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2018 NBA Draft: Tony Carr could be the next two-way guard in OKC

By Benjamin McCoy

NEW YORK, NY - MARCH 01: Tony Carr #10 of the Penn State Nittany Lions celebrates giving his team a seven-point lead late in the game against the Northwestern Wildcats during the second round of the Big Ten Basketball Tournament at Madison Square Garden on March 1, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Steven Ryan/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - MARCH 01: Tony Carr #10 of the Penn State Nittany Lions celebrates giving his team a seven-point lead late in the game against the Northwestern Wildcats during the second round of the Big Ten Basketball Tournament at Madison Square Garden on March 1, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Steven Ryan/Getty Images) /
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NBA Draft
NEW YORK, NY – MARCH 02: Tony Carr #10 of the Penn State Nittany Lions works against C.J. Jackson #3 of the Ohio State Buckeyes in the first half during quarterfinals of the Big Ten Basketball Tournament at Madison Square Garden on March 2, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images) /

Skills:

Despite being labeled a late second-round pick on most draft boards, Tony Carr has tremendous two-way upside. Unlike most guards with his offensive skill-set, Carr stands tall at nearly 6’5” and is long with a 6’8.25” wingspan.

He is a lights-out 3-point shooter, hitting 43.3% on 5.5 attempts per game. Moreover, he shoots well both off the dribble and in catch and shoot situations. Along with a high release-point, he is able to use his length to get off a quick shot, something that should serve him well as he ages. And while he was the primary ball handler at Penn State, he moves well off-ball too.

He is a really good passer, with good vision and great court awareness. Carr is especially good in pick and roll and pick and pop situations seemingly always making the right read. And although he isn’t the greatest athlete, he is good at controlling the pace of the game.

Also, he is a great finisher using an array of dribble moves, spin moves, euro steps, hesitation dribbles and pump fakes to bait defenders and finish through contact. Moreover, these skills allow him to play well in the mid-range and out of the post. He can bully smaller defenders, or step-back to create space on bigger ones.

Likewise, he makes good use of baby hooks and floaters to score around the basket. He is a big shot maker and plays with a confidence and swagger that should also translate to the defensive end.

He uses his high IQ and great anticipation to disrupt passing lanes. Also, he has good footwork, fights through screens, is a good rebounder and solid shot blocker for his position. Carr is a two-way player that should be able to handle switches and guard at least 3 positions.

Weaknesses:

Carr’s only true weakness is his athleticism as we saw at last months 2018 NBA Draft Combine. Although supremely talented, he tested like a forward, or a center posting a 31.5-inch max vertical leap. Furthermore, the lane agility of 11.89 seconds and shuttle run at 3.40 seconds didn’t go so well either. And while his three-quarter court sprint at 3.17 seconds was fine, it’s concerning nonetheless.

Now we have seen instances in the past where guys just simply have bad days. We have also seen guys get with NBA trainers and make drastic improvements. And while those players are usually exceptions to the rule, not all is lost.

Carr has also shown some in-game athleticism. If you watch his tape there are times when he gets a full head of steam and throws down some powerful dunks. That’s not to say that it couldn’t become an issue. And while it didn’t seem to bother him in college, the NBA is a league of its own.

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