NBA Draft Prospects: Xavier Henry, Kansas

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

Stats: 13.4 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 1.5 apg, 1.5 spg, 41.8% 3PT, 1.9 t/o's

Size:

• Listed: 6'6", 210 lb, 19 yrs old
  
• Combine: 6'6 1/2" (with shoes), 210 lb, 6'11 1/4" (wingspan)
  

About Him: Xavier Henry looked like he was going to be a superstar early on in the season. With the loaded Jayhawks playing a relatively easy schedule in November and December, Henry shined, hitting over 50% from deep for a while and averaging 17 ppg. He had come back down to earth by the end of his freshman campaign, finishing the season with respectable averages of 13.4 ppg and just under 42% from three point range.

As you might imagine, Henry's game centers around his ability to knock down spot-up jumpers. When he gets he feet set, shoulders squared, and a decent look at the rim, Henry is a dangerous shooter off of the catch. He got quite a few of these looks playing alongside Tyshawn Taylor and Sherron Collins as a freshman, taking nearly 50% of his FGA from beyond the arc.

Henry still needs to develop some all-around offensive polish, however. He really struggles when he is forced to shoot off of the dribble, as he just doesn't look comfortable pulling up. Where his form is picture perfect on a catch-and-release, he looks a bit herky-jerky and far less fluid shooting off the bounce. He also struggles a bit when he is forced to get all the way to the rim. While he can really get up when he is given time and space, he's not quite as explosive in traffic. He's a decent finisher around the rim, but given the fact he has a 36.5" max vert (he's only at 28.5" on a no-step vert, which is a huge increase), an excellent wingspan, and one of the stronger frames at his position in this draft, you would expect him to be a better finisher and better at absorbing contact around the rim.

As a passer, Henry only averaged 1.5 apg, but he showed willingness to move the ball within the Jayhawk offense and also proved to be at least capable of finding the open man when he put the ball on the floor. But again, he didn't put the ball on the floor all that much as a freshman, which limited his opportunities.

One other aspect of Henry's offensive game that impressed me during the season was his ability to get out and run a lane on the break. Granted, he was playing with one of the best point guards in the country, but Henry seemed like he really understood spacing on the break, getting quite a few wide open threes and finishing off highlight reel alley-oops with thunderous dunks.

Defensively is where the question mark resides. Henry is a good, not great, athlete, struggling a bit with his lateral quickness. He seemed to have some trouble staying in front of smaller, quicker guards last season, which could be a problem if he is going to play the two in the NBA. He feasibly could be a three, but at 6'6" he might be a touch on the small side (although he nearly 7'0" wingspan helps in that department). To play for Bill Self, you have to be able to defend, so clearly Henry puts in the effort and, at the very least, has an understanding of the fundamentals.

Comparison:

• Best Case Scenario: Draft Express lists James Posey as Henry's best case, and while I like the comparison as far as roles go, I think Henry has more of an upside than Posey. He's better offensively. How about Jason Richardson late in his career?
• Worst Case Scenario: A CJ Miles or a Martell Webster.

Outlook: Henry doesn't exactly have the upside of an all-star, but that doesn't mean he can't be a very effective player in the league. Perhaps the most important attribute he displayed at Kansas was his willingness to play a role. Even when he was averaging 17 ppg, he was a guy that got his points mostly in transition and off of a catch-and-shoot. If he can find a position to defend and continue to develop the rest of his offensive repertoire, there's no reason he can't be a 12-15 ppg scorer.

Highlights: