An All-Big 12 Tournament honoree, Jericho Sims had a productive college career, and made great strides in his upperclassmen seasons. As a senior, Sims averaged 9.2 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 0.7 APG, 0.7 SPG, 1.1 BPG, and 1.6 TOPG on shooting splits of 70/0/52. Below is his full scouting report:
Name: Jericho Sims
Height/Weight: 6’10 / 250
Wingspan/ standing reach: 7’3 ¼ / 8’10
Hand size: 9 ¾
Position: PF/C
Pre-draft team: Texas
Tools: Athleticism, P&R, defense
Pros:
- Excellent P&R big
- Outstanding athlete with length
- Versatile defender and moves his feet well; switches easily
- Excellent finisher at the rim
- Good rebounder
- NBA ready body with good frame
- High motor
- Good second jump
Cons:
- Lacks a strong post presence
- Needs to continue improving jump shot
- Unlikely to create for others outside of dribble hand-offs
- Averaged more turnovers than assists
Overall:
Jericho Sims is an immediate rotation player off the bench as a pick & roll big with the ability to defend multiple positions, serving as a bonafide energy big man. While the big man position has declined over recent years, the need for an energy big, especially one that can be an aerial threat in the pick & roll and off cuts, still has a valuable role in the NBA for winning teams. Sims should shoot 60+% from the field for most of his career, while cleaning the glass and not giving up many easy second chance points. Defensively, Sims is unlikely to ever be a liability due to his versatility on defense. Not only can he guard multiple positions, but he also understands the pick & roll at a high level, and can play in almost any defensive scheme.
Similar to: Dwight Powell, Robert Williams
Projected draft range: 40-undrafted
Expected role: Energy big with prowess in pick & roll offensively, and overall versatile defensively without being a liability on the defensive end.
Unplayable if: Lack of jump shooting limits him severely, and somehow his pick & roll defense does not translate/ he becomes exploitable in the pick & roll. In the most realistic worst-case scenario, Sims’ lack of offensive creation outweighs his defensive versatility
Exceeds expectations if: Sims showed flashes out of post face-up situations, so if he can create off one dribble within 10 feet, his finishing becomes that much more valuable.
