22-years old and a fairly known commodity at this point, James is having a pretty similar season statistically to last year, particularly when you adjust for the much faster pace (75 possessions compared to 68) Texas is now playing at.
Continuing to see nearly all of his minutes at the power forward position (he’s more likely to slide to the 5 than he is to the 3), the main difference lies in his efficiency, as
he’s improved his 2-point and especially his 3-point percentages considerably, and is also
getting to the free throw line quite a bit more, which makes a big difference in his overall output.
James’ biggest strength clearly revolves around how hard he plays, a part of his game we don’t seem to have emphasized strongly enough in previous reports, and a skill in its own right...
Offensively,
James appears to have improved his ability to operate off the dribble this season. While he’s still not the most skilled guy you’ll find, he has no problem operating comfortably off the bounce in the half-court or particularly in transition, showing off his aggressive nature as usual. It’s good to see the senior show some new parts to his game,
especially the ability to beat his defender with his left hand. He’s getting to the free throw line like he never has at any point in his career (8.1 free throws per-40 minutes pace adjusted, up from 6.1 last year), and
his improved ball-handling skills have a lot to do with that.
With that said, James is obviously more effective facing up from the elbow than he is starting from the 3-point line, as his advanced ball-handling skills are nothing special...
James’ aggressiveness looking for his own shot does come at a price, though, as his assist rate (the percent of possessions that end in an assist) has dropped in each of his four years at Texas, now settling in at a paltry 0.06...
Despite being knocked for most of his career for not being a very good defender, it was difficult to find much evidence of that from the tape we took in. Sporting a terrific 7-1 wingspan, a chiseled frame and standing nearly 6-8 in shoes, James has all the physical tools needed to be an excellent defender, especially when you consider his terrific toughness and aggressiveness...
James is a playmaker on the defensive end, getting in the passing lanes on a regular basis, blocking shots at a good rate, and doing a great job on the defensive glass.
His lateral quickness on the perimeter may not be stellar, but it looks more than adequate for the NBA level. In fact, he seemed to do a better job guarding the perimeter from the film we saw than in the post, where his lack of size can get exposed at times...
It may not be easy to immediately identify a clear-cut role for James, as he’s a bit of a
jack of all trades master of none, and is clearly stuck between the small forward and power forward positions at this point. With that said, NBA teams are always in need of tough, aggressive players who are productive and can contribute in a variety of ways, which is why James will be coveted on draft day.
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