After a promising first game where he really played within himself and showed off many facets of his game,
Charles Rhodes came out with a gunners mentality in game two, forcing a lot of tough shots and really playing outside of his comfort zone. Following that, he was a no-show for game three, with no explanation as to why that was readily available. Regardless, getting in front of this many scouts and executives, showing off his athletic abilities, flashing some of his skills, and measuring out at 69 with a 7 wingspan, Rhodes still may have helped himself with his showing.
While he didnt show it consistently here, on the offensive end, Rhodes has a compact and efficient face-up and post-up game, operating in the area 5-15 feet away from the basket. In the post, he relies on turnaround jumpers and spinning hooks, while facing up he relies on one or two dribble pull-up jumpers, often fading away, which he can consistently hit. Projecting to the next level, because hes slightly undersized, he may have some trouble getting off some of his back-to-the-basket moves, but he has the makings of a solid mid-range game in the vein of what
Brandon Bass contributes to the Dallas Mavericks.
As for the rest of his offense, he could improve his free-throw shooting, which is at 67%, and could get to the line a little bit more as well. He is an active player off the ball, crashing the offensive glass and making cuts to the basket, where he scores a lot of his 17.4 points per game.
On the defensive end, Rhodes plays active post defense, showing good fundamentals and doing a good job contesting shots over his head, blocking 1.4 per game. He is prone to biting for pump fakes, though, and projecting to the next level, his size is a slight concern. He isnt tested much on the perimeter, playing power forward and center for Mississippi State.
With his set of physical tools and foundation of skill, Rhodes should be someone well see again at Orlando, where he can attempt to put together a more complete performance that better represents the package he showed while averaging 17.4 points and 7.8 rebounds per game in the SEC. Hes a solid athlete with a good motor who has a few things he could potentially contribute to an NBA team, so hes someone we could see in the league next season or sometime down the road, if his game requires a little bit more seasoning first.
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