Phil Pressey Scouting Report

A preseason All-American pick for many this year, Phil Pressey and his Missouri team didn't live up to expectations. Now, he's decided to forgo his Senior season to enter the NBA Draft, does he have the game to make it in the Association?

Strengths: Phil Pressey is a pass first point guard with very good court vision and passing ability. He is able to run the pick-and-roll, and find teammates effectively. Though he will need to get stronger in order take contact at the rim, Pressey has decent bulk for his size. Pressey should look to Kyle Lowry as an example of how to form his body. Athletically, he is a very explosive leaper (look up the YouTube video of him dunking over a guy in high school) and has great quickness and is an above-average ballhandler. His ability to penetrate and find teammates should translate well to the NBA. He has a nice, easy stroke as a shooter and can hit an NBA 3-pointer. Very good transition player. He gives good effort defensively and gets a lot of steals (2 a game over the course of his career). By all accounts, Pressey is a great kid and a strong leader on and off the court.



Weaknesses: There's no doubt that Pressey is undersized for a point guard. He's been measured at 5-11 in shoes, which would make him one of the shortest point guards in the NBA. Though plenty of players have succeeded at Pressey's height or shorter, it is definitely more challenging  He's had trouble finishing over size in college, and that won't get easier for him in the NBA. Pressey isn't a great shooter yet, and that is something he must improve on in the NBA if he wants to make it. Overall, he hasn't been a very efficient scorer, with only 38% field goal percentage. He can also be pretty turnover prone (3.5 a game) and can try to do too much a times. Defensively, again size will be an issue, though if he can get stronger, he has the quickness and athleticism to at least be average at that end. One oddity about his Junior season was that he really struggled down the stretch, completely falling apart occasionally for no apparent reason.

Overall: Whether Pressey can succeed in the NBA, it will hinge on his ability to make 3s and cut turnovers. Shooting will be especially important, he needs to be able to keep defenders honest so they he'll be able to get into the lane and create for teammates. I think Pressey gets drafted in the second round and makes a team, eventually carving out a role as a backup point guard that pushes the pace and runs pick-and-roll. Isaiah Thomas was a better scorer than Pressey, but isn't nearly the passer, I think their careers will take similar arcs. Again, this is all providing he improves his shooting, which is something Thomas did, by the way.