned with maintaining the dribble than getting by the defender … His first step is hampered by lack of handle, restricting his ability to create shots for himself and others … Needs to find more consistency with his jump shot, although this is an area which has shown improvement … He’s worked hard on his mechanics, but still a work in progress. Guide (left) hand falls off the ball too early on his shot, making it a little unnatural … Doesn’t possess a shooters touch. Settles for too many long range shots, out of his comfort range … Shot selection is questionable. Free throw shooting is a major drawback of his game … Has failed to reach the 70% plateau in any season, with a career 63% … For an aggressive player, this is not up to par. While his scoring numbers have continued to accumulate, he is still not a primary offensive option … He has benefited off the greatness of Kevin Durant, D.J. Augustin and a loaded 2009-2010 roster … Fits the mold of a complimentary player, but not a go to guy. Although he’s taken over the role this year for the Longhorns … At 6’7 225 lacks the perimeter skills (ball handling and passing) to be a true NBA wing man, and lacks the size to defend the 4 position.

Notes: Recently became the Big 12 Conference’s all time leading rebounder.Declared for the 2009 NBA draft and impressed scouts with his tremendous combine numbers before opting to return for his senior year.

Adam Ganeles 1/14/10

Strengths: A very long, ultra athletic player with an NBA ready body … Runs the floor extremely well, usually finishing with authority and in very attractive fashion … Active on the glass on both ends of the floor, his great feel for the ball allows him to grab rebounds at a great rate … Reads the defense well and knows how to find seams in order to get open … Has very soft hands allowing him to catch passes in traffic as well as ones that are almost out of reach … Has become more perimeter oriented, but he can still score with his back to the basket … Knows how to finish around the hoop, using the glass to utilize his soft touch … Gets great elevation on his shot and has a high release, making it impossible to stop at the current level … Shows advanced ability to stop on a dime and shoot a well balanced mid-range shot, which is probably his most effective offensive weapon … Has a nice mix of length, size, and foot speed to become a very effective defender, and he has shown that he can block shots as well as jump into the passing lanes …

Weaknesses: Thus far into his junior season he has not become the go-to player that was expected … He has been complacent too often, either settling for outside shots or playing second fiddle, instead of taking things into his own hands and attacking the basket … Not comfortable handling the ball, as soon as he faces pressure on a drive he turns his back to the defender in order to protect the ball … Because of a less than stellar first step, he has a hard time getting to the hoop on iso plays since defenders are able to cut of his driving angle … He will need to add more moves to his repertoire, as he currently depends too much on his athleticism and usually settles for jumpshots when attacking of the dribble … Even though his shooting form is good, he has real trouble at the free throw line, shooting 58% for his career …

Borko Popic – 12/17/2008

Borko Popic is a lead scout/contributor to NBADraft.net. Please check out his premium website / scouting service hooprospects.com, an essential tool for college coaches, and European and NBA scouts.

YouTube clip – 6/14/2009