Scouting Report: Trey Lyles

Trey Lyles is a power forward from the University of Kentucky. Lyles is 6’10 with a wingspan of 7’4. For the year, he averaged, 23.0 minutes per game, 8.7 points per game, 5.2 rebounds per game, 1.1 assists per game, 0.4 blocks per game, 0.5 steals per game, while shooting 48.8% from the field, and 13.8% from three.

Pros:

• Great size and length
• Good strength
• High basketball IQ
• Good court vision
• Willing passer
• Does the dirty work
• Has good footwork and control of body
• Good spot-up shooter
• Good range
• Good back to the basket scorer
• Has an effective jump hook
• Attacks the rim well
• Finishes through contact well
• Good ball handler
• Can guard multiple positions
• Aggressive rebounder

Cons:

• No elite athleticism
• Lacks speed both lateral and frontal
• On-ball defenses needs improvement
• Average defender overall
• Three point shot is not yet in his arsenal
• Needs to add more strength
• Even with great length, not much of a rim protector

Overall:

Trey Lyles is an interesting prospect. He is not elite in any one thing that he does, but is still pretty good offensively. He possess an offensive game that ranges from the low post all the way out to the perimeter. He also is capable of handling the ball. Lyles has good court vision to find open teammates, and has the ability to attack the rim. His low post offense is great. He has good footwork, body control, and touch. He uses a nasty spin occasionally to throw off his opponents. If that does not work, he still has a great hook that he can beat you with. Lyles could look to use his strength to back down his opponents and draw contact more frequently. His mid-range game is also deadly. If you leave him open, he will almost certainly knock down the shot. His range is within the arc, because his three point shot is very inconsistent and needs a lot of work. Defensively, Lyles is a different story. He has the size and length to be very good, but his heart never seems there. He does not possess great speed so the quicker wing players blow by him, and does not have the greatest strength, so he can often get backed down. Even when down low guarding the paint, Lyles does not have good timing or instincts for blocking shots, leaving for his length to be a non-factor. Lyles does have one good defensive trait and that is his rebounding skills. Lyles aggressively pursues the ball, and uses his excellent fundamentals to grab almost anything that comes near him. Overall, Lyles has an offensive arsenal that could make it for him to see the floor early in his career. Defensively, he has a lot of improvement he needs to do from, on-ball defense, perimeter defense, to rim protecting. Lyles should expect to hear his name called in the 12-25 range. I have Boston taking him in my past mock, but I think he will slide down further to the likes of the Washington Wizards or Portland Trailblazers.

Pro Comparison:

Carlos Boozer

If you are a Bulls fan try to stick around and read even though I know Boozer brought all of you a lot of pain. Let us remember when Boozer was a dominate force in his prime. Boozer has always been more offensively gifted than he is defensively. This is one of the same principles that relate to Lyles. Lyles has good strength, not as great as Boozer, but has the frame to become as strong. Both players have great low post games, due to their great footwork. They also possess the same ability to stretch the floor with their mid-range jumpers. If they could not get off shots they both have great basketball IQ’s that can get them out of almost any jam, whether it be passing or driving to try and draw contact. Defensively, Lyles is more Chicago Bulls Carlos Boozer. Both players seem to lack desire to play defense, and do not have the much skill for it anyways. Neither player is a rim protector. Boozer was a better one-on-one defender in his prime compared to Lyles being average now. Both are fantastic rebounders, that use great fundamentals to grab anything in a wide area. Having your name attached to Boozer can really scare away some fans, but when Boozer was in his prime he was one of the most feared post players you had to play against. Lyles has the same offensive ability and upside that Boozer possessed, but is behind on his defensive skills. With that being said, Lyles does have a lot of strength he can add to his frame and with NBA coaching his defensive play should improve. I expect Lyles to be in the NBA for awhile, mainly as bench player, until he develops a defensive game.

By: Mac Crowe, @Mac_Truck17