Damion James

Damion James, #5 SF/PF, Texas

Strengths:

- Rebounding and crashing boards

- Runs the floor well, especially in the fast break

- Off ball IQ

- Offensive awareness

- Ability to get to the rim and finish

- Athleticism

- Lateral quickness

- Explosiveness

- Physical toughness

- Shooting mechanics

- Hustle

Weaknesses:

- Perimeter game development

- Poor footwork

- Defensive fundamentals

- Free throw shooting

Summary:

I watched Damion James in the first and second rounds of the NCAA Tournament. He is an athlete; he is explosive; he runs the court well; he has great length; he has good lateral quickness; he hustles. He uses these combination's to excel on the court. Arguably his best strength is his rebounding on both ends of the court. Words cannot express his effectiveness in this area. This season he averaged just over nine rebounds per game (6.3 defensive and 2.9 offensive), but even the times he did not end up with the ball, he was still in the post working for the rebound and causing a lost opportunity for the opposing team. He is able to do this because he has sound rebounding fundamentals. Offensively, he is not afraid to go into the post and play tough to get the rebound. His physical play allows him to grab several offensive rebounds a game, resulting in easy put backs for himself. As a matter of fact, James gets a majority of his shot attempts off of easy looks. He is able to score a bulk of his point because he is willing to either fight in the post for a rebound, run the court in transition or understand where the weaknesses and holes are in a defense and then exploit those areas. He is usually a good finisher in these types of situations if he has the ball in his hands, especially with contact. His free throw shooting has little to be desired. He uses relatively no legs in his shot, relying mainly on his upper body strength. Tweaking his form may result in a higher free throw shooting percentage.

While James’ athleticism has helped him excel, it has also allowed for some glaring weaknesses to develop. His defensive fundamentals are not as strong as one would like to see because he relies on his athleticism to keep up with opposing players. He has a tendency to gamble on defense and reach out for a steal or go for a shot fake, as well as poor footwork. He will not be able to get away with this at the next level simply because of the caliber of athlete he will be facing. He has shown a commitment to rebounding fundamentals, so it is not out of the realm of possibilities to think he can improve his defensive fundamentals.

On the offensive side of the ball, James needs to continue to develop his perimeter game because he will more than likely have to play small forward in the NBA. His shooting from deep has digressed from last season (down from 41.3% to 32.6%) which has left me a bit unimpressed, but it does tell me one thing. James benefits when he has a playmaker who is able to get him open looks. In his sophomore season when he shot 41.3% from behind the arc, he had DJ Augustin (now a Charlotte Bobcat) facilitating the offense. This year he did not have that type of penetrating guard to get him many open looks. A combination of an Augustin-type point guard and his good shooting mechanics would be ideal, but James should continue to work on this aspect of his game.

Overall, James is a great prospect. I would not be surprised to see him at least “test the waters” in this year’s NBA Draft. He has good upside, and as long as he works on his weaknesses, he should be able to develop into a decent role player.

Projection: early- to mid-second round

Best Fit:

- Toronto: the Raptors have Marion signed through the end of the season. He filled the role of an athletic slasher that the team needed. It is yet to be seen if the Raptors will re-sign Marion though. If the team decides not to, it will need another slasher-type player. As I mentioned, James can fill this role, but would still need time to develop his perimeter game.

- Sacramento: let’s be honest, this team could go in many different directions. As it stands, the team already has some scorers on its team in Martin, Garcia, Thompson, and Nocioni. Having a player who is willing to clean up is a plus. Though he’s a bit undersized, he is still scrappy enough to go in the post and clean up. If the team gets a PG in the first round, look for the Kings to target a player who can play in the post (or vice versa). James could play in the post, but is better suited for the wing.

- Houston: James is a smart player who get a lot of his points on easy opportunities. All teams love those types of players. The one area he needs to improve is his defense. There wouldn't be a better place to learn perimeter defense from here. The team has Shane Battier, and if the team can re-sign him, Ron Artest, arguably two of the best perimeter defenders in the game. I'm sure Morey has been using his analytics to evaluate this prospect.

- Washington: the Wizards' roster has only one true SF on it. He is Caron Butler. The Wizards will should look at drafting an athletic wingman. With James' ability to read defenses and exploit its holes, rebound, and get easy baskets, the Wizards may take a serious look at James. The team will be better once Gilbert Arenas comes back from injury, but as it stands, they are the worst team in the Souteast Division and need help wherever the team can get it.