Eddy Curry

Overview: A big, strong center with a very nice low-post game. Has good size and great strength by NBA standards. Possesses good lower body strength, but doesn’t show great explosiveness or leaping ability. Surprisingly nimble for a player his size. Lacks the mental toughness or work ethic to get himself into passable shape, which will likely end up defining his basketball career. Can score effectively from the paint, and gets to the free throw line at a superb rate, which makes him somewhat of a rare commodity, and would compensate for his other serious shortcomings if he were more serious about his approach. An exceptionally poor defender, passer and rebounder. Can’t play for most coaches for that reason. Entered the draft after graduating from Thornwood High School (IL). Took a few seasons, but quickly became a very effective offensive presence in the post. Had a down year with the Knicks in 2007, and has faced major setbacks in the form of injuries and off the court issues in 2008. Knee troubles could pose a threat to his long-term effectiveness given his size. Will have to develop some type of work ethic if he’s to salvage his once promising career.

Offense: A very solid low post threat who gets more than almost two thirds of his touches on the block with his back to the basket. Won’t take essentially any jump shots. Shows some impressive skills on the block. Will fight for position, but doesn’t always do that consistently. Will post up on either block with equal effectiveness, making more shots when he can turn baseline over his left shoulder on the right block. Doesn’t show a great left hand, but is so big that he is often able to turn over his right shoulder and bring the ball back in front of his before shooting. The true definition of a space-eater. Bullies his way to the rim when he’s posting up. Can back down almost any defender he is matched up with. Shows pretty nice touch with his right hand in the form of hooks, floaters, and lay ins. Goes to the line at a phenomenal rate due to the fact that he is often the one initiating contact. Shows some nice face up moves, being able to put the ball on the floor for one dribble before exploding to the rim. Doesn’t get a lot of dunks, and could stand to work on his conditioning to improve his quickness and explosiveness. An exceptionally poor passer, with a mediocre assist to turnover ratio. Consistently ranked among the league’s worst in turnover rate. Turns the ball over at a high rate when he puts it on the floor. Gets some offensive rebounds due to his sheer size. Has good hands in general, but will look clumsy at times. Not a smooth post player by any means, but gets the job done when he’s in shape and getting touches. Will need quite a while to round back into form after missing so many games due to his knee and conditioning problems. Could still be effective in the right system if he’s able to somehow get into shape.

Defense: Puts in almost no effort at all on the defensive end. Something of a lumbering big man, lacking the foot speed to keep up with quicker post players. Will get beat off the dribble consistently when asked to guard the high post and tends to get out of position when defending the ball when his man chooses to face up. Lacks the lateral quickness to be effective against players than use a lot of spins and fakes in the post. Has no trouble holding position on the block. Does a good job against more physical back to the basket players who can’t take advantage of him physically. Will often find himself on his man’s hip due to his inability to keep up with the post moves of most players. Gets called for a lot of fouls because of how frequently he is forced to recover when he’s beat. Doesn’t show quick hands when contesting shots and isn’t quick enough to be a factor from the weakside. Not going to hedge any screens. Has a tough time getting back to help out in transition, and doesn’t try too hard either. Will be even slower if his knee issues linger. Needs to work on his awareness and anticipation. Rebounds at a terrible rate for a player his size due to his lack of athleticism and hustle. Doesn’t always get into position to box out when the shot goes up and seems to be a step behind.