NBA Draft 2012: Breaking Down Connecticut Prospect Jeremy Lamb

Jeremy Lamb is the upside wild card pick of the 2012 NBA draft; an ultra talented, athletic wing who could be a super star in the NBA.

Lamb has tremendous upside, but he is also young and raw.  He will need to be developed carefully by the right team to reach his nearly unlimited potential in professional basketball.

Athleticism and Tools

Lamb has all the tools to succeed in the NBA.  He is the most talented swingman in the draft and has a star-studded upside that exceeds even that of Harrison Barnes.  Lamb is 6'5" and he has a 7' wingspan, which is long for a two guard and will allow him to play small forward.  He glides around the court making almost every play look effortless.

Lamb also has great lateral quickness and leaping ability and he will use those tools to build on his already strong defensive fundamentals.  Combined with his long arms, it could make him a defensive star.  

Scoring and Shooting

Lamb was inconsistent from game to game but he showed everything one should see in a future offensive star.  He has great leaping ability and a good first step so he can drive past defenders into the lane. Lamb also has a developing mid-range game and is becoming a better three point shooter.  Overall, he averaged 17.7 points per game on 48 percent shooting from the floor and 81 percent from the line, which suggests he was actually a very efficient producer within the Connecticut offense.

Moving forward, Lamb will need to become more of a facilitating player on the wing and improve his long-range shooting to become an NBA star.  

Defense and Rebounding

Lamb has great natural tools and skills on the defensive end.  His leaping, athleticism, lateral quickness, and extremely long arms make him almost impossible to beat on the perimeter.  He even has some shot blocking ability, averaging .6 per game.

He also pulled down 4.7 rebounds per game this season, which is a strong number but one he should improve on as he grows more mature.  Because of his hops and height, Lamb should be able to pull down some defensive rebounds and make himself a havoc-wreaking force on defense in the NBA.  In fact, its a critical reason he should be drafted ahead of Duke shooting guard Austin Rivers.  

Ball Handling and Passing

This is the area where Lamb needs to improve the most of all.  He averaged only 1.7 assists in his sophomore season and was not usually interested in passing the ball.  Lamb was something of a me-first player and did not have great court vision or passing acumen either, which exacerbated the problem.

Whichever NBA team drafts him will need to be patient and work with him diligently to improve in this area and become a more facilitative player. 

Intangibles

Although sometimes maligned as a me-first player, Lamb did not have any serious issues with teammates or off-court disciplinary problems.  He was also selfless (or perhaps just inexperienced) as a freshman with Kemba Walker around and last season's team was hardly bursting with offensive weapons. So, while some knock Lamb on intangibles, it should not be a reason to stay away on draft day.  

Team Fit and Player Comparison

Every single team in the NBA could use an athletic, defensive swingman.  Lamb would be a particularly intriguing fit for the Chicago Bulls if he drops to the late lottery and they can trade up using their future lottery pick from Charlotte and their own draft selection.

Lamb also looks a lot like a young Joe Johnson in some ways; toolsy, athletic, and with a great shooting touch. But if he lives up to his defensive billing....watch out!