NBA Draft 2017 Prospect Watch: Jonah Bolden
By Adam McGee
Weaknesses
Many of the concerns surrounding Bolden as an NBA prospect are in fact closely related to his strengths. Perhaps an indication that Bolden is a prospect who could easily become something of a boom or bust.
While Bolden is impressive as a disruptive and opportunistic defender, he still has plenty of work to do on the fundamentals. In other words, Bolden relies heavily on his natural gifts such as his long arms and strong frame to make an impact defensively.
Bolden is prone to occasional lapses of concentration, and certainly needs to improve on his positional awareness beyond that too.
It could prove to be a positive in that Bolden possesses what can’t be taught, and just needs some high-quality coaching to round out his game, but until he proves it’s no longer an issue, it will remain a concern.
Likewise, although Bolden’s shooting improved dramatically during his year in Europe, his shooting stroke remains rather rigid and deliberate, bordering on the mechanical. There’s no real fluidity to his motion which could lead to questions about whether the shooting spike he experienced is sustainable, and whether he’ll have a harder time getting his shot off in the NBA.