Siyani Chambers

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Harvard 88, Columbia 84 (2OT)

Friday, February 14, 2014 | Levien Gymnasium (Manhattan, NY)

Siyani Chambers — PG, 6-0, 170
Sophomore, 20 years old

Season (35 mpg): 11 PPG, 4.3 APG, 1.3 SPG

Game: 22 points, 0 assists
5-9 FG

Outlook: Chambers converted several difficult shots vs. Columbia, but from my perspective, his stat line misrepresents his actual ability. I don’t mean to denigrate Chambers, but he must adapt and vastly improve his game to become a viable NBA prospect.

Chambers is Harvard’s starting point guard and floor general. He possesses good feel for the game, capable of setting the tempo and initiating Harvard’s offensive actions. He’s accurate on his passes, both into the paint or moving the ball on the perimeter. Chambers can shoot when given space, particularly in catch and shoot, where he’s shooting 45%. More than anything else, though, Chambers plays with moxie, often converting shots in the clutch and elevating the play of his teammates.

That said, Chambers struggles in various aspects. At 6-feet, he lacks the quickness, length (6-1 wingspan) and vertical athleticism to finish at the basket. In fact, 87% of his attempts this season are jump shots, while only 12.5% are in the paint. He struggles to penetrate due to a lack of quickness, and if he does manage to penetrate, he really struggles to finish. He’s shooting 25% on only 16 attempts around the basket, and his inability to finish is apparent in person and on film. Chambers is also overly reliant on his strong hand (left), to the point he’ll spurn an open right-handed layup for a contested left-handed attempt.

Furthermore, Chambers lacks consistency on his jumper (38%), and is shooting 40% on from deep. He has poor lift on his shot, and lacks the necessary quickness to create space for himself in the half court. He’s crafty with the ball, but right now, he can’t create space in the half court.

I will admit that Chambers sticks to his strengths and doesn’t force it. But that doesn’t remedy his shortcomings. Lack of size, speed and vertical athleticism are a lot to overcome, especially defensively. I don’t see how Chambers can guard point guards at the next level.

At only 20 years old, Chambers has the natural talent to keep improving, but it will be difficult for him to reach an NBA level. He should start by perfecting his shooting, developing his right hand, and adding a floater.

Smart player, but in my opinion, his physical limitations are too much to overcome.

Video: Transition Struggles

— Chambers is posting a below average .79 points per transition attempt. His athletic shortcomings are apparent, to the point he often pulls up for a jumper instead of driving to the rim.

Video: Finishing struggles

Video: Assists

— Chambers had zero assists vs. Columbia, but he’s averaging 4 assists per game this season. However, I’m not able to glean specific attributes or tendencies from the film below. He is a good passer and can facilitate movement, but I don’t see anything worth nothing.

Video: Shooting (makes, misses)

— 87% of Chambers’ attempts are jump shots, converting 38%. He can change speeds to freeze the defense, and then quickly pull-up for a jumper. This is his most effective way of creating space in the half court.

Video: Defense (getting beat)