Kristian Doolittle gained traction at the end of his senior year as a draft prospect by being the star for Oklahoma as they were on pace for a likely NCAA Tournament berth. For the season, Doolittle averaged 15.8 PPG, 8.9 RPG, 2 APG, 1.3 SPG, 0.4 BPG, and 2.1 TOPG on shooting splits of 44/37.5/79. Below is his full scouting report:
Name: Kristian Doolittle
Height/Weight: 6’7/ 232
Wingspan/ standing reach: N/A
Hand size: N/A
Position: Forward
College: Oklahoma
Tools: Shooting, versatility
Pros:
- Good shooter on the move
- Good as spot up shooter/ in pick & pop
- Good rebounder
- Good P&R defender
- Capable ball handler in transition
- Efficient mid range shooter
- Good vision out of double teams
- Avoids foul trouble while also drawing fouls on the other end at a good rate
Cons:
- Needs to continue to refine shooting base
- Must continue improving ball handling/ ball security
- Limited athlete
- Sometimes stiff against more athletic ball-handlers, particularly against the drive
- Lacks defensive awareness at times
- Needs to improve finishing ability at the rim
Overall: Despite being overlooked at Oklahoma since being teammates with Trae Young, Kristian Doolittle paved out a path towards the NBA thanks to a great collegiate career at Oklahoma. Doolittle’s bread & butter is being a pick & pop shooter, in either the mid-range or from 3 point range. In the pro offense that Oklahoma runs, Doolittle benefited from NBA spacing and many pick & roll situations that trapped defenses. Furthermore, his ability to score off-balance, off the dribble, and on spot up attempts creates a versatile shooting portfolio.
This NBA spacing also allowed for him to display his high level vision that often led to accurate cross-court bullet passes. Doolittle makes good reads and rarely misses open teammates. Below is a series of impressive passes that he made throughout the year.
There isn’t much Doolittle can’t do on offense. The one area that sticks out as a weakness is his finishing ability at the rim, which often stems from his limited vertical explosiveness. Doolittle’s most effective finishes were off of open cuts to the basket or against mismatches in post up situations.
Defensively. Doolittle is smart and is limited in terms of mistake-making. He rarely goes to for steals or blocks, which is a double-edged-sword: he rarely commits fouls, but he also rarely generates turnovers. Doolittle has adequate lateral quickness, but can be easily exploited by quicker wings and most guards on the drive. Despite being a plus in pick & roll defense, Doolittle will face challenges defensively on switches in the NBA.
NBA Comparison: Floor: Malcolm Hill; ceiling: Ersan Ilyasova
Projected draft range: Late 2nd round/undrafted
Fit with Dallas:
Kristian Doolittle fits with most teams pretty easily due to his versatility offensively and pick & roll defense. Doolittle still needs time to develop, particularly with shooting consistency and polishing his ball-handling abilities, so the G-League may be where he spends a majority of his rookie season. Whether his time in the G-League is as assignment with a full roster spot, a two-way roster spot, or on an outright G-League contract, he will spend a lot of time early in his career developing in the NBA G-League. Ignoring obvious talent disparities between the two players, the Mavericks could easily plug Doolittle into a similar role off the bench with a toned down version of Harrison Barnes. Barnes largely operated as a mid range post threat with 3 point shooting, which is easily replicable given Doolittle’s skillset. The Mavs would have to either acquire a late second round pick or sign Doolittle as an undrafted free agent to acquire him on draft night. If Doolittle does not hear his name called on draft night, he will be one of the most sought-after undrafted free agents in this class.
