NBA Draft Prospects: Greivis Vasquez, Maryland

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Stats: 19.6 ppg, 6.3 apg, 4.6 rpg, 1.7 apg, 3.4 t/o's, 35.9% 3PT, 42.9% FG

Size:

• Listed: 6'5", 195 lb, 23 yrs old
• Combine: 6'6 1/2" (with shoes), 211 lb, 6'7" (wingspan)

About Him: There may not have been a more exciting player to watch in the country this past season than Greivis Vasquez. He stuffed the stat sheet, he played with loads of enthusiasm, and he made as many big shots as anyone this season. He was the ACC player of the year and for good reason.

Greivis Vasquez has an impressive all-around skill set. His scoring ability is evident by looking at his ppg averages over the course of his career. Averaging just a shade under 20 ppg as a senior, the place where Vasquez is the most dangerous is as a jump shooter. He's made impressive strides in this area during his career in College Park, knocking down a respectable 36% of his threes this past season, a number that is probably brought down by the degree of difficulty on some of the shots he takes.

Vasquez is an effective shooter off the catch and off the dribble, and that shooting ability is what sets up his penetration game. Vasquez is not a great scorer off the dribble -- he is an inconsistent mid-range shooter and does not have the length or the vertical explosiveness to be a finisher around the rim -- but he is an excellent passer and playmaker. While he still has a tendency to try and make the spectacular play as opposed to the smart, simple one, there's no two ways around the assist numbers he put up throughout his career. As a senior, his 3.4 t/o's are a bit unsettling, but when you consider how much Maryland relied on having the ball in Vasquez' hands and where his turnover numbers were when he came into Maryland, that stat gets a little less worrisome.

The two areas where Vasquez really excelled were in the pick-and-roll and in transition. He has tremendous court vision, and really understands how to get the ball to his teammates in a position that they can score.

The biggest knock on Vasquez as a potential NBA player is his athleticism. He entered the draft after his junior season, and his 26.5" max vert was the lowest at the combine (he didn't test this year). He's not explosive enough to finish in and around the rim. He doesn't have a great first step, and his lacking quickness made it difficult at times for him to penetrate against collegiate competition. While he did come up with some steals in his college career, his relatively frail frame, short wingspan (6'7" on a 6'6 1/2" player), and his poor lateral quickness make him a huge question mark on the defensive end.

This lack of athleticism means that Vasquez will completely have to makeover the way he plays in the NBA. Vasquez dominates the ball. He needs to ball in his hands to truly be effective, whether it is getting a shot for himself or a shot for his teammates. In the NBA, he is not going to be able to dominate in the same fashion. The biggest question mark -- other than his lack of athleticism -- is whether Vasquez can actually be a role player.

Comparison:

• Best Case Scenario: Vasquez is a difficult player to compare given his unique skill set. Marko Jaric is a name I've seen thrown out there a couple of times, and it is a comparison I like. A tall playmaker, Jaric did average 10 points and 6 assists one season.
  
• Worst Case Scenario: The worst case scenario for Vasquez is that he ends up in Europe, which isn't all that bad. He has more of a European game as it is, and playing in a lesser league, Vasquez can still make a quality living.
  

Outlook: Vasquez has a long road ahead if he is going to carve out an NBA career for himself. He needs to improve his athleticism, he needs to change how he plays -- becoming a role player, a spot-up shooter, and a third or fourth offensive option. He needs to learn how to play he he doesn't have the ball in his hands. I'm not sure if he will ever become that player. Vasquez could sneak into the back end of the first round thanks to some very impressive workouts.

Highlights: