Malcolm Lee

Strengths

Right handed....A combo guard with great size, standing at 6'5" with long arms… Lee offers terrific, elite athleticism… He is explosive with or without the ball in his hands. He can fly up the court and change directions in a split second. He has a great, long first step that makes him even more difficult to stay in front of as a defender… Possesses excellent ball-handling skills, including an effective, low cross-over and a good behind-the-back hesitation move… Lee is producing for a underwhelming UCLA team and he is stuck in an offensive philosophy that doesn't suit his talent and abilities. Imagine what he could do if he were put in a run-and-gun offense or simply an offense that has some sort of talent surrounding him. Both Russell Westbrook and Jrue Holiday struggled in Ben Howland's system too… Lee has a good mid-range jumper, but can also post up on smaller guards. He has shown the scoring instincts down low to take advantage of his size and length… Lee can really get out in transition to lead the break or streak down the wing. He has the ability and talent to be a lock-down defender at both the college level and the next level in the NBA. He has excellent lateral quickness and long arms, and excels as a pressure, "in-your-face" defender" who can defend in a full-court press or in the half-court. His intensity and desire on the defensive end is unmatched… He gets into the passing lanes, coming up with steals and deflections and can even throw in some blocks on his quick close-outs… Huge potential if he can continue to grow as a player and as a person…

Weaknesses

Although Lee abuses defenders with his quick first step, speed and ability to get into the lane, he often struggles to finish around the rim or finish with contact. His body is still underdeveloped and he needs to hit the weight room and add some strength. He gets bodied up too much, both on offense and defense, forcing him out of position… Struggling with his jump shot- seems to vary every time he shoots it and does not nearly work on it enough. He has too much arc one shot and the next time, his shot is too flat. His elbow has a tendency to flail out. To compound his weakness, he has a poor shot selection, especially launching 3-point attempts that are ill-timed. He has a tendency to fade away as well… As a Point Guard, his decision-making skills are raw, but have seemed to improve so far this season. I would still question his true basketball IQ though… As a shooter, Lee is struggling- he is hovering at 40% from the field and around 25% from 3-point range.