NBA Draft Prospect: Scottie Reynolds, Villanova

As we get closer to the NBA Draft, we will be reaching out to fellow bloggers for scouting reports on some of the top prospects in the upcoming NBA Draft. Today, we bring you Scottie Reynolds, courtesy of VUHoops.com and @brianisawesome.

Click here to find all of our 2010 NBA Draft prospect breakdowns.

Stats: 18.2 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 2.7 apg, 38.5% 3PT, 45.7% FG

Listed Size: 6'2", 195 lb, 22 years old


About Him: Here is the short analysis of Scottie Reynolds’ draft prospects: not much. Coming out of an all-American career in college, the draft buzz over the Villanova superstar appears to be lacking. He is listed at 6-foot-2 inches, but that number may actually be padded by an inch or two, and that is ultimately what is holding him back. If Reynolds were 6’5” or taller, teams in need of a shooting guard would be salivating over the possibilities.

The undeniable fact about Reynolds is that over the past four years, very few players have been as prolific at putting the ball into the basket. He scored 2,222 points in college, and in addition to some shifty moves to penetrate the lane, Scottie could shoot the three and shoot a high percentage from the free-throw line as well.

In college, Scottie played most of his minutes as a point guard but there are doubts about his ability to play that position as a pro. His point guard skills and instincts remain an area in need of improvement. He needs to learn to dribble less and pass more, but in the right system, he could be a good fit.

Critics have also lately criticized Scottie Reynolds’ athleticism. He’s not John Wall, but if you saw him running the court (and running circles around defenders) in college, you’d know that he doesn’t belong in the special Olympics either. Not only does he score a lot of points, but as a senior he began to do so efficiently, raising his PPS from 1.38 to 1.52 in his final year. Defenders were not his kryptonite.

Defensively, Reynolds has good lateral quickness and hand speed and his high basketball IQ allows him to read his opponents and generate turnovers at a good rate. He may have difficulty matching up with bigger players at the next level, however, due to his size. He should have no problem matching up with opposing point guards, however.

Most NBA teams will be looking for Scottie to play point guard, and unless he can show them that he has the skill set to play there at an elite level, he will not be considered a valuable commodity. The pre-draft workouts will give him an opportunity to do so, as will any summer league action he may see.

Comparisons: The obvious comparison here might be Eddie House. As a 6’1” shooting guard, House is comparable in size and skill set to Scottie Reynolds. House was asked to develop his point guard skills in Boston, but is most notable for his ability to put the ball in the net. House is perhaps a better three-point shooter than Reynolds, while Reynolds would top his ability to dribble-drive. As a shooting guard, House was most effective defensively when paired with a taller point guard. Another comparison would be Randy Foye, a guard out of the Villanova system who found himself caught between positions in the NBA. Randy is a few inches taller than Scottie and unlike Reynolds, Foye was primarily lined up as a 2, 3 or even 4 at Villanova. Both guards left Villanova with questions about what position they would play in the NBA.

Outlook: Reynolds probably won’t hear his name called in the first round, and if the latest mock drafts hold up, he might not want to hold his breath for a second round pick either. Despite that, some team will surely be interested in signing a player who had Scottie’s prolific college career. As a rookie he may be deployed as a ‘sparkplug’ off of the bench and could be asked to work on developing his point guard skills as a longer-term project. Depending on how he develops as a pro, he will either become a good contributor on an NBA squad or a star in Europe.

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