Colorados go-to guy in this particular contest, Kaniel Dickens had an excellent offensive showing that basically told us everything we need to know about his strengths and weaknesses as a player.
Dickens looks the part of NBA player and then some. He has an NBA body and terrific size for a small forward, and is built incredibly well, with long arms and a great frame. Moreover, hes a phenomenal athlete on top of that, with nice quickness and explosiveness. If this was your first time seeing him, you probably would have immediately marked him down as a high-level candidate to look at regardless of the level of play, as hes simply jumps off the page immediately at you.
Skill-wise, Dickens doesnt make anywhere near as much use of his phenomenal tools as he should. Most of his production comes from the perimeter, where he has a terrific looking stroke with range out to the NBA 3-point line. He gets his shot off virtually whenever he pleases thanks to his height and high release point, and has absolutely no shame at getting his shot off at even the slightest glimmer of daylight. To prove that, he knocked down six 3-pointers on the day today. Dickens showed the ability to get his shot off from mid-range somewhat well here too, mostly off one or two dribbles, but isnt as effective here as he is with his feet set. He excels in transition and can also move off the ball and catch and finish at the rim in the half-court as youd probably expect, but this is basically the extent of his offensive game. Creating off the dribble, posting up, and other skill-oriented things are not really part of his repertoire right now, and probably wont ever be considering that hes been in the minor leagues for years now.
Defensively, Dickens is extremely poor, and this is the main reason why he isnt getting more looks from NBA teams considering the terrific talent he possesses. He shows poor body language and doesnt put great effort in, lacking some physical toughness and suffering from mental lapses quite often. He doesnt appear to be the smartest player in the world either. Hes a clear cut example of a player who physically has all the tools in the world, but mentally is lacking a little something extra to be considered an NBA player at this point in his career. At age 29, that s not likely to change anytime soon, and you have to wonder if hes not wasting his time here rather than making great money overseas.
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