Despite a disappointing freshman season, Nassir Little is a high end first round prospect. He averaged 9.8 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 0.7 APG, 0.5 SPG, 0.5 BPG, and 1.3 TOPG on shooting splits of 48/27/77. Here is his full scouting report:
Name: Nassir Little
Height/Weight: 6’6/ 224
Wingspan/ standing reach: 7’1/ 8’8 ½
Hand size: 10
Position: F
College/ country: North Carolina
Tools: Length, athleticism
Pros:
- Great athlete- quick leaper
- Solid in transition
- Excellent frame
- Good motor- crashes the offensive glass
- High character
Cons:
- Mild great ball handler- often turns back to defender
- Poor shooter on the move
- Poor decision maker + often plays out of control
- Poor off ball defender
Overall: Nassir LIttle has all the physical tools NBA executives dream of: long arms, big hands, NBA strength, and excellent athleticism. However, there are still multiple areas to be improved upon in his game. The attraction in Nassir Little, despite his underwhelming freshman season at North Carolina where he was misused, lies in unlocking his upside that was expected to be shown at North Carolina. The most important aspect of his game that needs to be improved in order for him to reach his upside is shooting. Little is a poor shooter off the dribble and is inconsistent as a spot up shooter, as shown by his 27% 3P% in college. However, Little was able to hit his free throws at a high clip, which generally is a good predictor of NBA 3 point success. Little also needs to improve his decision making as a passer and in shot selection. Instead of using dribble moves or using his frame to beat defenders, he often turned his back to defenders and got shut down as a ball handler. That being said, Little is still capable of handling the ball in limited situations. He needs to refine consistency and improve his approach as a ball handler in order to be successful in that department.
NBA Comparison: Wilson Chandler
Projected draft range: 12-27
Fit with Mavs:
The Mavs could potentially be in play for Little if he slides into the early 2nd. I believe Little would be worth trading up for if he slides past 25. Although he has concerns regarding his game, his high character and high work ethic make him a desirable project for Carlisle and the Mavs to develop. Little likely wouldn’t contribute right away to whichever team drafts him, so there is slight, if any at all, pressure on him to thrive early on. His best case scenario in his first two seasons would be playing the Jae Crowder role as an energy wing off the bench.
If not selected by Dallas, Little’s range is quite wide. The best fit for him would be a team that doesn’t need him to produce right away, has a coach that is patient in development, and can use him as an energy wing for the early portion of his career. A lot of player development occurs in practice and behind the scenes, and that could greatly benefit Little in his development.
