Dec 30, 2014; Denver, CO, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Wayne Ellington (2) during the game against the Denver Nuggets at Pepsi Center. The Lakers won 111-103. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports
Wayne Ellington
NBA Comparison: Francisco Garcia
Strengths:
“The sweet shooting guard has become one of the best shooters in this class… He has expanded his shooting repertoire, and is now lethal coming off screens, spotting up, or shooting off the dribble… He shoots with tremendous balance, a high arc and has an extremely soft touch… Whether in transition or the half court, he is very good at stopping on a dime and pulling up, while his defender is still backing up…Understands the difference between a good and bad shot, but is not afraid to take the contested ones when the situation calls… A great team guy, comes from a winning background…”
Weaknesses:
“Not a great athlete, both in terms of quickness and leaping ability… He has a fairly weak and extremely light frame which gives him problems getting a shoulder by defenders and even more trouble finishing against physical opponents… Shies away from contact… Falls in love with the outside shot, even though he handle has improved, he still does not consistently get to the basket… Defensively, he could be a liability, he struggles staying in front of people….”
How accurate was his evaluation?
Ellington reminds me a lot of Wes Johnson, two small forwards of the same age who entered the NBA Draft a year too early and have both struggled to find their niche in the NBA. They are both 27 years old. Ellington’s PER last season was 11.6 while Johnson’s was 11.1. Like Johnson, Ellington has low WS/48 statistics, and are all below the NBA average of .100. Last season, Ellington averaged a solid 10 points per game and finished with a field goal percentage of .412. His real area of concern (like his draft prediction stated) was his defense, where he finished with a very low -2.6 DBPM. Ellington is now a free agent, and it is unclear if the Lakers want to bring him back as he still has a lot of prove.
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