NBA Comparison: Andray Blatche

Strengths: Light on his feet and solidly built, the 6-foot-9, 257-pound O’Bryant looks the part of an NBA power forward … A versatile interior scorer, O’Bryant improved his scoring average and shooting percentage in each of his three seasons at LSU … A triple-threat offensively – can score off the drive, in the post, or from midrange with his jumper. Uses a variety of impressive spin moves in the post, can make hook shots and layups with either hand, and has a midrange fade-away that is difficult to defend … The range on his jump shot extends past 22 feet, though he is far more reliable inside 15 feet … According to Hoop-Math.com, O’Bryant made 69 percent of his shots at the rim and 40 percent of his two-point jumpers this past season, both above-average numbers … Effectively uses his sturdy body – not easily moved in the post, not fazed by contact, and draws a good number of fouls (7.3 FTA per 40 minutes this past season) … Has active hands and a nose for the ball … Sets solid screens … A solid rebounder, especially on the offensive end of the floor … Motivated, involved, coachable, and levelheaded … Showed steady physical and mental improvement throughout his career at LSU … Transformed his body between sophomore and junior seasons and is moving much better with the new, svelte body … Appears to have the length and strength to play both PF and center at the NBA level …



Weaknesses: Turnover prone – averaged 4.3 turnovers per 40 minutes this past season … Often reacts too slowly to double teams, and throws errant passes or travels as a result … Doesn’t have an explosive first step, and has trouble beating his man off the dribble … Sometimes overestimates his dribble/drive skills and finds himself with no place to go with the ball, with the end result being a turnover or a forced shot … Does not block many shots, not so much because he’s vertically challenged but because he is not aggressive in terms of challenging shots… Not overly physical on either end of the floor, and sometimes falls in love with his finesse game on the offensive end… Has below-average speed and doesn’t score much in transition … Can finish with authority, but doesn’t do it as often as he should … Not a great foul shooter, making fewer than 64 percent of his attempts … Conditioning could be better – needs to convert some of his baby fat into muscle … Playing at the 5 spot in college, he is not a tested perimeter defender…



Notes: Measured 6’9 (with shoes) 260 lbs with a 7’1.5 wingspan at the 2013 Nike Big Man Skills Academy … As a junior at LSU, O’Bryant was the focal point of the offense, seemingly touching the ball on every possession. When he was not on the floor, the Tigers’ offense frequently struggled … This past season, he shot 49.6 percent from the floor, averaged 15.4 points and 7.7 rebounds per game, and was named to the All-SEC First-Team for the second straight season … One of just 14 players in LSU history to finish his career with more than 1,000 points and 700 rebounds … In three games against Kentucky’s vaunted frontline this past season, he averaged 22.3 points and 9.3 rebounds per contest … Was not overly impressive at the NBA Combine, finishing near the bottom in both the shuttle (3.32) and sprint (3.45) drills, and registering one of the higher body fat percentages (10.75%). On the plus side, he posted solid vertical numbers – 31 inches standing and 35.5 inches with a running start … According to his agent, Gerald Collier, O’Bryant has worked out for Atlanta, Phoenix, San Antonio, Chicago, New York, Cleveland, and Minnesota. He is scheduled to work out for Houston, Miami, Charlotte, Milwaukee, Memphis, Toronto, Detroit and possibly one more team …



Outlook: O’Bryant has the potential to become a very effective scoring PF at the NBA level. Unlike many of the other big men in this draft, he can score both inside and out … His weaknesses are correctable, and he has been focusing on improving in these areas this offseason. His explosiveness, both vertically and horizontally, could simply be improved by continuing to increase his conditioning and by adding more muscle. To become an outstanding offensive player, he also needs to tighten his handle, make better decisions, and improve his shooting consistency beyond 15 feet … On the other end of the floor, it’s unlikely that he will ever play at an elite level – he’s not tall enough to consistently defend pro centers, and he’s not quick enough to reliably stay with agile power forwards on the perimeter … O’Bryant appears to be a lock to be drafted at least in the second round, and if he impresses in his private workouts, he has an outside chance to be taken at the end of the first round …

Richard Harris 6/14/14