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Terrence Ross scouting report, SG Washington

Cole’s Take: Terrence Ross is the flavor of the week in his ascent up teams’ draft boards, and it’s not hard to see why.  At 6’7 with tremendous athleticism Ross has the prototypical physique of an NBA two guard.  If he adds muscle he’ll be a carbon cut-out physically of everything you want from the position.  What really separates Ross from just the “athlete” label however is his ability to shoot the rock.  Ross has a sweet stroke with his high, quick release and has legit NBA range.  When you combine his size and athleticism with his shooting prowess you have a prospect who’ll be able to step in and get his shot off from day one.  That’s incredibly valuable.

Ross has a natural feel working off screens and will thrive in the league in catch and shoot situations on the move.  He rarely takes off-balanced shots and is excellent at squaring up to the hoop coming off picks.  Ross is also a dynamo in transition, an underrated rebounder and can guard both wing positions defensively due to his athleticism.  While Ross will never be a defensive stopper, he’ll be a plus team defender overall that wont be a liability in isolation situations.

Downside: Ross is a below average ball-handler which inhibits his ability to create shots for himself going towards the hoop. He rarely drives (over 70% of his shots last year were jumpshots) and never gets to the line.  He also rarely passes and I question whether he has the court sense to ever create for others on the next level.  Ross has the athleticism and first step to eventually become a threat in isolation situations as a scorer, but until his ball handling improves his contributions will come working almost entirely off the ball.  Ross needs a strong point guard to play off of and solid screeners in order to succeed at the outset of his career.

Best Fit: Minnesota, Phoenix (if Steve Nash stays)

Ross’s floor seems to be Minnesota at #18, and ironically that’s his best fit.  Rubio is exactly the kind of pass-first creator Ross has to be paired with.  With Rubio orchestrating the offense, Love drawing the attention of defenses and Pek setting bone-chilling screens, there would be plenty of room for Ross to thrive off the ball on the perimeter and in transition as the T-Wolves notoriously like to push the ball with their high tempo offense.  Plus, Wesley Johnson is the T-Wolves best wing right now.  I dare say there is a huge need for someone with a pulse on the perimeter.

Phoenix is another fit for Ross if Nash stays (Phoenix is seemingly a good fit for every prospect this year).

Best Case Scenario: More well-rounded Nick Young
Worst Case Scenario: More athletic Martell Webster