The 7-foot, 300 pound plus behemoth from Augusta State of Division II managed to translate his record-breaking 79% shooting percentage to a higher level of competition today, making 6 of his 8 attempts from the field on his way to a 15 point, 12 rebound effort. Silers conditioning is fairly poor, as you could see by the way he was huffing and puffing about two minutes into his first game yesterday, but he manages to be pretty effective in the paint regardless thanks to his incredibly huge body and superb length.
Siler is incredibly strong, has great hands, and establishes position in the paint against players of this caliber with the greatest of ease, barely needing to jump in order to dunk the ball because of how long his arms are. Combine those things together, and it becomes pretty obvious why he shoots such a high percentage from the field. He doesnt have great footwork or fundamentals in the paint if forced to execute any type of advanced moves, but he manages to get to the free throw line a fair amount regardless, where he shoots a decent 66% despite his awkward mechanics.
Siler is an average rebounder and a poor defender because of his obvious physical limitationshe doesnt move very well and can barely get off the ground. Hell grab rebounds in his area thanks to his length and hands, but wont go get many loose balls himself. No one is going to post him up inside the paint, but hes completely unable to step out and guard players on the perimeter, rendering him effectively useless defending the pick and roll.
The NBA doesnt look like a very realistic option for Siler, but he was still more than interesting enough to bring to a setting like this for us to see with our own eyes, which is what makes Portsmouth a great place to watch players. Hell likely make a good living on a half-court team in Europe or in the increasingly lucrative leagues of China or Korea.
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