3. Jordan Adams | UCLA | Sophomore, 19 years old
G, 6-5, 220
Last season (31.4 MPG): 15.3 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 1.8 APG, 2.2 SPG, 23.7 PER
Outlook: When UCLA brought in a “hyped” 2012 freshmen class—headlined by the triumvirate of Shabazz Muhammad, Kyle Anderson and Tony Parker—Jordan Adams slipped under the radar. A few months later, however, Adams was widely considered the most important Bruin, as UCLA’s season was finished when Adams broke his foot in the Pac-12 Tournament.
Only 19 years of age, Adams is a smooth shooter with a ton of upside. He has a beautiful shooting stroke from all three levels on the court, is a deft slasher to the hoop, and has good length at 6-5. Adams is nimble on his feet, can settle into defensive pockets and never hesitates on his shot, both in transition and half court. If you let Adams receive the ball in his spots, he’s automatic.
There are two potential question marks when I observe Adams: 1) Is he athletic enough to compete on the NBA level? He’s not athletically challenged, per se, but he may not have the speed or burst to consistently defend in the NBA. He’s more “fluid and smooth” than explosive. Also, can he contribute beyond solely scoring? He led UCLA with a 23.7 Player Efficiency Rating, but posted pedestrian rebounding and assist numbers.
Nevertheless, Adams has good size at 6-5, and is undoubtedly one of the most skilled shooters in the country.
Shot Attempt Breakdown: 70.1% Jump Shots | 21.1% Around the Basket | 7.4% Runner | 1.4% Post Up
TRANSITION
21.8 percent of Adams’ baskets came in transition last season, where he posted an excellent 1.294 points per possession, ranking in the 85th percentile nationally. On film, it’s evident Adams has trouble finishing at- or above-the rim, but he can leak out in transition and convert a jump shot from virtually any spot. In fact, his 1.522 PPP shooting from the left wing in transition, and his 1.386 PPP from the right wing were both in the top 20 percent nationally.
If Adams he gets ahead of the defense, he is an excellent shooter in transition.
MID-RANGE
Adams, for lack of a better term, has a “wet” jump shot. He has the length to get it off whenever he desires, and can shoot off balance. As the film shows, Adams often starts on the interior, roaming the baseline until a crease opens. Once it opens, he quickly settles in, receives a pass and goes up for the shot. For a freshman to have that kind of awareness and mid-range ability is uncanny. He rivals Jahii Carson for the best mid-range in the Pac-12.
CUTTING
Adams posted a remarkable 1.571 points per possession on “cuts”, ranking in the top 3 percent nationally. Ben Howland often had Adams run the baseline against a zone, resulting in easy layups and floaters. Adams can also run around screens—a la Richard Hamilton, or more recently, Tony Snell/Ben MacLemore—to create misdirection and an inch of separation.
ISOLATION
Adams averaged 1 point per possession in isolation situations last season, ranking in the top 10 percentile nationally. Adams uses a strong crossover to get by his man one-on-one, and dips his shoulder while driving to embrace contact. He can also pull-up on a dime, and shoot coming off screens. His vast isolation skill set is displayed below.
DEFENSE
While Adams has NBA size, he’s not particularly quick or explosive, which could make it difficult for him to guard NBA shooting guards. Quicker guards can get around him, and bigger guards with an ounce of explosion will usually make things difficult.
That being said, he has quick hands to disrupt passing lanes and accumulate deflections/steals. He led the Pac-12 with 2.2 steals per game, and his 4.2 steal percentage was 39th in the country, per KenPom.com.
Much of Adams’ freshman season was overshadowed by “what could’ve been”, as he was on the cusp of breaking through in the NCAA Tournament prior to getting injured. I think we should wait to see how Adams’ defense has developed—or possibly even regressed—since last season before making any definitive statements.
OVERALL
Adams quickly established himself as one of the most dangerous scorers in college basketball last season, and firmly put himself on the NBA radar. He was also on pace to have a productive NCAA Tournament before getting injured. These were his totals in the last five games before he went down:
Arizona – 6 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 5 steals
@ Washington State – 18 points, 2 rebounds, 0 assists, 4 steals
@ Washington – 17 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 4 steals
Arizona State – 10 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 4 steals
Arizona – 24 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals
With a quick start already this season (16 points last night against a tough Drexel team), Adams should return at full form. He could lead the Pac-12 in scoring, and if he can consistently defend at a high level, he should solidify himself as a first-round talent.