Top NBA Draft Prospects in the ACC (Part One: #1-#5)
#6: Jared Dudley
6-7, SF/PF, Senior, Boston College
Wojciech Malinowski
During his first three years at Boston College, Jared Dudley established himself as one of the most difficult matchups in the NCAA at the forward position. Entering his senior year, he not only has to take over his teams leading role after Craig Smith finished his career at BC, but he also needs to show NBA scouts that his game will translate to the next level. After averaging 16.7 PPG last year, Dudley will probably need to score even more now, and will almost certainly need to quickly adjust to being a focal point of defensive efforts from opposing teams. He will have a chance to show even more passing skills than last season (3.2 assists per game), since without Craig Smith it will now be him who should draw double teams on nightly basis. Thanks to his very advanced interior passing game, players like Sean Williams or John Oates should get plenty of easy lay-ups or dunks.
But for now there are more questions than clear answers regarding his NBA future. And it isn't always Dudley's fault - part of the problem is the system and size of BCs team. With so many teams starting 3-guards, a player like Dudley who is 6'7 and weighed around 240 pounds last year had a clear size advantage at the Small Forward spot. His size, as well as his aggressive and physical style of play, allows him to post-up smaller defenders and score the majority of his points from inside the paint. Is it successful? Absolutely. Will he be able to play the same way in NBA? Most likely not. Without being a Corliss Williamson-type player, it's impossible to imagine that a 6'7 Small Forward can find a niche in the NBA operating mostly inside the paint.
If Jared Dudley wants to be considered a serious NBA Draft prospect, he has to show more perimeter skills in this upcoming season. For now he is a consistent mid-range shooter and can also hit spot-up 3-pointers on a decent percentage (35% last season), but on a low number of attempts (under one make per game). He has a high release point on his jumper, but probably isn't ready yet to shoot consistently from the NBA 3-point line, particularly when off-balance. He also rarely beats his opponent off the dribble, mostly because of his lack of quickness and average ball-handling skills. He also has problems on the defensive end he is not quick enough chasing opposing players through screens or staying in front of them in man to man. He usually works hard on both ends of the floor and rarely takes plays off, but he clearly isn't athletic enough in defending the perimeter, and just like on the offensive end, he looks much more comfortable when operating closer to the basket.
It would be a surprise to see Al Skinner changing Dudley's role on offense, after it worked so well over the last few years. So we can expect to again see him destroying smaller and/or weaker defenders and operating mostly around the rim. In this case, a good showing at pre-draft camps and private workouts, where he will have a chance to demonstrate his legit perimeter game, will be crucial for him. The news out of BC this offseason says that Dudley has lost close to 20 pounds, which is an interesting development to follow.
But for now there are more questions than clear answers regarding his NBA future. And it isn't always Dudley's fault - part of the problem is the system and size of BCs team. With so many teams starting 3-guards, a player like Dudley who is 6'7 and weighed around 240 pounds last year had a clear size advantage at the Small Forward spot. His size, as well as his aggressive and physical style of play, allows him to post-up smaller defenders and score the majority of his points from inside the paint. Is it successful? Absolutely. Will he be able to play the same way in NBA? Most likely not. Without being a Corliss Williamson-type player, it's impossible to imagine that a 6'7 Small Forward can find a niche in the NBA operating mostly inside the paint.
If Jared Dudley wants to be considered a serious NBA Draft prospect, he has to show more perimeter skills in this upcoming season. For now he is a consistent mid-range shooter and can also hit spot-up 3-pointers on a decent percentage (35% last season), but on a low number of attempts (under one make per game). He has a high release point on his jumper, but probably isn't ready yet to shoot consistently from the NBA 3-point line, particularly when off-balance. He also rarely beats his opponent off the dribble, mostly because of his lack of quickness and average ball-handling skills. He also has problems on the defensive end he is not quick enough chasing opposing players through screens or staying in front of them in man to man. He usually works hard on both ends of the floor and rarely takes plays off, but he clearly isn't athletic enough in defending the perimeter, and just like on the offensive end, he looks much more comfortable when operating closer to the basket.
It would be a surprise to see Al Skinner changing Dudley's role on offense, after it worked so well over the last few years. So we can expect to again see him destroying smaller and/or weaker defenders and operating mostly around the rim. In this case, a good showing at pre-draft camps and private workouts, where he will have a chance to demonstrate his legit perimeter game, will be crucial for him. The news out of BC this offseason says that Dudley has lost close to 20 pounds, which is an interesting development to follow.