Versatile, physical draft prospect Woodard could fit with Sixers

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Our scouting report on NBA draft prospect Robert Woodard: 

  • Position: SF
  • Height: 6-7
  • Weight: 230
  • School: Mississippi State

Robert Woodard kept his name in the draft despite the uncertainty — or perhaps because of it — for next season. He is a player who steadily rose up the draft boards. He went from not being on them to being a high second-round selection with potential to crack the back end of the first round. 

Strengths

Woodard played guard at Mississippi State for two seasons, becoming a full-time starter this past year as a sophomore. In terms of size, he'll fit more in the small forward role at the next level, but those guard skills will certainly help as the league lends itself to positionless players. Having that versatility to be able to handle the ball while switching between guard and small forward will serve Woodard well. 

He is a good shooter, averaging about nine shots a game last year and making just about half of those at 49.5 percent. He wasn't tasked with taking perimeter shots much while at Mississippi State, but in his second year he jumped to a 42.9 percent three-point shooter, up from 27.3 percent his freshman year. It's that kind of growth that will attract teams. 

He's also a good rebounder and defender; he posted a block a game and averaged 6.5 rebounds while playing guard. Woodard is quite physical when he needs to be, and his size makes him an attractive prospect. He grew two inches in a year and added 15 pounds. The potential growth in his game as well as his physical growth are definitely positives. 

Weaknesses

While Woodard did play guard, he wasn't much of a shoot-first, look-to-score type of player in college, averaging just over 11 points a game. This was his role while in Starkville, but it will be something to watch if he continues deferring shots instead of taking them. 

He's also a poor free throw shooter, which is a bit puzzling given that he shoots nearly 50 percent from the field. But 64 percent from the charity stripe is glaring and something he will have to address. It could be usage rate, as he only gets to the line about 2.5 times a game.  

And while as a small forward Woodard won't be asked to handle the ball as much as when he plays guard, he can be turnover-prone. He posted about two turnovers a game compared to just over one assist per game last year. 

Fit

Woodard would be a very good fit for the Sixers in their mission to bolster their bench. The Sixers are a team that values defense, physicality and shooting. Woodard, though a bit raw, checks all those boxes. His versatility would allow him to see the court in different roles, too. He would be a very good pick with one of the Sixers' two early second-round selections.

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