Post by TinyTimPig on Aug 3, 2022 13:22:02 GMT -5
Bill Walton
C
6'11
235
22
UCLA
One of the best big men to enter the draft since David Robinson and Shaquille O'Neal did so years after him, Bill Walton's collegiate career is one of the greatest we've ever seen. He capped off his second title with a 21-of-22 performance for 44 points against the Memphis State Tigers, a performance that will go down as one of college basketball's best Final Four showings ever.
Walton will enter the league and immediately become one of the league's best rebounders, rivaling the numbers put up by the legendary Dwight Howard in this department. He's fantastic on both ends on the glass and easily turns his offensive rebounds into easy putback attempts. He's incredibly efficient down low, showing a variety of developed post moves that allowed him to convert an astonishing 65% of his field goals attempts in three years at UCLA, but a lack of a reliable jump shot and no three point shot at all may hinder his scoring in the pros. He's a very good post defender as well and will have no problem blocking shots at the next level. Walton is generous to a fault, passing up decent looks of his own to set up teammates or opponents for easy buckets. A Walton pass will be either the biggest mistake of the possession, OR, the biggest good decision of the possession.
While he demonstrates above average strength, Walton relies more on fundamentals and coordination than athleticism. He doesn't show much leaping ability, likely in part due to the massive injury he suffered in high school that left him with a broken leg and ankle and several broken bones in his foot. Scouts are also curious what happened with his consistency from the charity stripe as he knocked down a respectable 70% of his free throws his first year in college but that number dropped all the way to 57% in year two and 58% in year three.
Walton already has reported tendinitis in both knees and lingering back pain that likely will limit his potential for growth at the next level. He should be a very effective contributor from day one, but there are questions about the type of player he might be in four or five years and whether or not his body can hold up. There is no question about Walton's integrity - the man doesn't know the meaning of the word handshake.
