NBA Draft Prospect: SG Jodie Meeks, UK

Jodie Meeks: 6-4, 208 SG, Jr. (Kentucky)

Draft Rank: #24

SG Rank: #5

Strengths:

One of the best scorers in college. Shoots a tremendous percentage from both two- and three-point range despite the fact he is a high-volume shooter. Has improved more than any other player from last year. A tremendous shooter who understands how to get open without the ball. Once he gets the ball he has a quick release and good balance to allow him to shoot the ball from just about anywhere on the court. Has good elevation, strength and arc on his jump shot that will allow him to extend his range to the NBA three. Gets to the foul line by initiating contact and then moving to the left or the right to get his shot off. Shot three pointers as well as anyone in college basketball. Has good-enough handles that he can give a team spot minutes at the point guard. Has good strength for a shooting guard. Has great pull-up ability from just about anywhere on the floor. Does a really good job of rubbing off of screens and rising up for jump shots. Is constantly moving on offense. Can drive to the left just as well as the right. Understands how to use the entire floor to get open looks. Uses the pass fake to make extra space and get his shot off. Does a good job of using the rim to shield defenders and finish on the reverse side of the hoop. Isn't out of control when he attacks the rim or prone to charges. Has solid form and position on defense. Is a very good one-on-one isolation scorer. A terrific free-throw shooter.

Weaknesses:

Was hurt for most of his sophomore year. Doesn't have good post-up ability. Is a bit undersized to play the 2 in the NBA. Is a very compact player with a short wingspan. He has the build of a point guard (but the skills of a 2 guard). Very turnover prone. Doesn't penetrate and look to find his teammates. Not a great passer. Often gets trapped when he is in the lane due to his lack of athleticism and playmaking ability. Plays too much on the perimeter and too often settles for the outside shot. Needs to get more elevation when attacking the rim. Doesn't have elite athleticism for an NBA wing. Needs to do a better job of closing out on shooters on defense. Can be a liability defensively against bigger guards in the post. He often loses his man on picks on defense and as a result sometimes gets caught in no man's land.

Mental:

Meeks appears to be solid in this department. He has a shooter's mentality and doesn't get bothered when his shot may not be falling. His improvement this year was so significant that you have to give him credit in the work-ethic department. Coming back from an injury and two sub-par seasons, it is truly impressive to see how effective he was putting the ball in the basket. However, the losing is a major concern. The elite players always seem to make their teammates better and I am concerned about how Kentucky did while Meeks was putting up 20-plus points a night. In the NBA he will have a short leash and he will have to find multiple ways in which he can help the team. Mentally, he will have to continue to contribute even when his shot isn't falling, and even when the team isn't running plays for him. He may have to adjust his mindset if he wants to be a consistent contributor in the NBA.

Extra info:
--Scored over 45 points three times last year.
--Scored under double digits only once all of last year.
--Scored 54 points against Tennessee last year.

Comparison: Quentin Richardson, 6-6, 235, SG

Would be a good fit for: Utah Jazz, Dallas Mavericks or New Orleans Hornets

Conclusion:

One of the best scorers last season, the guy is just a flat-out basketball player. He excels at one thing -- scoring. There will always be a need for a guy like that on an NBA roster. His size should allow him to defend against shooting guards and his skill set will allow for him to come off the bench and play the point if need be. I really see him as a sparkplug who comes off the bench and makes things happen with a second unit. However, he may struggle in the beginning as he surely needs to have the green light to be successful.

As far as the comparison to Richardson, I think they are very similar. Richardson has pretty much settled in as a backup shooter in the NBA. I think Meeks will have a similar game in the NBA -- without the post-up capabilities of Richardson. They have similar compact builds and both rely on their perimeter game to score. Richardson has more size, which is something that is a bit of a concern for Meeks.

One of the big issues for Meeks is that I don't see him as a consistent starting shooting guard in the NBA. I really think he will be relegated as a combo guard off the bench. I also worry about his previous health issues. But the improvement he showed this year is a testament to his will and his desire to contribute. I think his ability to get hot and put the ball in the hoop will allow him to crack a rotation almost immediately, however the upside once he cracks a rotation may be limited.

NBA Draft Prospect: SG Jodie Meeks, UK

As a UK fan who watched every second of Meeks' career there are a few points here I can agree with, and some I disagree with. First, in all actuality this kid is in his second semester of his sophmore year. His freshman and sophmore years were all but wasted due to various injuries. Enough injuries to actually label him injury=prone. But he proved this past year he can stay healthy, and be lights out when he does.

What I agree with: his ability to get in the lane and finish or draw the foul; his shooting ability from deep, the line or in the lane; his movement on offense. A huge disagreement I have is "lack of athleticism"....he is a physical freak with a non-stop motor, leaps thru the roof off a two-foot takeoff, tireless on the floor, great quickness on the perimeter, a good enough first step to get by his man if he plays up on him. I do not see him as having to rely on a perimeter game to get his points. You worry about his inability to make the UK players better; did you watch any UK games last year? Aside from Meeks and Patterson there were not any legitimate D-1 major college players on that team, aside from Darius Miller possibly. Even the greates is limited by the potential of those around him. The fact is, more often than not the game was put in Meeks hand and he was given little to no help.

Do I think he will be a star at the next level? No. But, then I am reminded of another ex-UK guy no one thought would amount to anything much in the NBA, and has developed into a more than solid starter; Kelenna Azubuike.

NBA Draft Prospect: SG Jodie Meeks, UK

Meeks will surprise people. He might not be a star, but he will be one who can't be ignored. He has enough scoring ability to keep a man on him, because if left alone, he will score. As far as defense goes, his height might be the only thing that holds him back. He is not just fast in the open court, but quick as well. He will find a place and be a solid role player or support player off the bench.

NBA Draft Prospect: SG Jodie Meeks, UK

As for his shooting percentage, I was referring to his 2 point field goal percentage as opposed to his overall field goal percentage. Over half of Meeks' shots this year were from three point range at 8 3PTA as opposed to 7.8 2PtA per game. He actually shoots 52.1 % on those 7.8 shots which is a tremendous percentage. The reason his FG% is at 46.3% is because he shoots so many threes which of course will lower his overall field goal percentage.

Hope that explains my reasoning for the statement.

UK_razy Reputation: 93 Level: All-Star Since: Mar 30, 2009	Posted on: June 17, 2009 9:49 am Score: 121 NBA Draft Prospect: SG Jodie Meeks, UK As a UK fan who watched every second of Meeks' career there are a few points here I can agree with, and some I disagree with. First, in all actuality this kid is in his second semester of his sophmore year. His freshman and sophmore years were all but wasted due to various injuries. Enough injuries to actually label him injury=prone. But he proved this past year he can stay healthy, and be lights out when he does. What I agree with: his ability to get in the lane and finish or draw the foul; his shooting ability from deep, the line or in the lane; his movement on offense. A huge disagreement I have is "lack of athleticism"....he is a physical freak with a non-stop motor, leaps thru the roof off a two-foot takeoff, tireless on the floor, great quickness on the perimeter, a good enough first step to get by his man if he plays up on him. I do not see him as having to rely on a perimeter game to get his points. You worry about his inability to make the UK players better; did you watch any UK games last year? Aside from Meeks and Patterson there were not any legitimate D-1 major college players on that team, aside from Darius Miller possibly. Even the greates is limited by the potential of those around him. The fact is, more often than not the game was put in Meeks hand and he was given little to no help. Do I think he will be a star at the next level? No. But, then I am reminded of another ex-UK guy no one thought would amount to anything much in the NBA, and has developed into a more than solid starter; Kelenna Azubuike. [ Reply to Comment ]
skinny299 Reputation: 96 Level: Superstar Since: Nov 17, 2008	Posted on: June 17, 2009 10:29 am Score: 104 NBA Draft Prospect: SG Jodie Meeks, UK Meeks will surprise people. He might not be a star, but he will be one who can't be ignored. He has enough scoring ability to keep a man on him, because if left alone, he will score. As far as defense goes, his height might be the only thing that holds him back. He is not just fast in the open court, but quick as well. He will find a place and be a solid role player or support player off the bench. [ Reply to Comment ]
cwcatsfan Reputation: 97 Level: Superstar Since: Nov 29, 2006	Posted on: June 17, 2009 3:21 pm Score: 34 NBA Draft Prospect: SG Jodie Meeks, UK It might help if you put a picture of Jodie Meeks by the article instead of the current picture of Joe Crawford. [ Reply to Comment ]
Eric Kay Reputation: 99 Level: Superstar Since: Mar 9, 2007	Posted on: June 17, 2009 4:06 pm Score: 69 NBA Draft Prospect: SG Jodie Meeks, UK Good catch, cwcastfan. That was a mistake by an editor, which has been fixed. [ Reply to Comment ]
tyellington Reputation: 97 Level: Superstar Since: Jul 8, 2007	Posted on: June 18, 2009 9:17 am Score: 63 NBA Draft Prospect: SG Jodie Meeks, UK 46% is a tremendous percentage? [ Reply to Comment ]
TheBossQ Reputation: 95 Level: Superstar Since: Jun 14, 2009	Posted on: June 18, 2009 11:05 am Score: 32 NBA Draft Prospect: SG Jodie Meeks, UK I don't agree with this guy being anything like Quentin Richardson. Richardson is strictly a spot shooter that is not capable of reliably getting his own shot. Meeks reminds me of Ronald "Flip" Murray. [ Reply to Comment ]
jharr291 Reputation: 97 Level: Superstar Since: Dec 18, 2008	Posted on: June 18, 2009 11:37 am Score: 55 NBA Draft Prospect: SG Jodie Meeks, UK He reminds me of Shannon Brown from the Lakers. [ Reply to Comment ]
supershanks Reputation: 89 Level: All-Star Since: Jun 2, 2008	Posted on: June 18, 2009 12:23 pm Score: 89 NBA Draft Prospect: SG Jodie Meeks, UK Every time I see Jodie Meeks, I see a less athletic version of Daequan Cook from the Heat. He can score, can play D when he wants to, and can shoot lights out. When reading this scouting report Cook was the only person that I could think of for all of the same issues. [ Reply to Comment ]
brianklevenson Reputation: 82 Level: All-Star Since: Apr 29, 2009	Posted on: June 18, 2009 2:00 pm Score: 58 NBA Draft Prospect: SG Jodie Meeks, UK I agree with the Flip Murray comparison. I went back and forth with him and Q. I think he's somewhere in between the two. [ Reply to Comment ]
brianklevenson Reputation: 82 Level: All-Star Since: Apr 29, 2009	Posted on: June 18, 2009 2:16 pm Score: 88 NBA Draft Prospect: SG Jodie Meeks, UK As for his shooting percentage, I was referring to his 2 point field goal percentage as opposed to his overall field goal percentage. Over half of Meeks' shots this year were from three point range at 8 3PTA as opposed to 7.8 2PtA per game. He actually shoots 52.1 % on those 7.8 shots which is a tremendous percentage. The reason his FG% is at 46.3% is because he shoots so many threes which of course will lower his overall field goal percentage. Hope that explains my reasoning for the statement. [ Reply to Comment ]

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