NBA Draft Prospects: Luke Babbitt, Nevada

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Stats: 21.9 ppg, 8.9 rpg, 2.1 apg, 41.6% 3PT, 91.7% FT

Size:

• Listed: 6'8", 215 lb, 21 yrs old
  
• Combine: 6'8 3/4" (with shoes), 218 lb, 6'11 1/4" (wingspan)

About Him: Like Paul George of Fresno State, Luke Babbitt is a talented forward from the WAC that has been shooting up draftboards, possibly landing somewhere in the lottery come Thursday night. Babbitt, a McDonald's all-american back in 2008 that had originally committed to Ohio State, doesn't have the upside of a Paul George, but thanks to an impressive showing at the NBA Combine, Babbitt has become one of the hottest prospects this season.

Babbitt's an excellent talent on the offensive end of the floor. Just a shade under 6'9" in shoes, Babbitt is a face-up combo-forward. Where as most combo-forwards are tremendous athletes that are long and rangy, but have neither the ball skills to play on the perimeter or the strength to play strictly in the post, Babbitt is the opposite. His skill set lends itself to being a perimeter player, but he doesn't necessarily have to quickness to be capable of being a three.

Babbitt's game is based around his jumper. He is a terrific shooter, especially in the mid-range and off the dribble, but he has also shown that he has NBA range. He doesn't have a tremendous first step, but he is quite a crafty player, able to use a multitude of jabs and fakes to create space and keep his defender off balance. At odd aspect of Babbitt's game is that he showed more prowess as a shooter off the dribble than off of the catch, but a large part of that could be just how much he had the ball in his hands.

Babbitt isn't only effective on the perimeter. While he will need to add some weight and some strength if he is going to be an effective low-post player, he already has a well developed high post game. He's not a powerful player -- he isn't going to be backing many people down from 15 feet -- but he does have a nice finesse game from the high post, mainly centered around an excellent turnaround jumpshot.

Babbitt is a capable ball-handler in the open floor and while attacking the basket, but he runs into some trouble when he is forced to change direction or when he faces ball pressure. When he does attack the basket, Babbitt shows great body control and decision making, capable of finishing around the rim and drawing a foul or pulling up for a short jumper or a floater.

Coming into the combine, the biggest knock on Babbitt was from the people that didn't think he would be a good enough athlete to warrant a pick in the teens. Babbitt put that theory to rest with an excellent visit to the draft combine. His max vert was an impressive 37.5" and his wingspan was 6'11 1/4", both two inches more than Blake Griffin tested out at last season. He also showed above average quickness and speed in the shuttle run and 3/4 sprint during the combine. Safe to say, Babbitt put some of the athleticism fears behind him.

But there are still those that aren't convinced. The biggest concern with Babbitt as a prospect seems to be what position he will be able to guard. He's not exactly quick enough on the perimeter to defend twos and threes, but he needs to add quite a bit of strength if he is going to be a post defender at the NBA Level.

Comparison:

• Best Case Scenario: A more athletic Troy Murphy in terms of offensive skill set, but I'm not sure that Babbitt will be able to get 10 rpg. I also like the comparison with Rashard Lewis, although I think Lewis might be a bit taller than Babbitt.
  
• Worst Case Scenario: Adam Morrison. If Babbitt can't defend anyone and can't get his shot off, where will he be able to play?
  

Outlook: Everyone knows that defense wins championships. The biggest concern with Babbitt is who he is going to be able to defend in the NBA. The answer might very well be no one. But Babbitt is such a gifted player offensively, I find it very hard to believe he can't land a role somewhere. As a four, he can help to stretch the floor and open up the paint, and he absolutely has the range and the perimeter ability to be a weapon on the offensive end of the floor. There are plenty of guys in the NBA that can't defend but have hung around -- and made quite a bit of money -- because they can put the ball in the basket. Babbitt may never be a starter in the league, but with his offensive skill set, he should be able to stick around the league for a while.

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