Niels Giffey
G/F, 6-7, 205
Senior, 23 years old
Hometown: Berlin, Germany
Season (22.7): 8 PPG, 3.3 RPG, .8 APG
56% FG, 50% three-point (3 attempts)
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Connecticut 82, Eastern Washington 65
Saturday, December 28, 2013 | Webster Bank Arena (Bridgeport, CT)
Niels Giffey
Season (21.1 mpg): 9 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 64% 3-pointers
Game: 13 points, 4 rebounds, 3 steals, 3 blocks
Outlook: Giffey is a terrific and efficient 3-point shooter with athleticism. He can’t create for himself, though, and is wiry thin for a 6-7 forward.
Giffey is shooting an exceptional 63% on jump shots this season, and his 1.833 points per jump shot attempt is the best mark in college basketball. Furthermore, his 1.4 points per possession overall ranks second in the country (min. 50 possessions). Giffey does his job, never complains, and as Coach Ollie says, he’s the “consummate pro.”
But at 23 years old and lacking a well-rounded skill-set, can he possibly get drafted? I honestly have no idea, but I’m including him in this list solely because of his shooting ability. I don’t see the skill or upside for the NBA, but I can’t say that Giffey isn’t worth second round consideration. He falls short in most categories, but he’s a shooter with solid athleticism, and presumably there’s some value in that.
Video: Shooting
Video: Deceptive Athleticism
Video: Scoring (recent)
Connecticut 69, Rutgers 63
Wednesday, March 5, 2014 | Gampel Pavilion (Storrs, CT)
Niels Giffey
Season (22.7 mpg): 8 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 2.2 Fouls
56% FG, 50% three-point (2.8 attempts)
40 of 77 made field goals are 3′s
Game (36 min): 16 PTS, 3 AST, 2 REB
6-9 FG, 4-7 three-point
Outlook:
— 23 years old at Draft time.
— Excellent shooter. Good size, shooting form. Moves very well off the ball to get ready for the catch. 40 of 77 made field goals are 3′s.
— Deceptively athletic. Can easily dunk, even through traffic. He can’t create for himself, though, and is wiry thin for a 6-7 forward.
— Plays his role, never complains, and as Coach Ollie says, he’s the “consummate pro.” But at 23 years old, he lacks a well-rounded skill-set. Can he possibly get drafted as a role-playing shooter? Not sure, but the shooting is there. Unsure defensively as well. Can he stay with NBA small forwards?
— Great shooter and good athlete, and presumably there’s some value in that. But Giffey hasn’t shown any “NBA gear,” in terms of playing at a fast pace, and getting his shot off against length. He might’ve already reached his ceiling.
Video: vs. Rutgers