Kwame "KJ" Evans, Jr. Player Evaluation

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Kwame "KJ" Evans, Jr.

Montverde Academy

Team Durant

Class

2023

Height

6'9"+

Build

Thin

Position

Wing

Strong Hand

Left

Committed

Oregon

July 2021

Statistics from 2021 (10 Games)

Physical/Athleticism

Equipped with tremendous physical gifts:
- Could very well be 6’10” with shoes on
- Length for days
- Possesses a fluent, smooth, and long stride
  - Possesses good speed to get up and down
Can cover a lot of ground in a short amount of time
- North-south, east-west, and diagonally
Still learning to master his balance together with his footwork
- Developing balance together with his deceleration on the way to the rim
Good quickness at his size/length, along with fast-twitch fibers
Fully coordinated. I say this to confirm that he is a legitimate wing.
Quality hand-eye coordination
Needs to improve strength
- Can struggle with physicality (more on this throughout the evaluation)
Adequate bounce off one or two feet for his size, but lacks real vertical explosion
Decent hip fluidity
Possesses a long, rather quick first step

Other Offensive Qualities

Offensive Qualities

A finesse wing who has all the tools and a strong foundational skill set; continues to grow in versatility. The clip below gives you a good glimpse.

Potential walking mismatch as he learns to take advantage of match-ups versus smaller or larger, slower defenders
- Capable of putting smaller defenders in the post and taking advantage of his size/length
- Must continue developing effectiveness attacking the rim off the dribble to capitalize on slower-footed defenders who are trying to match him in size/length
Growing into a potent catch-and-shooter from 3-point distance
- Has shown a ton of growth in this area

Improving his shot creation and shot making abilities

Has an effective step-back jumper going right

Capable jab-step series

Likes to jab left quickly off the catch and go right
Will benefit from refining this to utilize his strengths and be more purposeful with his dribbles

Has been working diligently to implement the pull-up 3, and has shown more success recently. Overall, his percentage on this shot is still a work-in-progress.
- Can pull it from different dribbling speeds, moving right into the shot from the dribble without any wasted movements or additional rhythm dribbles

Growing ability to shoot the jumper off a hang rhythm dribble. It's not a very pronounced hang, but a hang it is.

The hang dribble can be with his off hand or with his strong hand, which is usually a more difficult shot because he is bringing the guide hand over to the ball, as opposed to bringing the ball to the guide hand

His growing range on the catch and off the bounce naturally adds to his space creation
Uses a hard step between the legs, leaning into the step to sell the drive, only to push off and shoot the step back (nearly a “runaway” move)
- Shoots a low percentage on the shot, but the move is well-executed and will serve him well if he can improve the consistency of the shot that follows

Improving as the ball handler in pick-and-roll play
- Prefers to come off the screen going left
- Looks to be aggressive
  - Generally looks to find room for the jumper, but will sometimes penetrate and kick or attempt to finish at the rim

Will benefit from coming off the screen with his body/shoulder a little lower when looking to turn the corner

Has a tendency to use too many dribbles to create space in iso situations
Currently shoots a low percentage off the dribble

At his best when he is aggressively looking to score from around the rim, as well as from the outside
- Can be tough to stop when he gets downhill going left
  - Would like to see more of this
- Capable of going right or left and finish with either hand
- Tends to settle for the jump shot
- Attacking the basket will improve his FT rate
  - Shooting 3.6 FTs per game in the 10 games charted spotlights his tendency to settle for outside shots
Possesses the potential to move well off the ball and function within more of a structured offense, as well as inside of a more motion-oriented system that will permit improvisation

Should thrive off the ball
Catch-and-shoot abilities will help space the floor

Is building on his initiator skills
Will benefit from cutting with purpose more often

Capable of rebounding and pushing in transition as the ball handler; highlights his potential for elite versatility
- Learning to be a better decision-maker in the open floor as a passer and from a shot selection standpoint

Effective with his back to the basket around the paint. I like him here, and wouldn’t mind seeing a larger dosage depending on the match-up.
- Keeps it simple with basic drop steps and turnaround jumpers
  - Can turn over either shoulder

Runs the floor
- Gets up the floor on the wing after made baskets
- Can really fill the lane to get out and finish, and would like to see it more

Finishing – finesse finisher
- Ambidextrous around the rim
  - Many times, it seems he is more confident/comfortable finishing with his off-hand (right), and usually switches to it around the rim. Has even shown that he can switch to it as far out as 12-13 feet.

Has a nice counter when he drives hard left to the rim. He will jump straight up, let the defender’s momentum take him by, and switch to his right hand for the shot.
Will benefit from adding upper body strength
- Struggles to finish through contact, but is showing improvement here

Still learning how to use his body to his advantage in different situations

Decent touch around the rim
- Touch with his off-hand seems to be better than his strong one, at times
Tends to lose concentration and will hurry in traffic; can be bothered by bodies
- Thinking about the contact/contest instead of focusing on the goal
Lacks vertical explosion against rim protection

Good offensive rebounding instincts, and would like to see him crash more

Shooting

Promising overall shooter who puts it up with a lot of confidence
Very good catch and shooter from 3, and continually improving
- Shot nearly 36% from 3 on more than 5 attempts per game in the 10 games charted
  - Percentage on catch-and-shoot attempts is estimated to be well above 40%
    - Estimate is based on memory and the low percentage shot on 3-point attempts off the dribble

Improving accuracy/consistency from longer range distances

Consistency has advanced considerably from winter-to-summer
Sets his feet and has a good shooter’s rhythm
- Like many shooters, the key to his consistency is getting his feet set. When they are not set, he struggles.

Although he is improving, he still struggles with accuracy off the dribble
- Mid-range jumpers, when attempted, generally come off of a series of rhythm dribbles, followed by a hard dribble or two right
- Off the dribble 3s consist of mainly pull-up 3s. This shot is coming along nicely and can look great when he gets his feet set. Very promising.
  - Capable of shooting it with real range, as well

Solid free throw shooter (72.2% on 3.6 attempts per game in the 10 games charted)
Comfortable shooting from all around the arc
Shot selection needs to improve
- Tends to settle for the long ball
- Shooting percentages will improve with shot selection
  - Despite his growing range, his shot choice from NBA-distance can be ill-advised
  - Lots of jump shots off the dribble
- The vast majority of attempts come from 3 or from the paint/at the rim (this is an observation only, and not meant to be stated as an issue)
As stated above, he has a terrific right hand (off hand)
Form/mechanics – the less movement in his shot, the better the outcome
- Shot continues to gain fluidity. Currently, it is roughly 1.5 movements.
  - There is a slight transition from the initial shot movement into the release, where the movement changes speeds to propel the shot
  - The transition can cause issues when shooting under pressure, especially when the transition propels the ball more forward than upward
- Elbow is up above a 90-degree angle
- Left leg tends to lead and cause his body to become a bit un-square
- Release is from his the top area of his forehead, slightly to the left side of his head
- Has improved over the year with shooting up instead of out. This has really helped his consistency.
- Finishes with a consistent follow through
- Overall shot movement is adequately quick

Dribbling

Advancing ball handling capabilities, both in transition and half-court situations. Highly capable and can be impressive with his ball control, at times.

Improved ball control and effectiveness with his dribble moves
- Adequate control from the point of attack
- Crisp handle with quick exchanges from right-to-left, and vice versa
- Tendency to leave the ball too wide and unprotected while he is handling it
  - Can get a little too close to the defender while going through his rhythms
- Will benefit from dribbling with more purpose/using his dribbles more efficiently at the point of attack in the half court
  - Tends to use too many dribbles in his space creation efforts in iso situations
Comfortable handling it in the open court, showing good speed and control, as well as a nice change of direction
Able to handle with either hand
Dribbles at the point of attack in an upright position, and will benefit from getting lower to the court
- Can impact him negatively when he goes to finish
  - Makes it easier to disrupt his progress to the basket
    - Allows the defender to get into his body more effectively
  - Limits acceleration and explosiveness
  - More distance for the ball to travel to the floor and back up to his hand
- Has shown improvement from winter-to-summer in this area.
Generally keeps his eyes up

Passing

Shows flashes of potential to be a quality passer
Size helps him to see the floor well and he is developing his delivery

Willing passer
Puts good zip on the ball

A capable drive-and-kicker

Throws a nice bounce pass as the primary ball handler on the break

Accuracy off the live dribble and judgment are the biggest areas of needed improvement
Overall, he displays sufficient ball security with the pass

Defense

Has outstanding potential due to the combination of his ground coverage, lateral mobility/agility, and length
- His potential exists in all facets of defense: on-ball, help side, post defense, passing lanes, zone pressing, man pressure, half-court trapping, other team defensive schemes, etc., etc.
Versatility to defend the perimeter and the post with effectiveness
His length can be a real problem for opponents
- His long arms and legs allow him to cover a ton of ground
- Excellent recovery to guard and contest

Stands straight up-and-down a lot, especially off the ball. Remaining in a defensive stance will help to maximize his abilities.
On-ball
- Intimidating length and agility make it difficult to get quality shots

Has improved his defensive stance, and will benefit from consistently sitting down, playing with his feet, and being active with his arms/hands
Drop step is a bit slow, but his length allows him to recover nicely
Tends to lunge for the ball
Can struggle a bit against the dribble drive

Post defense
- Again, his length allows for the versatility to defend the post and make it difficult for opponents to get quality looks at the rim
- His upright position allows the post man to get into his body and clear space
- Adding strength will help deal with the physicality of post play
Average rim protector, but does show good shot blocking skills at various times

Basketball IQ

Possesses awareness of space and time, especially without the ball
Understands time and score situations
Knows how to run a fast-break
When to draw the D and dish
When to finish on his own
Learning when to bring it out when there’s nothing there

Dispostion/Presence

Disposition/Presence

Strong work ethic
Decent motor
Inconsistent aggression level
Generally calm temperament
Takes the game seriously
Growing in confidence
Can get fired up when challenged

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