Jaron Blossomgame, Senior, Forward, Clemson
Overview:
After attending the 2016 NBA Combine, Jaron Blossomgame chose to return to Clemson for his senior year, seeking to improve his draft stock. Despite a productive season, Blossomgame didn’t particularly succeed in his attempt to enhance his NBA outlook. The 6-7 forward saw a decrease in points, rebounds and shooting percentages across the board. His strongest case at an NBA career may have been his ability to stretch the floor as a small-ball power forward. However, he shot just 25.5% from three as a senior which will dampen those chances. Blossomgame is one of the oldest prospects in the draft, turning 24 in September, which will only make it less attractive for teams to take a gamble on him.
One thing going in Blossomgame’s favor is his NBA-ready body. Standing 6-7 with a 6-10 wingspan and a strong 215 pound frame, he could step into the league right away and compete athletically. Having versatility is crucial in today’s NBA and Blossomgame is one of the more versatile non-first round prospects. Clemson mostly used him as a power forward that could stretch the floor with his shooting and athleticism. However, with his three point percentage dropping to a dreadful 25.5% as senior, teams will not be as enthusiastic to play him in smaller line-ups at the next level. He did shoot 44.1% from three as a junior, but with that being the only season in his career shooting above 30% from three, it’s likely that it was an outlier.
Also hurting his chances to develop his jumper in the NBA is his inability to create his own shot. Blossomgame essentially never played in NBA situations such as the pick and roll or isolations. He doesn’t have much ball-handling skills and has a slow shooting stroke that comes out close to his face, making it tough to rise and shoot over defenders. He’s limited to creating his offense off straight drives or cuts to the rim. He has a loose dribble though and he often has to settle with difficult turnarounds and hook shots. Despite the tough shot attempts, Blossomgame shot 56.5% from inside the arc as a senior. He’s a very smart off-ball player, consistently cutting to open lanes, leading to high percentage attempts at the rim.
If Blossomgame isn’t able to threaten teams with a jump shot, his best chance at sticking in the NBA is his defensive potential and versatility. He has prototypical size to defend multiple positions in the NBA, but his effort level wasn’t adequate enough in college. Too often he didn’t defend in a stance, frequently allowing players to get off uncontested shots and letting quicker players drive right by him. Despite his solid length and frame, Blossomgame would also get bullied in the post when matched up with bigger power forwards. He does show ability to hedge on ball screens and potentially be able to switch and contain guards if he’s locked in. The physical tools are there for him to develop into a useful defender as he could potentially defend three or more positions.
Final Projection:
Jaron Blossomgame is in a tough spot as an older player who teams have already seen in the NBA Combine a season ago. He doesn’t have the same upside that underclassmen and European prospects possess. Blossomgame certainly has the physique to survive in the NBA, but teams will need to see productivity go along with his versatility. If he is able to find his shot that he displayed in his junior season, then he can become more of an offensive weapon. If he isn’t able to provide much of an offensive role, then it will be necessary for him to become a useful all-around defender. In any event, his ceiling is likely just as a bench player, which may not be worth a draft pick at his age.
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