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George de Paula: Phoenix Suns 2015 Draft Profile

By Scott Chasen

Apr 12, 2014; Dallas, TX, USA; A view of the Phoenix Suns logo before the game between the Dallas Mavericks and the Suns at the American Airlines Center. The Mavericks defeated the Suns 101-98. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 12, 2014; Dallas, TX, USA; A view of the Phoenix Suns logo before the game between the Dallas Mavericks and the Suns at the American Airlines Center. The Mavericks defeated the Suns 101-98. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports /
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Oct 13, 2014; New York, NY, USA; Toronto Raptors small forward Bruno Caboclo (5) shoots over New York Knicks small forward Cleanthony Early (17) and New York Knicks shooting guard J.R. Smith (8) during the third quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 13, 2014; New York, NY, USA; Toronto Raptors small forward Bruno Caboclo (5) shoots over New York Knicks small forward Cleanthony Early (17) and New York Knicks shooting guard J.R. Smith (8) during the third quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports /

Weaknesses

The word raw doesn’t even begin to describe de Paula. He’s turnover prone, his shot needs work and he lacks the pure athleticism to overcome many of the flaws in his game.

That may sound pretty harsh, but once again it’s worth remembering that he just turned 19 (I’m going to say this about 100 times in this article, so be prepared). De Paula has a long way to go to get his game ready for the NBA level, but then again, he would be able to log minutes in Bakersfield to start out at the very least.

Best-case scenario, by the 2016-17 season, de Paula is ready to provide spot minutes off the bench, which I realize isn’t exactly the most fascinating or exciting thing to hear as a fan of a team, but given that de Paula is a swing-for-the-fences type pick, short-term success is not the goal.

Ultimately, the hope is that he can turn into a Shaun Livingston-type, and maybe even go beyond that ceiling, but there isn’t a whole lot to be sure of at this point.

De Paula could help himself a long way by simply working on his jumper, starting with his inconsistent shot release. Because of the release and his awkward shot form in general, de Paula is a dismal three-point shooter, who converts at an approximate rate of 27 or 28 percent across all competitions. De Paula is also lacking as a free throw shooter, coming in as an approximate 67-70 percent shooter.

Overall, if he’s able to show teams that he’s making progress in regards to his shooting or even his shooting form, they may be more likely to reach and take him earlier in the draft, similar to how Bruno Caboclo was selected in the first round despite being projected to be taken about 20-30 picks later by many analysts, including ESPN’s Chad Ford, who had him at 65.

Like Caboclo, de Paula showcases impressive length. However, unlike Caboclo, he lacks any semblance of explosiveness, at least at this point in his career.

Nearly 20 backcourt players tested better than de Paula at the combine in their max vertical leap, not to mention 30 players topped his time in the shuttle run. His three-quarter court sprint took an unimpressive 3.45 seconds, which was the ninth slowest time, falling behind over 40 prospects.

He’s clearly got a long way to go, but you can’t teach size and length, and that, coupled with de Paula’s aggressive nature, might just be enough to get him on an NBA team.

Next: Potential Fit

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