Adam Zagoria covers the New York Knicks, Big East hoops and U.S. Open tennis for NBA.com and SNY.tv. He also appears as a Big East Basketball Insider on SNY and 1050 ESPN Radio.
With the 2013 NBA draft coming up next month, we spoke with Zagoria for a look at Syracuse guard Michael Carter-Williams’ prospects in the NBA.
Adam Zagoria’s take: He’s going to go in the lottery. He’s an example of a guy that has to come out now because the money is guaranteed and because this draft is a lot weaker than next year’s draft is going to be. That being said, theoretically, he’s a guy that could benefit from another year in college to get stronger and work on some different things. It wouldn’t shock me if he was in the D-League a year from now, or the end of somebody’s bench. That said, he’s long, he’s athletic, he was among the leaders in assists this year. He needs to get stronger and needs to work on his shot. It’s a tough competitive league and he’s going to have to work to make an impact.
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The Juice Online’s Scouting Report:
- Strengths: Great size for a point guard… Will be a good rebounder for a guard… Can take his man off the dribble and get into the lane at will… Has a good nose for the ball on defense… Was among the nation’s leaders in assists and steals… Has a confident swagger about him… Wants the ball with the game on the line.
- Weaknesses: Outside shooting definitely needs work… Shot just 26 percent from the college 3-point line… Can be sloppy with his dribble sometimes… Needs to add at least 15 pounds of muscle to finish his drive at the next level… Needs to cut down on silly turnovers… Needs to finish more consistently around the rim… Body language can be bad at times.
Vitals:
- Birthdate: October 12, 1991
- Hometown: Hamilton, Mass.
- Position: Guard
- School: Syracuse ’15
- Height, 6’6″
- Weight, 185 lbs
Projections:
- NBADraft.net: 1st round, 12th pick (Oklahoma City Thunder)
- Draftexpress.com: 1st round, 12th pick (Oklahoma City Thunder)
- The Hoops Report: 1st round, 9th pick (Minnesota Timberwolves)
Career Highlights at Syracuse: Carter-Williams started all 40 games and finished fifth among all Division I players in assist average (7.3) and fourth in steals average (2.78). He also averaged 11.9 points per game in 35.2 minutes a game while being named to the All-Big East Second Team.
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