Scouting Report: Shabazz Napier, PG, Connecticut
You want a proven winner? How about the only two-time NCAA national champion in the draft class? If that's the kind of winning pedigree you want, there's really only one place to get it, and that's Shabazz Napier. After playing a secondary role and taking notes as Kemba Walker led Connecticut to an NCAA Championship in 2011, Napier did the same in 2014, surely endearing himself to scouts and executives who value character and cojones in a late first-round pick.
Background
| Position | DX Rank | ESPN Rank | Height w/o Shoes | Weight (lbs.) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PG | 28 | 23 | 5' 11" | 175 |
| Wing | Vert (in.) | Standing Reach | Hand Length (in.) | Agility (sec.) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6' 3.25" | 37.5 | 7' 9" | 8.25 | 11.6 |
| NCAA Stats | PPG | RPG | APG | FG% | 3FG% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013-14 | 18.0 | 5.9 | 4.9 | 42.9% | 40.5% |
| 2012-13 | 17.1 | 4.4 | 4.6 | 44.1% | 39.8% |
| 2011-12 | 13.0 | 3.5 | 5.8 | 38.9% | 35.5% |
| 2010-11 | 7.8 | 2.4 | 3.0 | 37.0% | 32.6% |
Scouting Report
Strengths: The dude won two championships in four years, one of them as the team's unquestioned leader. You don't manage that and walk away without words like "tough," "leader," and "intangibles" in big red letters on your scouting report. But Napier has some very real basketball skills, too, like an ability to score from all over the floor, even against bigger defenders, a must at the next level. He has NBA range, a great handle, rebounds well, and, perhaps most surprisingly given his size, he's a terrific defensive player.
Weaknesses: And here come the caveats. He's undersized even as a point guard and plays offense more like a two-guard, he wasn't an elite distributor, and it's unclear how well his play at both ends will translate in the NBA with faster, stronger, and smarter opponents. Plus, he's a senior, so teams may be inclined to think what they draft is all they'll get.
Highlight Reel
What to Expect on Draft Day
There may have been a lot of potential weaknesses listed, but this is still a terrific two-way player with a sterling track record, projected to go late in the first round. A team that's already contending and needs to just add another piece or two would be salivating at the chance to draft Napier - do you really want, say, the Miami Heat to be able to add a guy like Napier as a Mario Chalmers succession plan? Yikes. They seem to be his floor at No. 26, and depending on if a run on point guards comes early, he could probably land as high as 18.