As Chad Ford of ESPN scoped out the first workouts held by the NBA before the 2012 NBA Draft in late June, a few players started to stand out while others faded just the same. In short, the workouts are doing their job in helping to separate numerous college prospects hoping for a chance to make their professional dreams come true. The good news is that Kim English is on the right side of things, according to Ford.
English was one of the leaders during Frank Haith’s first season at Missouri and the results were an astounding 30 regular season wins and a top five ranking through much of the year. While the season-ending loss to 15 seed Norfolk State in the first round of the NCAA tournament shocked everyone, English still enjoyed a stellar final season of college basketball.
Looking at his work at the recent workouts held in New Jersey, Ford writes:
The NBA is always looking for shooters, and English was the best shooter in the gym over the weekend. It’s been a role he’s played well at Missouri the past few years. He shot nearly 46 percent on 3s for Missouri this past season and wowed teams in the workout.
The question is whether there’s anything else he can do. He’ll be 24 before he plays his first NBA game; at 6-foot-5 he is undersized for his position, and his game beyond his jump shot is pretty limited. Nevertheless, NBA teams always need elite shooters, and it looks like English could get drafted just on that one skill.
Numerous players make their living as a sharpshooter in the NBA, and English could certainly join the ranks. He averaged 14.6 points per game last season, and he’ll be a sleeper to watch as a possible first round candidate in the upcoming draft.
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