P.J. Washinton-Kentucky(6’8-228 lbs)
Kentucky’s P.J. Washington is a very interesting prospect. If you take a look at the transition he made from his freshman season at Kentucky into his sophomore season, it shows quite a bit of focus on his part. He added skills, such as a better handle and an upgraded acumen for shooting the outside shot and he also worked on his body, coming back much trimmer and able to take full advantage of his athleticism.
What scares you about Washington though is his size(while his free throw shooting isn’t anything to be excited about either). Although he displayed the strength needed to bang on the block and be a huge paint factor in the college game, measuring in a 6’8 with shoes at the NBA Combine, is he too small to make the transition to bruiser at the NBA level? You’ve seen the comparisons to someone such as Paul Millsap thrown out by some, but is he as strong or willing to commit to the development of ball skills as Millsap was and has been over the course of his career?
He did improve his jump shot from distance though on last season, which should help in the transition, especially since he’s a classic tweener. He shot 42 percent from distance, hitting 33 of 78 attempts last season, which was drastically up in attempts and makes from his freshman season where he made only 5 of 21 attempts. Washington could be a good player at the NBA level, and with what he’s shown in refining his body and game, he’s shown that he has the makeup of a hard-working Miami Heat type player.