Post by jhb on May 20, 2021 14:02:08 GMT -5
Derrick Coleman
PF
6'10"
230
23
Syracuse
Scouts say there may not be a player with a higher ceiling in this draft than Derrick Coleman. But scouts also have hit him with the dreaded "he can be as good as he wants to be" assessments that make any team pause a second before getting too excited about his potential upside. While he's got the size, explosiveness, length, strength, and quickness that you would draw up in the prototypical power forward, the question is whether he will play well enough to be an all-time great or play well enough to keep cashing All-Star level checks.
At Syracuse, Coleman gave scouts a taste of everything he can do. He is an exceptional low-post scorer and he plays similarly to other strong lefties that have been post-up power forwards. He can get low and out-leverage you to get to his spot and finish with the hook shots or use the spin and drop-step to leave defenders in the dust before getting the layup. However, he also has the explosiveness to play above the rim and finish with two hands and the slam if he gets the space. He's got a smooth jumper and has started to show the ability to extend his game all the way out to the three point line, where he hit 36.6% on over an attempt per game as a senior. His jump shot is good enough that defenders have to close out on it, and he handles the ball well enough at his size that once you do he can dribble right by you to do damage in the lane. He's very good once he receives the ball in the low post and handles being doubled exceptionally well, always finding an open teammate when he realizes he may be in trouble.
Defensively, he's shown that he can be a disruptor, peaking at 3.4 blocks per game as a junior and averaging close to a steal and a half per game at Syracuse, the problem is that his focus on the defensive end can be inconsistent. He's got the tools to be a good low post defender, but again, you worry how consistently focused he is on that task. He does a great job on the boards and should be a major threat to go for a double-double or 20/10 on any given night in TMBSL.
