2012 NBA Draft Grade: Thomas Robinson

Published: 23^rd Apr 12 8:54 pm

by Adam McGill
adammcgill

2 Rants

Pool Photo-US PRESSWIRE

Thomas “T-Bone” Robinson became a household name this tournament season, something Southeast Conference fans know all about, as he has terrorized the SEC all year. The junior’s draft value has skyrocketed throughout the course of the year and is now a slam-dunk to go in the top five picks of this year’s draft. Below is my full draft report of Robinson:

2011-12 College Average: 17.7 points, 11.9 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 0.9 assists, 1.1 steals

Scoring: A- Robinson is a much more polished scorer then his first round counterpart, Anthony Davis. “T-Bone” has developed a rather impressive jump to go along with his thunderous dunking ability. He has even hit the occasional 3-pointer throughout his collegiate career, an aspect of his game this will likely disappear after he misses a couple open looks in an NBA game and has a pro coach rip his head off. Regardless, Robinson is still a great scoring threat from the interior and can contribute offensively right away.

Rebounding: A+ Robinson ended the regular season ranked second in the nation with a dominating 11.9 boards per game, which was only behind Siena’s forward, O. D. Anosike who recorded 12.5 per game. Robinson has the makeup to be a dominant low-post player; he is massive, quick, and has great footwork.

Size: A Robinson tips the scales at a massive 237 pounds, something that will certainly help him transition into the NBA. Robinson has a very thick upper body and giant arms, which allows him to attack the basketball off the glass. His size will also keep him from getting bullied by the veterans down-low, who especially love to abuse the young forwards in the league.

Athleticism: B The Kansas star is not the most athletic forward coming out of this draft class, but athleticism is always compromised when a player of his size comes around. His size alone will make him a strong rebounder, so he just has to have some semblance of athleticism to make an impact at the next level. I mean, it is not like he is going to be jumping over cars in Dunk Contests or doing 360 dunks in a game.

Projection: Top-Five

NBA Comparison: Minnesota Timberwolves’ Kevin Love

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