Rawle Alkins
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Weaknesses & Concerns:
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Profile:
Strengths:
Physical Tools & athleticism
Rawle Alkins has a unique set a physical tools to match with his athleticism. Measuring in at 6’4.25” and 217 pounds, Alkins loves to use his strength to defend and try bully opponents. In addition to this, he’s one of the most competitive guys you’ll see. It won’t be as easy at the next level, but he definitely has the strength to hold his own. While some people were disappointed that Alkins measured closer to 6’4”, it’s nothing to be worried about. He also measured in with a pretty good wingspan of 6’8.75. It’s tough to find many comparisons for a guy that’s unique like Alkins, but Victor Oladipo had a very similar body when he entered the league. At the NBA Combine, Oladipo measured in at 6’4.25” and 213 pounds. He also had a wingspan of 6’9.25”. These measurements are very similar to Alkins’ measurements. Matching Alkins’ NBA-ready body with his athleticism makes him someone to pay close attention to. He had a 40.5” max vertical leap and a 32.5” standing vertical leap. He would rank 7th and 8th respectively in these two categories out of all combine participants.
Shooting Upside
Some people might view Alkins as a 3-D kind of guy and being one dimensional on the offensive end. While this is understandable because he didn’t get many opportunities to create for himself in college, he is capable of handling the ball and creating a shot for himself. He shot about 36% from 3 this past season, which is just under the 37% he shot his freshman year, but he was also hurt at the beginning of this year, which might have had an impact on his play. His release looks solid and it looks like he should be able to hit spot up 3s at a consistent clip in the NBA. Sometimes Alkins doesn’t set his feet properly, or he’s slow to set his feet, which can cause him to go through slumps. However, when he’s setting his feet, he’s a solid 3 point shooter. In his two showings at the combine, Alkins shot 15-for-30 (50%) and 17-for-30 (56.67%) from NBA 3 point line.
Playmaking & Passing Upside
Alkins isn’t known as a playmaker, for good reason, but he has the potential to become one. While his most likely role is going to be a spot-up shooter and a force on the defensive end, he has shown some flashes of finding the open man off the dribble. Alkins is probably a positive passer when it comes to transition. He constantly found the open man that was running the lanes when Arizona got out in transition. Alkins' problem was his passing in the half-court. If he is able to translate his decision making and passing in transition to the half-court, teams will be very happy with him.
On-Ball Defense
Considered a 3-D guy in this draft class, Alkins is one of the better on-ball defenders. He moves his feet very well and it isn’t easy to bully him to get to the rim. If he does get beat off the dribble, he can change directions quickly and recover as well. His defense in isolation this year was below average, allowing 1.091 PPP which would rank him in he 13th percentile. This was only on 11 possessions though because he missed the beginning of the season and his foot injury probably didn’t help him out either. On 19 isolation possessions during his freshman year, he allowed 0.684 PPP, which would rank him in the 65th percentile. Even though this was over a year ago, this seems more representative of his on-ball defense. He was one of the best defenders when guarding the P&R this past year though. On 45 possessions, he allowed 0.556 PPP, which would rank him in the 88th percentile. On 22 possessions, he allowed 0.682 PPP in off screen play types, which put him in the 76th percentile. Lastly, in 16 hand off possessions, he allowed 0.625 PPP, which would put him in the 73rd percentile. Overall, Alkins is one of the better on-ball defenders, even if his isolation numbers weren’t great this year.
Positional Rebounding
Alkins has impressive positioning on the offense glass. He loves to use his body and get offensive rebounds over smaller guards. He then goes right back up with the ball to get an easy two points. As a 6’4” guard, Alkins brought down just under two offensive rebounds per game. His 4th most frequent play type on offense was put backs on offensive rebounds. He scored 1.156 PPP on 32 possessions which put him in the 56th percentile. At first glance, the 56th percentile might not stand out as anything more than average, but it’s important to remember that Alkins is only a 6’4” guard and being compared to guys who are much taller than him. He should still be able to do this at the next level, but maybe not as much. There is a downside to him going for a lot of offensive rebounds though. Sometimes he falls in loves with offensive rebounds and it sometimes can hurt him and the team by him not getting back to defend in transition.
Weaknesses & Concerns:
Off-Ball Defense
Alkins’ off-ball defense is very inconsistent. When he’s totally focused, he’s as good of an off-ball defender as he is when he’s guarding the ball. He has pretty good instincts at jumping lanes for steals which leads to an easy layup or dunk. He also has shown the capability of staying tight on a defender. Unfortunately, there are plenty of times where he looks lost and disinterested. He allows players to go backdoor and he sometimes struggles defending multiple actions.
Playmaking (P&R, Decision Making, Etc)
Advanced Ball-Handling
While Alkins’ playmaking upside was touched on earlier, it definitely can be a concern for him as well. Even though he’s good at getting to the rim off the dribble, that might have been because of his size compared to other college players. Will he be able to do that against NBA players? That remains to be seen. In addition to that, he didn’t really show he was capable of separating himself from defenders with his ball-handling to get a good look. If he isn’t able to get to the rim at the NBA level and can’t create for himself off the dribble, his ceiling becomes much lower.
Pick & Roll Offense and Decision Making
If Alkins isn' able to get to the rim or create for himself off the dribble, then it will be much harder to create opportunities for teammates. Alkins struggled heavily in the P&R this past season at Arizona. On 42 possessions, Alkins brought in 0.429 PPP, which would rank him in the 7th percentile. On the same 42 P&R possessions mentioned above, he had a 26.2% turnover rate. This shows that he can get sloppy with the ball and sometimes doesn't make the right decision. These are definitely areas that Alkins needs to improve in, which will then make it easier for him to be a playmaker on a team. One way to look at this in a positive way is that even if he doesn’t improve in these areas a lot, most of Alkins value is from knocking down shots and playing defense. Obviously, if he’s able to be a playmaker for a team, his value is that much higher, but he should be able to contribute to a team either way.
NBA Fit:
Position: 2 with spot minutes at the 3 in small ball lineups
Role: 3 & D guard or scorer off the bench
Ideal team fit: Established team with a primary ball handler and creator
Draft Range:
Alkins had a chance at being a 1st rounder in the 20-30 range coming into this season, but he didn’t live up to expectations. That doesn’t mean he isn’t going to be a solid NBA player though. His success will most likely rely on his ability to hit 3 pointers at an average rate. If he can combine that with his defense and his play in transition, he can give a lot of teams good minutes. You can never have too many wings that can hit shots and play defense, which makes Alkins a safe pick if a team believes in his shot translating. While Alkins will probably get drafted close to the middle of the 2nd round, don’t be surprised if a team takes him early in the 2nd round.
Projected Draft Range: 30-50
- 20 year old, 6’4.25” guard from the University of Arizona
- 40.5” max vertical leap
- 5 star recruit and #21 on the ESPN 100 coming out of High School
Strengths:
Physical Tools & athleticism
Rawle Alkins has a unique set a physical tools to match with his athleticism. Measuring in at 6’4.25” and 217 pounds, Alkins loves to use his strength to defend and try bully opponents. In addition to this, he’s one of the most competitive guys you’ll see. It won’t be as easy at the next level, but he definitely has the strength to hold his own. While some people were disappointed that Alkins measured closer to 6’4”, it’s nothing to be worried about. He also measured in with a pretty good wingspan of 6’8.75. It’s tough to find many comparisons for a guy that’s unique like Alkins, but Victor Oladipo had a very similar body when he entered the league. At the NBA Combine, Oladipo measured in at 6’4.25” and 213 pounds. He also had a wingspan of 6’9.25”. These measurements are very similar to Alkins’ measurements. Matching Alkins’ NBA-ready body with his athleticism makes him someone to pay close attention to. He had a 40.5” max vertical leap and a 32.5” standing vertical leap. He would rank 7th and 8th respectively in these two categories out of all combine participants.
Shooting Upside
Some people might view Alkins as a 3-D kind of guy and being one dimensional on the offensive end. While this is understandable because he didn’t get many opportunities to create for himself in college, he is capable of handling the ball and creating a shot for himself. He shot about 36% from 3 this past season, which is just under the 37% he shot his freshman year, but he was also hurt at the beginning of this year, which might have had an impact on his play. His release looks solid and it looks like he should be able to hit spot up 3s at a consistent clip in the NBA. Sometimes Alkins doesn’t set his feet properly, or he’s slow to set his feet, which can cause him to go through slumps. However, when he’s setting his feet, he’s a solid 3 point shooter. In his two showings at the combine, Alkins shot 15-for-30 (50%) and 17-for-30 (56.67%) from NBA 3 point line.
Playmaking & Passing Upside
Alkins isn’t known as a playmaker, for good reason, but he has the potential to become one. While his most likely role is going to be a spot-up shooter and a force on the defensive end, he has shown some flashes of finding the open man off the dribble. Alkins is probably a positive passer when it comes to transition. He constantly found the open man that was running the lanes when Arizona got out in transition. Alkins' problem was his passing in the half-court. If he is able to translate his decision making and passing in transition to the half-court, teams will be very happy with him.
On-Ball Defense
Considered a 3-D guy in this draft class, Alkins is one of the better on-ball defenders. He moves his feet very well and it isn’t easy to bully him to get to the rim. If he does get beat off the dribble, he can change directions quickly and recover as well. His defense in isolation this year was below average, allowing 1.091 PPP which would rank him in he 13th percentile. This was only on 11 possessions though because he missed the beginning of the season and his foot injury probably didn’t help him out either. On 19 isolation possessions during his freshman year, he allowed 0.684 PPP, which would rank him in the 65th percentile. Even though this was over a year ago, this seems more representative of his on-ball defense. He was one of the best defenders when guarding the P&R this past year though. On 45 possessions, he allowed 0.556 PPP, which would rank him in the 88th percentile. On 22 possessions, he allowed 0.682 PPP in off screen play types, which put him in the 76th percentile. Lastly, in 16 hand off possessions, he allowed 0.625 PPP, which would put him in the 73rd percentile. Overall, Alkins is one of the better on-ball defenders, even if his isolation numbers weren’t great this year.
Positional Rebounding
Alkins has impressive positioning on the offense glass. He loves to use his body and get offensive rebounds over smaller guards. He then goes right back up with the ball to get an easy two points. As a 6’4” guard, Alkins brought down just under two offensive rebounds per game. His 4th most frequent play type on offense was put backs on offensive rebounds. He scored 1.156 PPP on 32 possessions which put him in the 56th percentile. At first glance, the 56th percentile might not stand out as anything more than average, but it’s important to remember that Alkins is only a 6’4” guard and being compared to guys who are much taller than him. He should still be able to do this at the next level, but maybe not as much. There is a downside to him going for a lot of offensive rebounds though. Sometimes he falls in loves with offensive rebounds and it sometimes can hurt him and the team by him not getting back to defend in transition.
Weaknesses & Concerns:
Off-Ball Defense
Alkins’ off-ball defense is very inconsistent. When he’s totally focused, he’s as good of an off-ball defender as he is when he’s guarding the ball. He has pretty good instincts at jumping lanes for steals which leads to an easy layup or dunk. He also has shown the capability of staying tight on a defender. Unfortunately, there are plenty of times where he looks lost and disinterested. He allows players to go backdoor and he sometimes struggles defending multiple actions.
Playmaking (P&R, Decision Making, Etc)
Advanced Ball-Handling
While Alkins’ playmaking upside was touched on earlier, it definitely can be a concern for him as well. Even though he’s good at getting to the rim off the dribble, that might have been because of his size compared to other college players. Will he be able to do that against NBA players? That remains to be seen. In addition to that, he didn’t really show he was capable of separating himself from defenders with his ball-handling to get a good look. If he isn’t able to get to the rim at the NBA level and can’t create for himself off the dribble, his ceiling becomes much lower.
Pick & Roll Offense and Decision Making
If Alkins isn' able to get to the rim or create for himself off the dribble, then it will be much harder to create opportunities for teammates. Alkins struggled heavily in the P&R this past season at Arizona. On 42 possessions, Alkins brought in 0.429 PPP, which would rank him in the 7th percentile. On the same 42 P&R possessions mentioned above, he had a 26.2% turnover rate. This shows that he can get sloppy with the ball and sometimes doesn't make the right decision. These are definitely areas that Alkins needs to improve in, which will then make it easier for him to be a playmaker on a team. One way to look at this in a positive way is that even if he doesn’t improve in these areas a lot, most of Alkins value is from knocking down shots and playing defense. Obviously, if he’s able to be a playmaker for a team, his value is that much higher, but he should be able to contribute to a team either way.
NBA Fit:
Position: 2 with spot minutes at the 3 in small ball lineups
Role: 3 & D guard or scorer off the bench
Ideal team fit: Established team with a primary ball handler and creator
Draft Range:
Alkins had a chance at being a 1st rounder in the 20-30 range coming into this season, but he didn’t live up to expectations. That doesn’t mean he isn’t going to be a solid NBA player though. His success will most likely rely on his ability to hit 3 pointers at an average rate. If he can combine that with his defense and his play in transition, he can give a lot of teams good minutes. You can never have too many wings that can hit shots and play defense, which makes Alkins a safe pick if a team believes in his shot translating. While Alkins will probably get drafted close to the middle of the 2nd round, don’t be surprised if a team takes him early in the 2nd round.
Projected Draft Range: 30-50
Extra Notes:
Something to keep an eye on is that Alkins didn’t really improve much between his freshman and sophomore year. This might have to do with the injuries that he’s experienced though. Also, during some of Arizona’s games, Alkins didn’t have the best body language either. In his defense, a lot of the team showed similar body language. This might be because Arizona went through a lot as a team this season. The FBI investigation involving assistant coaches, Sean Miller, and Deandre Ayton most likely was a huge distraction for the team. Allonzo Trier also got suspended for a couple of games from an incident that came up the previous year as well. These are some reasons why Alkins and the Arizona team didn’t have a great season and showed some poor body language throughout it.
Something to keep an eye on is that Alkins didn’t really improve much between his freshman and sophomore year. This might have to do with the injuries that he’s experienced though. Also, during some of Arizona’s games, Alkins didn’t have the best body language either. In his defense, a lot of the team showed similar body language. This might be because Arizona went through a lot as a team this season. The FBI investigation involving assistant coaches, Sean Miller, and Deandre Ayton most likely was a huge distraction for the team. Allonzo Trier also got suspended for a couple of games from an incident that came up the previous year as well. These are some reasons why Alkins and the Arizona team didn’t have a great season and showed some poor body language throughout it.
