Video Breakdown: Rondae Hollis-Jefferson

* I did not see Jefferson compete live this past season. The following breakdown is based on watching film and doing research.

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Outlook: At 6-foot-7 and 220 pounds, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson is a strong and muscular wing prospect who possesses many intriguing NBA attributes. Jefferson is remarkably strong for a college small forward, has solid NBA-level athleticism, and—most importantly—plays with a “pit bull” mentality that distinguishes himself from other players with a similar physical appearance.

In terms of his skill set, offensively, Jefferson thrives in the open court due to a combination of speed and athleticism. He runs the floor with power and fluidity, getting in front of the defense to finish above the rim or through a defender.

Jefferson is also an excellent rebounder, able to scrap/out-muscle opponents on the glass. He brings an “attack mindset” and a natural physicality, whether he’s playing with the ball (4.6 personal fouls drawn per 40 min led Arizona), running the floor, or crashing the glass.

In the half court, Jefferson is a versatile slasher, prone to receiving cuts through the lane or drop-offs on the baseline. He can finish above the rim with his athleticism, or power his way using his strength. Jefferson is so strong that he routinely brushes off hard fouls and finishes the play.

With the ball in his hands, Jefferson is a powerful driver, able to bulldoze defenders en route to an above-the-rim finish. He’s in excellent shape, and from a physical/competitive standpoint, he looks the part of an NBA wing.

So yes, Jefferson can score without dominating the ball offensively. However, from a macro/overall standpoint, Jefferson is very unpolished offensively. In fact, Jefferson’s current offensive skill set (or lack thereof) probably doesn’t meet NBA standards. Strong/athletic/quick offensively, but right now he’s not very skilled from the wing.

Firstly, Jefferson failed to demonstrate any shooting ability as a freshman (75% of his attempts came in the paint; he shot 2-10 from 3-point range, 2-11 from mid-range, 10-48 on all jump shots, and 68% from the FT line). He can’t shoot right now.

Secondly, Jefferson clearly struggles to maintain his dribble against defensive resistance. When pressured on the perimeter, he’s prone to putting his head down and forcing the drive through crowds, resulting in off-balance circus layups or turnovers. Additionally, the lefty struggles with his off hand—he has trouble finishing with his right hand, to the point that Jefferson exclusively uses his left hand to finish.

To Jefferson’s credit, he still managed to produce offensively despite his limitations. In 25 minutes per game last season, he averaged 9 points, 5 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 1 block. Per 40 minutes, those numbers translate to 14.5 PPG, 9 RPG, 2.3 APG, 1.7 BPG. Pretty solid numbers for a freshman. But he has a long way to go offensively.

Defensively, however, is where Jefferson leaves his mark. He has terrific defensive potential, with a chance to legitimately guard positions 1-through-4. Jefferson uses solid lateral quickness and a 7-foot wingspan to keep opposing point guards in front of him, and he’s strong/athletic enough to wall off small forwards. He’s even held his own defending power forwards on the low block. Combining his athleticism and quickness with a natural physicality, Jefferson’s best attribute in my opinion is his defensive ability/upside. He is certainly among the best wing defenders—if not overall defenders—in all of college basketball.

Jefferson is bulky—he’s more strong, rather than fluid or quick—so I think he should work on improving his lateral quickness to keep up at the next level.

But at only 19 years old, Jefferson possesses elite potential defensively, able to lock down players of disparate physical and positional makeups.

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Strengths

• Size for Position

• Defensive Potential

• Excellent Rebounder

• Versatility

• Youth/Upside

Weaknesses / Areas of Improvement

• Unpolished offensively. Offense doesn’t meet NBA standards.

Very Poor Shooter (can he develop a shot?)

Loose Handle. Struggles to create off the dribble.

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Strengths

• Size for Position. Jefferson is a 6-foot-7, 200 pound SF, with a 7-foot wingspan. He’s in excellent physical shape, has a muscular build with wide shoulders, and possesses NBA athleticism.

• Defensive Potential. Jefferson defends positions 1-through-4 in college. He has an incredible competitive engine, constantly applying pressure and hounding the ball. He’s laterally quick enough to defend guards and wings, and has the necessary strength/length to battle down low.

On-Ball Defense

Defending Guards

Defending Wings 

Blocks (on-ball)

Great timing and athleticism to emphatically finish defensive sequences.

Post Defense (strong)

Jefferson is strong in the upper body. That being said, he’s not very quick on his feet. I think he should improve his foot speed in order to keep his balance when defending in the post—he can’t just rely on his chest strength to “body up”.

Post Defense (gets beat – must get quicker)

Off-Ball Defense

Jefferson really understands how to keep his assignment in check while still hedging and providing imposing help. Great awareness, quickness and athleticism to help and recover multiple times every possession.

Help Defense (blocks)

Steals

Fighting Through Screens, Contesting Shots

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• Versatility. Excellent slasher, running in transition, and driving in a straight line. Jefferson’s versatile build allows him to play both SF and PF.

Transition (running the floor)

Gets ahead of the defense based on sheer will at times. Speed, athleticism and strength to finish through contact and above the rim.

Jefferson converted 61% in transition, and his 1.05 points per attempt ranked in the 50th percentile — not great numbers, but I think it’s obvious on film that Jefferson fits into an uptempo system and is elite in transition.

Cutting/Slashing

Jefferson is a versatile slasher, able to receive cuts or drop-offs and finish through contact. He’s so strong that he routinely brushes off hard fouls and finishes the play.

Driving

Developing Post Game

Jefferson has showcased the ability to back smaller players down into the post. He seems to play with a high basketball IQ and awareness, trying to maximize his physical advantage. The numbers are pedestrian—he shot 9-21 in the post last season, hardly a sample size. But he could develop a nice face-up jumper down the line.

Court Vision 

Jefferson averaged only 1.5 assists per game last season, but nevertheless he displayed impressive awareness in the “point forward” role. He keeps his head on a swivel sometimes, and is never reluctant to swing the ball. This is another example of his Swiss Army knife versatility.

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• Excellent Rebounder. Jefferson averaged 5.7 RPG (9 RPG per 40), converted 68% of his put-back attempts, and his 1.36 points per put-back attempt ranked in the top 10 percentile nationally. He crashes the boards on nearly every possession. Jefferson should be an outstanding rebounder as a sophomore.

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• Youth. Jefferson already has several NBA attributes at only 19 years old. He’s very unpolished offensively, but has terrific upside, especially defensively.

He probably won’t be able to distinguish himself enough without considerable improvement to his jump shot, but Jefferson is an elite 2015 wing prospect and certainly worth monitoring closely.

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Weaknesses / Areas of Improvement

• Unpolished offensively.

Very poor shooter (75% of his attempts came in the paint last season; he shot 2-10 from 3-point range, 2-11 from mid-range, 10-48 on all jump shots, and 68% from the FT line). Jefferson pulls his jumper long, and is clearly uncomfortable operating beyond 15 feet. Defenders dare him to shoot.

Jefferson’s shooting will be crucial should he make the NBA, as he goes up against players who can match his strength. Not only perimeter shooter, but also from the charity stripe, because he will always draw fouls.

Can he develop a jumper?

3-Point Struggles (2-10 FG)

Mid-Range Struggles (2-11 FG)

Free Throws (68%)

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Loose Handle. Struggles to create off the dribble.

Jefferson does a good job attacking in a straight-line, but if he’s pressured on the perimeter even just a little bit, he’s prone to  putting his head down and driving through crowds.

He must improve his handle and/or his jump shot—it’d be shame to see his physical gifts not be complemented by at least some offensive polish.

Driving/Finishing Struggles

Lack of a Floater

One solution to Jefferson’s habit of wildly driving through the lane is to develop a floater. He was 5-16 on floaters last season, but regardless of the statistics, he must sharpen this aspect of his game. Right now he makes things difficult with all sorts of up-and-under/reverse layup attempts.

He should learn how to stop-and-rise for a floater.

Transition Misses

Yet another example of Jefferson’s loose handle. He can be out of control in transition, specifically when attacking the basket and having to make a move.