The 2021 NBA Draft will be an important event for teams to build for their future. Here is the Josh Christopher 2021 NBA Draft Profile.
Josh Christopher Background
Position:Â Guard
Size: 6-foot-4, 215 pounds
School:Â Arizona State
Class:Â Freshman
2020-21 stats: 14.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 0.5 blocks, 1.5 steals, 43.2% FG, 30.5% 3PT, 80.0% FT
Christopher played just one season of college basketball, but did enough to prove his talent level. He is now a solid prospect in the 2021 NBA Draft.
As a California five-star product, Christopher decided to stay out west and play for Arizona State. Under head coach Bobby Hurley, Christopher averaged 14.3 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game. Despite lofty expectations entering the season, the Sun Devils limped to a 11-14 record and did not qualify for a postseason tournament.
Following the season, Christopher decided to declare for the 2021 NBA Draft. He is currently projected to be a late first round pick or early second round pick.
Strengths
Christopher is a good athlete, as he has good quickness, speed and jumping ability. This comes in play on both ends of the floor. He uses his athleticism to stay in front as an on-ball defender and he can get to the basket on the offensive end of the floor. His size and athleticism will not leave him out of place at the NBA level.
He is a good slasher on offense. Christopher excels at getting to the basket. That is both true from him cutting to the basket and him dribbling into the lane. He slips right behind the defense when cutting. When he dribbles, Christopher displays a quick first step and can beat his man to the basket. Christopher uses his athletic ability well, as he is able to finish through contact. He can also dunk if given enough space and is very effective in transition.
In a half-court offense, Christopher can create his own shot. As stated, he can get to the basket off the dribble. He can also get to the middle of the key and hit mid-range jumpers. Christopher can also clear space and step back to hit 3-pointers on occasion. He needs to work on some things, but can develop into a three-level scorer. Christopher can score in ISO situations.
Weaknesses
Christopher needs to work on his shot selection. Far too often he settles for deep shots or contested ones when the better play would be passing or getting to the basket. Because he took some bad shots, his efficiency at Arizona State is not what it could have been.
His 3-point shooting will need to improve. He shot 30.5 percent from 3-point range at Arizona State. That isn’t entirely bad, but if he wants to stretch the floor more, he needs to knock them down at a higher clip. Specifically, if he can knock down more shots like this off the catch, he will be a more well-rounded player. His high free-throw percentage is encouraging for those hoping to see him improve in this area.
He has the potential to be a great defender and can turn it on at times (he averaged 1.5 steals per game), but he isn’t always the best defender. Christopher needs to show better defensive awareness and he has to play better team defense.
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