JARON BLOSSOMGAME
BIRTHDATE: 9/13/93
POSITION: Power Forward
HEIGHT: 6'8"
WEIGHT: 220 lbs
SCHOOL/ TEAM: Clemson
CLASS: Senior
OFFENSE
*Undersized forward with good length
*Slim but strong frame
*Explosive athlete who plays above the rim easily off one foot or both
*Very right hand dominant on finishes
*Good hands while catching passing in traffic and lobs in the open floor
*Excellent finisher in transition
*Runs the break hard and fill the lanes correctly
*Has shown some value as a trailer in the secondary break
*Can grab the rebound and push the break a little but is only an average ballhandler and can get wild when passing on the move
*Strong enough to finish through contact
*Doesn’t create much separation with his handle in the halfcourt
*Tries to get his man off balance with pivots or use his first step to get the defender on his hip
*Tries to get into at least floater range when he looks to drive on the perimeter
*Most effective in iso on the left side of the floor where he can drive to the middle with his dominant hand
*Also good along the left base line when he can get to the basket, square his shoulders and clear out space with his strength
*Decent touch on his floater
*Doesn’t really have much a pull up jumpshot in his game
*Really struggled on catch and shoots (standstill spot ups and coming off screens) his senior season after having success the year before
*Despite his athleticism, gets very little lift on his jumpshot and tends to fade slightly
*Inconsistent footwork and mechanics on his jumpshot
*Has a really low release point in front of his face
*Gets his shot off quickly but has a habit of short arming his release which causes a lot of shots to fall short
*Not particularly an intuitive cutter but is very effective near the basket when he gets the ball
*Doesn’t establish deep post position and can be moved off his spot by strong players
*Really prefers to post up on the left block and make his move towards the middle of the floor
*Jump hook in the paint is his favorite and most effective shot out of the post
*Can find crosscourt shooters out of the post
*Rarely used in PNR as a ballhandler or screener
*As a PNR screener, makes decent contact and mostly looks to pop
*As a PNR ballhandler, looks to pull up from 3 or get to the rim
*Has a tendency to hang out in the paint longer than he should
DEFENSE
*His strength, length and athleticism give him the tools to be a multipositional defender
*Keeps his hands up when guarding on the perimeter
*Slides his feet well but very quick or shifty players give him issues
*Can be overreactive to good crossovers but recovers quickly
*Stays on the ballhandler’s hip when he gets beat and doesn’t give up on the play
*Gets a good contest vs off the dribble jump shots
*Very good at closing out on shooters under control
*Can adjust when a shooter attacks the closeout
*Can overhelp a bit on dribble drives
*Competes for post position, creates a wide, strong base
*Likes to front early in the possession which can open him up to being sealed by stronger players
*Uses his chest to absorb contact and keeps his hands up to contest post attempts
Jaron Blossomgame is an undersized 4 man. He shoots a lot of jump hooks and looks really comfortable playing with his back to the basket. His percentages don't show it up but he's got good mechanics on his jump shot. He's got slashing ability and is efficient off the dribble. Blossomgame is a very good athlete.
I don't what position he plays in the league. He could be a small ball 4 but can he stretch the floor consistently? I don't know why he plays the 4 as he has the mobility and physical ability to play the 3. Blossomgame has the output but he's an older player at 23. He's going to have to retool his game and become a above average 3 point shooter.
POSITIVES:
Great floater
Good size
Physical
Good post game
Good mechanics
Slashing ability
Very good athlete
AREAS OF CONCERN:
What position does he play?
Shaky 3 point shooter (26%)
Older player but might have some potential
Not sure what part of his game will translate.
Doesn't look long enough to play the 4
JAMES BARLOWE - FEBRUARY 13, 2017
