Lance Stephenson

Strengths

Right handed… Every college coach and fan has probably heard of Lance Stephenson at some point in the last few years. He is the leading scorer in the history of New York state high school... He is a big, physical guard with all of the talent in the world. He is an excellent scorer, capable of finishing in a variety of ways. On offense, he is always in attack mode. He has superb moves with the ball in his hands including a devastating crossover and hesitation move. He is a very good ball handler, looking comfortable putting the ball on the floor, going either left or right. He has solid court vision which has he utilized to set up teammates more as of late… Defensively, Stephenson has adapted to Cincinnati's defensive principles, which mainly focus on pressure man defense. He is capable of applying pressure on the ball, and getting a hand up when his man shoots…

Weaknesses

Stephenson has lots of baggage for a college freshman. Not only did numerous colleges and universities back off of him for his reputation as a selfish player and a locker room cancer, but Stephenson also has sexual assault charges under his belt… Off-the-court issues aside, Stephenson has really struggled in his first-year of college basketball. In high school, he relied on sheer athleticism to beat teams, but in the NCAA, these athletic plays have turned into turnovers, blocked shots, deflected passes and off-balance shots. He is shooting under 20% from distance, while he is averaging almost 2.5 turnovers per game… Too often he looks to isolate himself and break down the defense. Out of these situations, the common result is a forced shot… He often goes up too softly and is finding it difficult to finish at or around the rim… Stephenson is settling too often for his jump shot, which is not falling. He needs to work on his shot selection, getting to the rim and consistency in hitting from outside… On defense, Stephenson's lateral quickness is suspect. To keep his man in front of him, he will use his hands, which with the right referee will whistle him for hand checks and reach-ins every time…