SF Prospect: Tyreke Evans

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Published: July 1, 2013

The Basics

Height: 6-6

Wingspan: 6’11”

Weight: 220lbs

Experience: 4 years

Teams: Kings

Quick Hits

Scoring mentality

Acrobatic finisher around the basket

Good length and decent defensive ability/potential

Poor decision maker

Below-Average Shooter

His Offensive Game

Coming out of college Evans was seen as a prolific scorer with excellent defensive potential. In the NBA this has translated fairly evenly as he’s met those expectations. Tyreke is a guard who likes to attack. When he sees an opportunity he takes it to the rack. At the basket Evans finished an astounding 64% of his shots.

Tyreke also has an ability to post-up his opposition and finish through contact. Roughly 40% of the time he drew a foul, something any coach would love to add to his teams offensive execution. To this Evans loves to isolate. While he does showcase a knack for operating the pick-and-roll Tyreke enjoys the one on one match-up against his opponent.

This can lead to the negative aspect of his game. Evans takes a tonne of bad shots. This is coupled with his terrible jump-shot. He doesn’t possess an ability to make the best decision and this is partly due to his willingness to operate in an AAU style offense.

His Defensive Game

Evans was asked to defend the opponents best wing player for most of the season. The problem was that the tumultuous situation in Sacramento often meant that the most tactful defensive schemes were rarely implemented. The Kings were only a slightly better defensive team with Evans on the floor. The team gave up 0.7 points-per-100 possessions more with him off the floor.

His long arms and decent lateral quickness gives him the potential to be a very good defender in the NBA. The system in Sacramento just didn’t allow him to flourish.

Rebounding Rates

Tyreke Evans Rebounding Rates

 

For the majority of his career Tyreke Evans has been a below-average rebounder for a small-forward. Here we compare the league-average for small-forwards to Evans who isn’t up to par. For a player of his size you would expect him to be better. However you have to remember that for much of his career he’s been considered a point-guard or shooting-guard. The responsibility for him to collect rebounds hasn’t always been there.

Scoring in Detail

Shotchart_1372680941925

Notes from Chart

  • Tyreke Evans does not attempt a lot of three-pointers, nor does he make many either. This chart has comparatively improved since his rookie season as his mid-range game improves. However it is still very poor and attributes to the assessment that he’s a one-track offensive player. 
  • Evans finishes 55% of his attempts within 3-5 feet of the basket. He finishes 64% when attempting to layup or dunk closer to the basket.
  • It’s promising to see some green beyond the arc, though with more attempts Evans may see a decline in his percentage.

How He Fits

Evans’ fit into the New Orleans Pelicans is interesting. It’s rumored that if New Orleans views him as a small-forward that he is unlikely to sign regardless of the offer made to him. Jrue Holiday, Eric Gordon and he all are extremely similar players. They need the ball in their hand to succeed.

This would indicate that the Pelicans have offers on the table for Eric Gordon, or that they are pursuing them actively. Evans would then slot into the void at shooting-guard. He could succeed in a small-forward role, but next to Gordon and Holiday that would be highly unlikely as all are below-average three-point shooters.

Defensively Evans could shine in the small-forward or shooting-guard role. He has excellent size and length as well as decent lateral quickness. The issue again here is that Gordon and Holiday are both similar players.

It’s highly unlikely that Tyreke Evans would sign a contract to come to New Orleans to be a sixth man. Once a rookie-of-the-year Evans wants to be in a situation that highlights his skills and gives him room for growth. Tyreke’s minutes in Sacramento have been on the decline and he wants to be a prolific part of the next organisation he becomes a part of.

Why You Should Want Him to Sign 

Two areas that many players become better at as their careers advance are jump-shooting and defense. Evans appears to have the foundation to improve upon these. If the Pelicans want to get rid of Eric Gordon and have a plan in place to do so then Evans is a logical replacement. He has never missed more than 25 games in a season.

Expected Contract

4 years, $44 million

This is the reported offer that Evans has on the table and he is meeting with the Kings at this very moment to see if they are willing to match it. If he agrees to the deal with the Pelicans, it will likely spell the end for both Greivis Vasquez and Robin Lopez, but Dell would still have the flexibility to get a solid wing and center to fill out the roster.

Evans does not to be a perfect fit, but there is no denying that he is a HUGE talent upgrade that still has tremendous upside and the ability to be a difference maker in the league. Those guys aren’t easy to come by, and you can argue that Dell has landed two of them in the past week.

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  1. Pingback: New Orleans Pelicans to Acquire Tyreke Evans | New Orleans Pelicans | BourbonStreetShots.com

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