Rakeem Christmas NBA Draft Profile

Rakeem Christmas, Sophomore, Power Forward, Syracuse

 

Overview:

Christmas is a true post presence defensively.  He rebounds and challenges players on the block at a very high level that is unquestioned by anyone.  His timing on rebounds at both ends of the floor is a great attribute.   Christmas has a very soft touch around the basket which is very seldom seen with young big men. 

 The offensive end is where Christmas needs to grow.  Christmas at this point in his career is lacking any real true post moves and goes periods without the threat of scoring.  It’s not a major concern at this point in his career, as with many young big men, offensive production comes later than on the defensive end.   The key for Christmas is to continue working hard on post moves and learn how to branch off of his soft touch around the hoop.

 

Final Projection:

Christmas’ height and defense are things you can’t teach.  He must find ways to score on the offensive end on a regular basis to reach the lottery level player that he is.  There is no doubt that he has the weapons at hand, the question with Christmas is if he is willing to work his way into a player that can dominate on both ends of the floor.

 

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