The Spurs officially have Kawhi Leonard back and should be on pace for over 50 wins yet again this season. While his debut was spoiled by the Mavericks, he should be working his way back into the lineup and increasing his minute load. That should lead to more wins and that means a lower pick in the 2018 NBA Draft.
With that in mind, that brings us to our weekly prospect watch. This week features Mountain West star Brandon McCoy out of UNLV. The 7-foot, 250-pound center is considered a mid-to-late first rounder and some mock drafts even have him as a lottery pick.
Here are his current stats:
- 20.3 PPG, 11.3 RPG, 1.7 BPG
- 62.0 FG%, 70.3 FT%
- 115.8 ORtg, 87.4 DRtg
- Per-40 stats
- 28.8 PPG, 16 RPG, 2.5 BPG
- Per-40 stats
McCoy is excellent at the rim and is a solid defender with his 7-foot-3 wingspan. He’s a gifted athlete, which helps him defend so well and to finish at the rim so well on offense. He also gets to the free throw line often, but isn’t the best shooter from there as he shoots under 70 percent from the charity stripe.
He has the size to play center as a legit 7-footer, but he won’t be playing as a stretch guy since he is not a good shooter outside of the paint. He doesn’t have a bunch of post moves so he won’t be a go-to option at the next level, but his excellent rebounding will give him opportunities to score.
The big man is incredibly raw offensively and a little bit defensively, but has been able to get by thanks to his athleticism and length. He will need some tutoring on shooting mechanics and understanding an offense better, but the Spurs can provide that.
