A 4th year wing that played for 3 colleges, Landers Nolley popped at Cincinnati, finding a strong landing spot that maximized his abilities. A two-time All-AAC honoree, as a Senior Nolley averaged 16.8 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 2.6 APG, 1 SPG, 0.5 BPG, and 2.2 TOPG on splits of 45/42/75. Below is his scouting report:
Name: Landers Nolley II
Height/Weight: 6’6/208
Wingspan/ standing reach: 6’11/8’8
Hand size: 9 ¾
Position: SG
College/ country: Cincinnati
Tools: Shooting, passing creativity
Pros:
- Great vision and sees over & through defenses
- Quick release
- Good rebounder
- Highly efficient and skilled from the mid range corners in isolation
- Outstanding off the dribble scoring (89th percentile)
- Capable on-ball defender that can control the point-of-attack
- Uses his size to his advantage defensively; doesn’t mind being physical
- Good athlete
- Good feel for the game
- Has a reliable runner
- Possesses a great variety of ball-fakes
Cons:
- Set jump shot/awkward release
- Must get more efficient at the rim
- Can be out of control at the rim to avoid contact
- Doesn’t get consistently strong lift on drives
Swing Skills:
- Finishing at the rim
Summary:
Landers Nolley is a creative ball-handler with a unique scoring portfolio, defensive ability, and an ability to play both off-ball and on-ball.
Defensively, Nolley doesn’t mind playing physical. With a strong, big frame and an aggressive mindset defensively, Nolley should at least be passable on defense with good footspeed and athleticism. While Nolley is not a rim protector, he can guard near the rim as well against forwards, and can guard drives & jump shots well. At the minimum, Nolley should be able to be a passable on-ball defender. How his off-ball defense translates will depend on how easily he adapts to the new team’s scheme, but this seems projectable given his ability to pick off bad passes and not missing rotations often.
Offensively, Nolley made a living in scoring off of jump shooting, both from the mid range and 3 point range. With one of the hardest mid range games to defend, especially from the corner mid range, Nolley has a quick release and a lethal pump fake that can get defenders up in the air and out of position quickly. Like his defense, he likes to be physical with the ball in his hands offensively to draw fouls and tire down the defenders.
Landers Nolley’s jump shooting feels translatable because of good form, a quick shot, and consistent growth in the last 18 months as a shooter. At the G League Elite Camp, Nolley shot 22/25 from 3 on the 3 point spot-up drill, which was the best in the event.
While Nolley’s jump shooting is strong and translatable, he must become a better finisher near the rim. Nolley’s runner and floater is good as a near-rim finishing move, but his actual percentages at the rim leave a lot to be desired. In the half-court, Nolley shot 44% at the rim, which is far below where the number needs to be. One area that contributes to the lower number is that he doesn’t finish above the rim much in the half-court, which limits his overall functional athleticism within the flow of an offense, unless it’s off a cut. Nolley lacks great lift on layups, but his mentality about absorbing and embracing contact must improve, especially for someone who embraces contact away from the rim offensively and anywhere defensively.
Overall, Nolley is an intriguing wing that should be able to provide good value as a likely undrafted free agent wing. As a positive defender with shooting ability and capable creation, Nolley may simply have to scale down into a 3&D role while being able to attack closeouts and generate offense away from standstill scoring as needed. If the intel is positive for Landers Nolley, look for teams to be willing to give him a chance as an end-of-bench contributor or a two-way contract candidate.
Similar to: Caris LeVert, Will Barton
Projected draft range: 50-undrafted
Expected role: Two-way wing with secondary value as a rebounder, passer, defensively, and off-ball value.
Unplayable if: Lack of efficiency at the rim limits his scoring, and shooting fluctuation from year-to-year prove to be an obstacle he can’t get past.
Exceeds expectations if: Jump shooting translates, and he becomes a 3 level scorer with passable defense.
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