Nate Ament helps comprise a long list of freshman talent jumping to the NBA game. Does he fit Brooklyn? Here's a breakdown.
The Brooklyn Nets face the inevitability of taking a freshman star from the college basketball season.
NetsRoundtable presented multiple options already from Keaton Wagler of Illinois, Cameron Boozer of Duke and Darryn Peterson of Kansas.
Of course, AJ Dybantsa of BYU is the one Nets fans have mainly clamored for. But now there's a rising star freshman climbing up the boards.
Time to see if Tennessee's Nate Ament is a fit for Brooklyn.
Long Option With Soft Shooting Touch
Future NBA teams already will be enamored with Ament's frame, as he stands at 6-foot-10, 205-pounds. That will likely include Brooklyn.
But it's what he does with that height that'll ooze confidence for teams looking closely at him pre-draft.
Ament is a stronger glider to the hoop compared to most long forwards. He handles the ball strongly well even in traffic. Ament's height hands him the edge in shooting over foes. But he's equipped with a soft shooting touch and arc to his attempts.
While he looks like someone built for post play (which he is), Ament handed the Volunteers a surprise three-point shooter.
Iowa State watched Ament bury a trio of threes against them during March Madness. Ament banked four too against Auburn during the Southeastern Conference tournament.
Point-Forward Traits
Head coach Jordi Fernandez and general manager Sean Marks could love this next aspect of Ament's game.
He brings "point-forward" capabilities ranging from grabbing and going in transition, reading the defense on the move, then facilitate the ball in space.
The Nets attempted to play fast with Nolan Traore running the point. Ament rises as a possible transition attacker next to him.
Ament brings a strong feel for the game and his court awareness during plays make him worth looking closer at.
Is he a Shot Creator?
Ament does his most damage facing smaller defenders. His face-up shooting game is an instant strength as once again, he can shoot over defenders comfortably.
His length also hands him an advantage in creating separation. Ament brings a strong mid-post game while also handling points under the rim.
But he's a limited creator, often relying on his height and face-up opportunities to score. He doesn't possess the lateral foot quickness to gain deep separation between himself and his defender.
Areas of Concern
While he moves well for a longer prospect, he's still not going to win foot races with quicker guards, even in transition. He can get blocked at the rim from behind in the NBA.
He noticeably struggled with facing set defenses and less when he faced man. Ament also tends to dribble high and loosely, leading to multiple turnovers.
Right now he's more spot up shooter with impressive length. But he'll need to bulk up from his 205-pound frame if the Nets envision him to bang inside the paint.
Are Nets a Fit?
Frontcourt help is a need for Brooklyn.
Yet Brooklyn can pivot to Zuby Ejiofor of St. John's and Henri Veesaar of North Carolina in the later rounds. Both present stronger defensive traits up front, which is what the Nets need more.
Ament looks more like a spot-up shooter and face-up post scorer for the Nets. He's only landing here if the Nets somehow fall near the ninth of 10th overall selection and the top prospects are already off the board.
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