OFFENSE

*Average size and length for an NBA SG
*Solid frame, stronger than he looks
*Above average athlete who gets above the rim in the open floor
*High IQ
*Nice touch on his finishes around the rim
*Finishes through contact
*Excellent in transition, often starts the break with his defense
*Fills the lanes correctly, can lead the break himself and can finish at the rim or on the perimeter
*Average handle, but has shown improvement
*Doesn't change directions quickly, relies on his first step to get by defender on straight line drives
*Prefers to drive to his off hand and looks to get all the way to the rim
*Good touch on his floater, although he doesn't use it often
*Recognizes an overplaying defender and will cut to the basket
*Shifts around the perimeter to maintain spacing and open passing lanes to him
*Very good shooter from midrange out to NBA range
*Much better in catch and shoot situations than shooting off the dribble
*Especially lethal when he squares his body or is left open
*High release point on his shot with fairly consistent shot mechanics
*Does have a habit of twisting his body sideways as he jumps but is working it out of his game
*Also, at times, holds the ball too long while shooting
*Can attack closeouts, looks to get all the way to the rim, rarely rips through to the one dribble pull up
*Best in high PNR and PNR on the left side of the floor
*Doesn't run his man into the screen consistently
*Looks for his pull up jumper coming off ball screens more often than not
*Primarily looks for his own shot but has shown flashes of pretty good vision
*Nifty interior passes to bigs on his drives
*Looks to be a little late to see the roll man when coming off ball screens
*Good timing on his PNP passes
*Can drive and kick to shooters on the perimeter
*Finds cross court shooters

DEFENSE

*Smart, tough defender that gives multiple efforts

*Can guard both guard positions and some SFs, did a lot of switching and held his own

*Is a bit reactive to jab steps and crossovers but recovers nicely

*Slides his feet well and beats his man to the spot

*Gets a good contest on pull up jumpshots as well as when his man drives to the rim

*Stays on the defenders hip when beat

*Seems to take an extra step towards the ball when playing off ball

*A little slow to closeout because of his positioning off ball

*Recovers well when an opponent attacks his closeout

*Fights through off ball screens to stay with connected to shooters

*Fights through ball screens, competes throughout the possession

*Knows when he should switch, immediately puts a body on the screener/roll man

*Competes when taken to the post but doesn’t have the size to stop bigger players from scoring

*Attacks the defensive glass, very good rebounder for his size/position

KHAIRI AKILI

Josh Hart is of the mold of an early 2000s shooting guard. He shoots a lot of mid range jumpers, posts up, and is pretty effective in isolations. He's got good size at 6'6" and is a good 3 point shooter. Hart is a great rebounder at the 2.

Hart will have to adjust to playing off the ball in the league. I can't see him getting the kind of freedom to isolate in the league especially early in his career. He's got a long and slow release that might hinder his efficiency. Hart picks up his dribble way too often in the paint and is really predictable off the dribble.

POSITIVES:

Good athlete

Good size for a 2

Good isolation scorer

Utilizes mid range

Early 2000s SG

Good three point shooter

Great rebounder at the 2

AREAS OF CONCERN:

Slow/ long release

Shoots a lot of contested jumpers from mid range

Will he be able to play off the ball?

Picks up his dribble a lot in the paint

JAMES BARLOWE - JANUARY 16, 2017