Rodney Rice Player Evaluation

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Rodney Rice

DeMatha High School (MD)

Team Durant

Class

2022

Height

6'3"

Weight

185 lbs

Position

Strong Hand

Right

Committed

Virginia Tech

September 2021

Statistics from 2021 (9 Games Charted)

Statistics from EYBL Peach Jam (11 Games)

Physical/Athleticism

Very good positional strength
- Finesse player who has the strength to take on physicality
- Strength lies in his upper and lower body
- Translates on both ends of the court
- Moves with force and strength
- Strong with the ball
Decent leaping ability off one foot when he can properly gather

Shows adequate speed with the ball in the open court
Limited burst/acceleration
Strong endurance
Moderate lateral quickness
Good body control and balance
Excellent hand-eye coordination

Other Offensive Qualities

Offensive Qualities

Aggressive, score-first combo guard with a refined skillset who can fill it up from deep, hit difficult shots from mid-range, and convert around the rim at a high rate
- Terrific shooter who knows how to put the ball in the basket

Will be productive within the majority of offensive systems, if not all, due to his adaptability and versatile scoring approach
- Scores it from all three levels
- Tough shot maker
- Capable of getting his points within the offense
  - Has a tendency to break out of the offense and do his own thing
- Also capable of scoring off of self-creation

A very notable shooter off the bounce
Skilled jab-step series

Owns an outstanding left hand
- He will use it to drive and finish, or pull-up from mid-range or from 3
Prefers to go left; more effective going left

Has a refined step-back going left

Possesses a nice collection of dribble moves to create space

Likes to use pull back inside-outs, between the legs, and crossovers to set up his jumper, usually moving left

Especially fond of the inside-out

Likes to use an initial dribble move going left and then counter with a spin back right when cut off
Struggles to create separation against higher-tier athletes and defenders
- In these instances, he:
  - Relies heavily on the pick-and-roll and his jumper off the catch
  - Tends to use too many dribbles in an effort to shake the defender moving east-west
  - Will benefit from moving more north-south off of decisive single and double dribble moves

Potent pick-and-roll player; cerebral in his approach
Willing to wait for the screen and has the patience to take the proper angle and maximize space creation off the screen

Utilizes a change of pace to keep the defense guessing
Going under the screen is out of the question
Capable of making plays for others
Understands when to reject the screen
Still learning how to consistently handle hard hedges and double teams

Runs the wing hard to spot up and knock it down in transition

Will help to create spacing with his shooting gravity

Understands how to make the game easier for himself
- Movement without the ball
  - Excellent relocation instincts
  - Understands where his spots on the floor will be within the offense
  - Naturally moves to the open areas against the zone
- Takes what the defense gives him
  - Knows how to take advantage of player personnel
- Gets out in the open court for easy buckets
Excellent use of his body
- Seals the defender on the step and then with his body. Uses his shoulder to protect the ball and keep the defender at bay, giving him the space to operate and make his next move.
- Has a developing hostage dribble

Smart in transition/semi-transition
- Consistently shows sound decision-making

Will pull-up from mid-range when he has the defense retreating to the paint or the defender back on his heels, but prefers to get all the way to the rim

Has the ability to stop and pop from 22-23 feet

Knows how to draw the defense and make the play

Finishing
- Crafty finisher who uses a variety of shot types to convert in the paint and around the rim

Finishes well with the left
Understands how to use the rim for protection
Finishes with strength, often keeping two hands on the ball before finally finishing with the right or left
Maintains body control on the way to the rim, as well as when making mid-air adjustments

Has a floater as part of his repertoire
Maintains concentration on the goal and uses a soft touch off the board

Has become much more comfortable running the point when asked to do so
- Progressing playmaker who is at his best when he is willingly making plays for others, while still maintaining his aggression level as a scorer (see the “Passing” section for more)
  - Has improved his ability to create quality shots for others
    - Has improved his ability to get into the lane

Shows that he is able to handle pressure and initiate the offense
- May sometimes come at the expense of ball movement, as he tends to move directly into pick-and-roll action or pounds the ball as he probes the defense looking for a shot
Practices quality ball security
Growing play maker out of pick-and-roll action

Often plays at his own pace and can be difficult to speed up
- A player that remains in control of his body and mind

Shooting

Excellent shooter overall. A knock-down shooter when he has time and gets his feet set.

Very good on the catch and potent off the dribble
- Accurate when shooting off the dribble going right or left but, as stated above, he is most effective going left

Has extended his range, shooting more consistently from longer distances

Can absolutely fill it up when he gets going, such as when he hit 7 in a row (including 6 threes) in the first half of the Peach Jam semifinal

Productive mid-range game
- The numbers: 40% on 25 attempts across 9 games charted (only 1 Peach Jam game)
- The context: nearly all shots were off the bounce and contested, resulting in a high degree of difficulty
  - Skilled at making tough shots
  - Very comfortable shooting off of single and double dribble moves

Consistent foul shooter – 80.3% on 56 attempts across games
Can shoot it off a jump stop or from a 1-2 step rhythm
Has a nice touch on his shot from all over the floor
Boundless confidence and a short memory
- Possesses the ideal mindset of a shooter
Shows great concentration on the shot
Mechanics/form – the shot is grooved from successful muscle memory development
- Uses his legs well to start a smooth upward momentum through the shot
- There is some swing action as he brings the ball from right side of his body up and over to the left side of his head for the release
  - Release from the left side allows him to get clean shots off with limited space going left

As he goes through his shot motion, his body often rotates left and his left shoulder tends to hang open as a result
- Can render his body un-squared
Wonderful snap of the wrist on his follow through

Shoots closer to the right side of his head when he is moving right

Shot selection
- Blends various shot types into his offensive attack, mixing in a steady diet of mid-range attempts and drives to the rim to complement his assault from deep
  - Out of the 226 total shots attempted, 53.1% were 3-pointers
- Knows where his spots are on the floor (i.e. left corner), but is comfortable shooting from anywhere
- A bad shooting outing does not discourage him from being aggressive and taking the next shot
- Tends to take ill-advised shots outside of the flow of the game

Shot Chart (9 Games Charted)

Dribbling

Solid handle with good ball control. He has always had effective dribble moves at the point of attack in the half court, but he has tightened up his ball handling in other areas.

Protects the ball well with his body and is strong with the ball
Handles full-court pressure well
- Uses a lot of change of direction to compensate for a lack of burst/separation

Small tendency to play around with the ball a little too much

Confident with the dribble in the open court, where he confidently snakes in and out of the defense searching for the opening he wants
Uses his handle in the backcourt to contribute to his overall playmaking ways

Has a tendency to leave the ball exposed as he gets stuck moving east-west in an effort to create separation
As stated above, he has a terrific left hand

Passing

Highly capable distributor and is at his best when he is a willing passer
- Level of willingness varies
  - Has a tendency to look open teammates off
- Regardless, he possesses the skills necessary to be an effective distributor, and has stints where he exhibits them. When he isn’t focused on his shot, he is a solid passer and at his best as a player.
Effective off the pick-and-roll hitting the roller, driving and kicking, and seeing the court as a whole

Competent passer off of penetration; good drive and kicker
- Sees the shooters and delivers the pass right in the shooter’s pocket

Skilled at drawing the defense and delivering the pass

Has a tendency to hold on to the pass and take a lower quality shot himself instead

Reliable passer in open court play

Strong left-handed passer

Basketball IQ

High IQ player
Good court awareness and basketball instincts
Understands how to make the game easier for himself
- Plays to his strengths
Recognizes how to take advantage of existing player personnel, such as attacking the rim when the opposition has no rim protection
Uses proper angles
Not to make it sound simple or cliché, but he sees what’s happening on the court and reacts accordingly with decisiveness
- Contextual scenario: as the inbounder under his basket, he recognized his man was playing too far under the rim in an effort to prevent that pass. A stack formation was in front of him, forming a natural barrier. So he throws it in and quickly runs to the corner for the open shot.

Terrific understanding of space and time
Fundamentally sound
Well into learning how to read the defense
Overall, a sound decision-maker who has a very good understanding of the game
- Typically mitigates against mistakes with the ball – 31 TOs in 19 games

Defense

Steady on-ball defender who looks to stay in front
- Rarely applies ball pressure
- Can find himself back on his heels and susceptible to drives to the basket
- Will benefit from not being in reactive mode and, instead, look to dictate the opponent’s movements with the ball
Plays proper position defense on the help side, and steps in with his body/feet, as opposed to simply reaching
- Has good hands from the help side
Has a tendency not to finish possessions by blocking out
Exhibits his strength on digs in the post
Understands team defensive concepts and how to implement them from his positions on the court
Lower motor on this end and would like to see greater activity
Serviceable on the boards

Dispostion/Presence

Disposition/Presence

Composed under pressure
Calm temperament
Demands a lot of himself
Great work ethic
Has a tendency to exhibit negative body language that expressed frustration, disinterest, and some contempt for his teammates
Also shows positive body language amidst personal shooting struggles. For instance, in the midst of a particularly tough shooting stretch, he showed no signs of slumping; nor did he put his head down in disappointment. He just kept playing.

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