Despite a disappointing freshman season at Kentucky, Brandon “BJ” Boston still showed flashes to keep him quite relevant as a prospect. On the season, Boston averaged 11.5 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 1.6 APG, 1.3 SPG, 0.2 BPG, and 1.4 TOPG on shooting splits of 36/30/79. It should be noted how different he was as a player in his final month of the season. In that ten game stretch, Boston averaged 10.5 PPG, 3 RPG, 2.1 APG, 1.3 SPG, and 1 TOPG on shooting splits of 34/42/78. Below is his full scouting report:
Name: BJ Boston
Height/Weight: 6’7 / 188
Wingspan/ standing reach: 6’11 / 8’8
Hand size: 9 ¾
Position: Wing
College: Kentucky
Tools: Frame, defense
Pros:
- Quick footwork and base on jump shot
- Ideal size for archetype
- Power shot creator
- Plays passing lanes well defensively
- Good in transition
- Strong pump fake that can easily get defenders in the air
- Excellent defensive range with strong recovery ability
Cons:
- Needs to add fluidity to his jump shot
- Jump shot is too blockable; leaves the ball in front allowing for defenders to get hard contests
- Game needs to slow down for him; very raw and struggled with college tempo at times
- Needs to tighten his handle
- Must add strength
- Needs to improve off-balance & pull-up scoring
- Needs to get better at finishing against bigs at the rim
- Must get better at running pick & roll
- Needs to improve his left hand
Overall:
Brandon Boston Jr is a shot creating wing with upside as a two-way shot creator. While his stock plummeted at Kentucky, his untapped potential is still worth gambling on in the top 40 picks. At his size, with his footspeed defensively and his shot creation package, a team that can be patient with him and properly develop him could see outstanding returns in a few years. Boston is not an immediate-value play, but if a team can make him a useful shooter, his early impact would come from defense and shooting. As a shooter, he needs to make his shot release less blockable and more flexible, but his footwork and overall base are mostly sound and very quick. The four areas that will be key in Boston evolving from raw into productive talent are: strength, finishing, ball-handling, and pull-up shooting. The strength will help him both as a defender and as a finisher against contact, which takes care of two issues by solving one, in theory. If Boston can tighten his handle, he can maximize his shot creation ability to unlock his star upside. As Boston improves his pull-up shooting, he can be more effective in using screens and making his defender pay for biting on his lethal pump fake. If/when those skills evolve, he could be a starting caliber player in the league, or even more.
Similar to: Norman Powell, Donte Green
Projected draft range: 22-40
Expected role: Two-way shot creating wing in the long-term; 3&D in the short-term.
Unplayable if: Jump shooting never progresses, and his lack of strength holds him back from using his skill
Exceeds expectations if: Jump shot comes along, he escapes the rawness stage of his career, and he can finish through contact at the rim
