Wayne Ellington

Wayne Ellington, #22 SG, North Carolina
Height: 6'4"
Weight: 200 lbs

Strengths:
- Pure scorer
- Mid-range jumper
- Ability to catch and shoot
- Cross over and step back jumper
- Three point shooting
- Footwork
- Takes care of the ball
- Competition

Weaknesses:
- Slower release
- Tendency to fad during game
- Athleticism
- Undersized at the NBA level
- Explosiveness
- Driving to basket
- Defensive consistency

Summary:
Wayne "The Rainman" Ellington can shoot the lights out of a building. Nobody has played the two-guard position better than him the past two months. After Carolina's magical run to the 2009 National Championship, and Ellington being named the Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four, it's hard not to fathom that Ellington has done nothing but improve his draft stock.

I could spend hours discussing his abilities on the offensive floor, but his offensive abilities have been well documented. Just to highlight his strengths on this end of the floor, he has phenomenal range (he'll be able to shoot the NBA three pointer), he has a sweet mid-range game that he rarely misses from, the ability to cross over against his defender and knock down a step back jumper, he runs well off of staggered screens, and he catches and shoots the ball with high efficiency. During the NCAA Tournament he shot over 50% from the floor and 50% from behind the arc. He has improved his ability to take care of the basketball (posting an A/T ratio of 1.63 this season) while playing against top-tier competition. He also demonstrates nice footwork on both ends of the floor.

There are some areas of Ellington's game that improved from his sophomore to junior seasons, especially during the NCAA Tournament, but still needs to be worked on. Ellington has a tendency to fad during games. He lacks that killer instinct that makes him a threat as long as he's on the court. If he develops this mentality, you better watch out because he has the ability to score six or more points in less than 30 seconds. His overall athleticism and size are not ideal either at the next level. Ellington is listed at 6'4", but when I saw him walking around at Carolina, he definitely didn't look it. He is not very athletic, and he won't wow you with his explosiveness. He is not an exceptional slasher, rather he focuses his game is centered around finesse. This aspect of his game can be seen because he rarely takes the ball straight to the hoop, rather pulling up for a jump shot. If he does take the ball to the basket, you notice Ellington tries to avoid contact. He does not like to get hit while he is shooting, which is evident when he shoots because he tends to fad away on his jump shots. This is also confirmed by his inability to get to the free throw line in games (averaging just shy of three free throw attempts per game). As I mentioned before, he lacks that killer instinct when it comes to taking over a game; he would need to focus on getting to the line more often in games to develop this area of his offensive game.

On the defensive end of the floor, Ellington leaves little to be desired. He has the tools (decent lateral quickness and footwork) to be a good defender at the next level, and he has shown that he can buckle down on this end of the court, especially in the clutch. His defensive effort during the National Championship game was solid and matched the level of his teammates. Throughout the season though, Ellington did not put forth all his effort on this end of the floor. He has taken long strides in this area of his game, but still has room to grow and improve. If he could maintain the level of defensive intensity he demonstrated during the championship game, he would be less of a liability.

Projection: late first round to early second round

Best fit:
- Los Angeles Lakers: I have mentioned that Ellington lacks the mentality to take over a game if necessary. He has all the tools to be a very good offensive player. Playing him behind Kobe Bryant could be the best thing for Ellington. Kobe would challenge Ellington to be a better player both offensively and defensively. Plus, when Kobe needs a breather, Ellington could step in without the Lakers loosing too much offensive production.
- Detroit: one of the offensive tools that Ellington possess is the ability to run off of screens and catch and shoot the basketball. Rip Hamilton does this currently with the Pistons, and I believe Ellington could do the same off the bench. Learning under Hamilton could be another great option for Ellington because Hamilton puts forth his effort on both ends of the court to make himself and his teammates better. The only problem I see here is that the Pistons have some uncertainty with its front court and may address these issues with its first round pick.
- Philadelphia: since the 76ers traded Kyle Korver to the Utah Jazz several seasons ago, the team has lacked a player who could consistently spread the floor. Shooting from behind the arc is one thing that Ellington is good at. He would compliment the playing style of the 76ers and provide a much needed threat from the mid-range back to the three point line.