Post by jhb on May 20, 2021 8:59:52 GMT -5
Elden Campbell
C
6'11"
215
22
Clemson
Campbell is a unique case study in this class. He broke onto the scene in his sophomore season at Clemson after being just a rotational player his freshman year. He put up 18.8 ppg on 62.9% from the field, 7.4 rpg, and over 3 blocks per game. Scouts were licking their chops to see how he would continue to develop, and then he simply put up similar or worse numbers his final two seasons of college. He didn't add the good weight people wanted to see him put on his slender frame and as he tried to take on a bigger role on offense, he just got less efficient rather than adding skills to his game.
Still, Campbell will make his money professionally for his defense. He's the ultimate help-side defender, springy and long enough to get to a ton of shots at the rim and affect a lot more. He's got quick hands and quick feet and moves well on defense, he's a threat to force some steals in addition to his shot-blocking prowess. Scouts have concerns about how he'll hold up when stronger bigs attack him directly on the low block if he doesn't add some strength...and he spends most of his time hunting for opportunities to help out and block shots so he can sometimes lose his focus and his man and oftentimes finds himself out of position for defensive boards, but he makes up for those deficiencies with the shots he changes. On the other end of the court, Campbell is the type of player who used his athleticism to score and be a finisher in the pick and roll and when he's asked to do more he can flounder a bit. Whoever drafts him should focus on asking him not to do too much offensively and use him more as a screener, finisher, and putback type guy on offense while reaping the rewards of his shot-blocking prowess. Fortunately, he is a good enough foul shooter that he won't be a liability like other bigs that profile this way that they could go to the "hack-an-Elden" strategy as he made almost 65% of his free throws in college.