Post by jhb on Jun 16, 2021 9:23:53 GMT -5
Chris Mullin
SF
6'6"
200
22
St. John's
Believe it or not, this goofy looking dude is kind of a New York hoops legend. He got semi-famous as a kid rolling around Bronx and Harlem playing in games against some of the better street ball players around. As an 11-year old, he won the 1974 Elks Hoop Shot, a national youth free throw shooting contest. He then led his high school team to a Class A state championship before moving on to St. John's where he became a Redmen legend. He was a 3-time Big East Player of the Year (first player to ever do that), 3-time Haggerty Award winner (given to best college player in NYC), 3-time All-American, 1984 Olympian, and won the 1985 Wooden Award and USBWA College Player of the Year Award. He led St. John's to their first #1 ranking in over 30 years and to a Final Four while becoming the all-time leading freshman and all-time scorer in school history.
Mullin's best trait is his shooting ability. Since winning that youth free throw shooting contest, his skills at the line haven't faded as he peaked at over 90% made from the free throw line in his junior season of college. He's a threat to pull up from anywhere on the floor and can shoot well from the catch and shoot, pulling up off the dribble, and off-balance with turnarounds and fadeaways. Despite not having the benefit of the three point line as a collegiate player, he is clearly the most well-equipped player in this class to become a deep threat in TMBSL and shoot be a threat immediately from range. And while he's a very good shooter, Mullin didn't just passively settle for the jump shot from distance while at St. John's...he showed an excellent ability to get to the rim, penetrate, and create opportunities for himself in the paint where he was also a respectable finisher. He absorbs contact well and maintains his ability to finish off-balance and he also does a good job of finding teammates when he gets into trouble, averaging almost 4 assists per game during his college career.
He's also no slouch defensively. Perhaps coming from his background as a white kid trying to show he belongs on the street ball courts of NYC, he won't give an inch to anyone. He's actually a tremendous athlete and has got the quickness and explosiveness to defend anyone on the perimeter. He put up very good steal numbers at St. John's and would have likely led the conference in steals his junior and senior years if it weren't for fellow draft class member Michael Adams. He loves to use steals to get out in transition and make things happen, but he also has a tendency to leak out looking for those same opportunities rather than being engaged as a defensive rebounder as well.
Mullins' athleticism gives him really good upside for a wing player, but with how long he's been playing the game at a fairly high level you have to wonder how much of his potential he hasn't already unlocked. There have also been rumors about off-the-court issues related to drinking that may hamper his upside.
