Scouting Report: Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, SF, Arizona
Tap here to get an in-depth look at the top prospects in this year's draft class leading up to the NBA draft, which takes place on June 25 in Brooklyn.
At some point, landing the second-best defensive prospect in the draft will outweigh the cost of committing to playing a non-shooter.
That trade-off will be the one that faces teams selecting outside of the top-10, with Rondae Hollis-Jefferson representing an interesting trade-off. Is a team willing to sacrifice spacing and offensive flexibility for a multi-position lock-down defender who can make the team's defense far more versatile? Shooting is always at a premium, but doing one thing as exceptionally well as RHJ does really raises a player's floor.
Relevant Background
| Position | DraftExpress Rank | ESPN Rank | Height w/ Shoes | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SF | 13 | 22 | 6' 7" | 211 |
| Wingspan | Standing Reach | Max Vertical (in.) | Hand Length (in.) | Body Fat % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7' 2" | 8' 8" | 38.0 | 8.75 | 5.0% |
| NCAA Stats | PPG | RPG | APG | FG% | 3FG% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014-15 | 11.2 | 6.8 | 1.6 | 50.2% | 20.7% |
| 2013-14 | 9.1 | 5.7 | 1.4 | 49.0% | 20.0% |
Scouting Report
Strengths: Arizona tasked Hollis-Jefferson with guarding as many as five positions over his two seasons, and he figures to be able to check three or four at the NBA level. He's an unbelievable athlete, he has an enormous wingspan and reach for his height, and those tools manifest themselves in transition just as well as they do on defense. He's also a solid ball-handler on the wing and moves fairly well without the ball, so don't confuse his lack of a jumper for a complete lack of offensive utility.
Weaknesses: So, about that jump-shot. It's ugly. Teams who have developed other shooters may be confident they can bring it along, and teams like the Philadelphia 76ers have prioritized shooting lower than other skills, believing it can be a learned skill. His 71-percent free-throw rate is encouraging in that regard, and the hitch in his shot appears to be improving, but the numbers are going to scare teams off - he went 8-of-39 on threes over two seasons and shot 36.3 percent on all jumpers this year.
Highlight Reel
What to Expect on Draft Day
Where Hollis-Jefferson winds up being selected depends so much on the preferences and roster structure of each individual team, so it's difficult to nail down a narrow draft range for him. His limitations render him unlikely to crack the lottery, but seeing him off the board in the late-teens wouldn't surprise. What would surprise is if he isn't taken in the first round altogether, as he'd be a great addition to any number of contending teams picking in the 20s.