2018 NBA Draft: Ray Spalding – A work in progress

Ray Spalding enters the NBA Draft boasting athleticism and defensive potential, but remains a work in progress.

While most Louisville prospects who enter the NBA Draft will get a second look in Ray Spaldings case it will be relegated to a second round view. Overall he projects to become a solid defender with his athletic ability, length and extreme wingspan.

For the OKC Thunder they require depth in the front court, however projected to become a quality defender the big questions which arise are over this offensive ceiling. Not possessing efficiency from range or the stripe doesn’t project well for the youngster. Which means Spalding would be best served by spending a full season in the G-League where his game can grow under the tutelage and supervision of NBA coaches.

Player specifics:

Height: 6’10
Weight: 215
Position: Power Forward
Age: 21.3
College: Louisville
Home town: Louisville, Kentucky

Statline:

Per Game Table
Season	G	GS	MP	FG	FGA	FG%	2P%	3P%	FT	FTA	FT%	ORB	DRB	TRB	AST	STL	BLK	PTS
2015-16	30	6	17.5	2.3	4.2	.560	.566	.333	0.9	1.9	.500	1.7	2.7	4.3	0.5	0.9	0.7	5.6
2016-17	34	8	19.2	2.3	3.9	.590	.603	.000	1.2	2.3	.545	1.9	3.6	5.5	0.8	0.6	0.9	5.9
2017-18	36	34	27.7	5.1	9.4	.543	.560	.263	2.0	3.2	.640	3.1	5.5	8.7	1.3	1.5	1.7	12.3
Career	100	48	21.7	3.3	6.0	.557	.571	.240	1.4	2.5	.579	2.3	4.0	6.3	0.9	1.0	1.1	8.1

Provided by CBB at Sports Reference: View Original Table
Generated 6/19/2018.

Skills:

Potential is the key with Spalding. He’s demonstrated a penchant for utilizing his length and athleticism when focused.

Ray Spalding runs the floor well and uses his length with a view to creating turnovers, rebounding and helping on defense. In fact his wingspan offers opportunities for teams looking to develop a solid defensive core.

Since his formulative college years came in the Louisville program there is reason to believe he has room to expand his overall skillset. This past season he was given greater responsibility and increased his production on both ends. Still, at this stage his best results were recognized on the defensive end of the floor.

Weaknesses:

Don’t expect Spalding to turn into a perimeter threat anytime soon. His anemic 26.3 percent from the arc speaks to his issues. In fact, Spalding’s offense is the area of his game which requires substantial growth.

Given his 64 percent efficiency at the charity stripe he doesn’t project to have much success extending his range. At this stage he isn’t adept in the paint either, but that is where he should focus his efforts for growth.

Spalding displays inconsistent effort and results so focus will be another area of concern. And, like all young prospects Spalding needs to add muscle and size.

Pro comparison:

The two players I’ve seen as comparisons are Hakim Warrick and Ryan Hollins. Suffice to say Spalding is expected to be a specialist who’ll bring defensive attributes to the court.

Current ranking:

ESPN/DraftExpress: 51st

CBS Sports: 53rd

Sports Illustrated: 57th

Basketball Insider: 41st

Fit with OKC Thunder:

Some analysts don’t expect Spalding to make the cut, hence his absence on many ranking boards. As TI has cited throughout this process although the OKC Thunder are selecting late in the draft it doesn’t mean they won’t be looking to add a valuable contributor right away.

Depending on what happens with Paul George who they select could be critical. Unfortunately, OKC won’t know for sure what PG’s status will be until after the draft.

Regardless, as long as Russell Westbrook is a Thunder, the team will be seeking to win now. If Presti deems adding a defensive big will help in this regard than Spalding might get a look from the GM.

Next: Trevon Duval: Low-floor point guard

However, if the Thunder want a more complimentary piece it’s likely he looks for a more complete player.