2016 NBA DRAFT PROSPECTS (STEPHEN ZIMMERMAN)

STEPHEN ZIMMERMAN

COLLEGE: UNLV

HEIGHT: 7’0″

WEIGHT: 235 POUNDS

AGE: 19 years old

POSITION: CENTER/POWER FORWARD

CLASS: FRESHMEN

2015-2016 STATISTICS: 10.2PTS, 9.3REB, 0.8AST

PROJECTED DRAFT POSITION: BETWEEN 10-20

NBA DRAFT COMPARISON: A LEFTY BRAD MILLER/ A LEFTY FRANK KAMINSKY

PLAYER SUMMARY: Zimmerman was a consensus top 20 recruit coming out of Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas. He stayed close to home and signed with UNLV and is one of the highest rated recruits to sign with them in years (Current NBA rookie Rashad Vaughn was as well/17th pick in 2015 NBA Draft with Milwaukee Bucks.)

Zimmerman is a legit 7-footer who can get up and down the court well for his size. He has very solid ball skills for a front-court player and passes like a guard. The former McDonald’s All-American has a very nice shooting stroke from around 15-17 feet. He also has a jump-hook move that is continually improving. From watching him play on T.V. as well as his videos he seems to have a very high basketball IQ. The 19-year old has to gain strength. For a 7-footer he gets pushed around by smaller defenders. He must get stronger to compete with grown men at the NBA level. He would rather play out on the perimeter taking jump-shots then posting up down low where he should be.

I was skeptical about Zimmerman in the beginning of the year. Although he needs improvement in his low-post defense and offense all the skills are there for Zimmerman to have a productive NBA career. Big-men who have the shooting ability, passing ability, length, mobility and overall knowledge of the game are not easy to find. If he can gain the weight necessary he has the ability to be a solid stretch-4 at the NBA level. In what is considered a weak NBA Draft, Stephen Zimmerman will hear his name called within the first 20 picks, possibly even higher.