Jeff Adrien

Jonathan Givony

Jeff Adrien made the Golden State Warriors opening day roster and even lasted for 15 games, seeing a good amount of playing time and rebounding prolifically, but was eventually released when the team decided to sign guard Acie Law.

Adrien has since been taking his frustrations out on every team in the D-League, establishing himself as arguably the most productive player in the league since being traded to Rio Grande Valley. He ranks as the best rebounder in the league and one of the top-10 scorers, doing so extremely efficiently and in turn leading the league in PER.

Adrien has expanded his game quite a bit since college, noticeably improving his basketball IQ and becoming a much more polished player. It's clear that the lone year he spent playing in Spain helped a great deal, as he seeing the floor better and forcing the issue less than he did in the past. He's become a much better passer and ball-handler, has improved his free throw shooting, and looks significantly more aggressive offensively than he was at UConn.

Mostly a post player in the past, Adrien is doing a very good job facing the basket, utilizing his strong first step from the high post to make his way to the basket and score around the rim. While not overly consistent with his jumper, he looks to be working on this part of his game quite a bit, something that could reap benefits down the road. Very athletic and aggressive around the basket, Adrien doesn't waste the scoring opportunities he's presented with in the paint, usually finishing in emphatic fashion.

The bread and butter of Adrien's game, and his main virtue as an NBA prospect remains his rebounding ability. Although undersized at 6-5 ¼ without shoes, he possesses a mammoth 7-2 wingspan which helps him out tremendously, especially when you consider his He-Man like frame. He's constantly lurking trying to make things happen on the offensive glass, and plays with an excellent intensity level that is surely winning him fans at the NBA level.

Defensively, Adrien lacks height but doesn't save any effort, bringing the same hard-nosed mentality he does on the glass when being posted up inside. Somewhat limited trying to stay in front of aggressive ball-handling power forwards on the perimeter, Adrien must improve his lateral quickness and feel for the game on this end of the floor if he wants to stick on an NBA roster.

Adrien did not look out of place in the 15 games he played with the Warriors in the NBA to start this season, something that definitely bodes well for him looking forward. He saw some solid rotation minutes in competitive situations and emerged as one of the best rebounders in the league in the admittedly small sample size. With the way undersized, high-energy power forwards are performing these days in the NBA, teams won't be as hesitant to give him a call-up as they might have been in the past.

Considering the way he's producing, it's likely only a matter of time until Adrien is signed by someone. If given an opportunity to play, there's a pretty good chance he will stick around based on what we've seen and heard.

Adrien has played the part of undersized power forward for UCONN for seemingly forever now, nearly averaging a double double for three consecutive seasons now. While the production has remained constant, his skill set really hasn’t drastically changed over the last few seasons in terms of his NBA skill set.

The obstacles that Adrien has to overcome are his lack of ideal height (though he does have a very long wingspan), freakish athleticism, or an advanced skill set. He is still much more of a back to the basket player, lacking a consistent face-up jumper. When in the pivot though, very much favors his right hand and almost never opts to turn towards his left shoulder. In the occasions that he does choose to face the basket, he has shown a nice first step going right but is usually a bit out of control. Adrien is hitting around 41% of his jump-shots this season, up from 28% last season, but will very rarely take more than one or two attempts per-game. His free throw shooting has improved marginally, from 62 to 64% this year. He has also managed to cut down on his turnover rate substantially, which shows that his feel for the game (always considered a major weakness of his) is starting to improve.

Defensively, Adrien has no problems defending players who own more of a back to the basket game, such as DeJuan Blair. However, he struggles mightily when matched up against players who can face the basket, a la Sam Young, due to his poor lateral quickness. In terms of team defense though, Adrien rotates well and often finds himself in position to draw charges.

Adrien’s motor and tough play are going to be the two things that give him a chance of finding a place in the league. He is a ferocious rebounder, who is incredibly active on both ends of the floor. While it’s going to take some strong play in the tournament and workouts for Adrien to assure himself of being drafted, he should have an opportunity to make someone’s roster as a hustle player by the time training camp rolls around.

Jeff Adrien enters his senior year at UConn with a lot to prove. An All Big East first-team member last season, Adrien is a terrific college player with some serious question marks about his NBA potential. Productive around the basket and an excellent rebounder, the jury is still out on whether or not he’ll be able to continue to thrive in those areas at the next level.

Adrien has earned a reputation as a beast on the boards and in the painted area. He ranks 25th amongst all players in our database in rebounds per game (9.1), and 19th in our database in free throw attempts per game (6.9).

These are impressive stats, especially for an undersized power forward like Adrien who only stands at 6-6 – although he is built very well with a strong physique as he weighs in at 225 lbs. His height however, is a major cause for concern due in large part to Adrien’s limited offensive repertoire. According to Synergy Sports Technology, Adrien gets most of his offense in the post with his back to the basket – which is a bit troubling for such an undersized forward considering how unlikely it is that he’ll be able to translate this to the next level.

In the post, he is very restricted as he’s only comfortable turning to his left shoulder to shoot a mini hook towards the baseline on the right block or his right shoulder where he shoots that same mini hook going towards the middle on the left block. When this move is taken away, Adrien inevitably turns the ball over or forces up a bad shot. Consistent with that analysis, Adrien’s left hand is almost non-existent. When forced to pivot away from his right handed hook, Adrien can look awkward and uncomfortable, which often results in an empty possession. He does excel off the ball when cutting to the basket. He has a knack for making himself available for teammates to find easily, and is a terrific finisher, often finishing plays with a dunk or two free throws.

One area of Adrien's game that will have to improve significantly is his shooting. Forwards of all sorts in the NBA today are able to shoot – whether it’s spotting up off penetration or pick and pop situations. Unfortunately for Adrien, he has very little to speak about here. Adrien barely made or attempted any jump-shots last season, and did not look very consistent in the ones he did take. That is not going to cut it in the pros, and he will have to improve his versatility offensively if he’s to stand any chance at playing at a high level.

Despite the low numbers, Adrien possesses a fairly decent shooting stroke. He has a nice release point, gets good elevation off the ground, and has a nice follow through most of the time. He struggles with getting rotation on the ball, which in turn leads to a shot that is anything but soft. This is evident on his misses which clank off the rim and lead to long rebounds. Additionally, when rushed, his shots are often flat and fall short. He will need to increase the trajectory of his ball and give it a chance to go in. His range right now is at about 15-17 feet; if he can extend that a bit and be able to make the jumpers he takes on a consistent basis, he will help himself considerably.

To go along with his shooting, his ball handling can use a lot of work as well. It’s very rare to see Adrien put the ball on the floor. Whenever he begins to dribble, you can be sure a Husky guard is close by to rescue him. This is not what is expected from a modern-day NBA power forward unfortunately.

Defensively, Adrien does well against undersized big men like himself who play physical inside. He uses his body well to move guys off their spots and further away from the basket. As mentioned earlier, he is a tremendous rebounder – especially at the defensive end where he pulls down 6.5 defensive rebounds a game. He is also a pretty good help defender and shows this often with his willingness to help a beat teammate and take charges. When matched up against versatile forwards who can play on the perimeter however, Adrien struggles profusely. His lateral quickness is limited as Adrien has a hard time closing out on shooters or recovering on a rotation to prevent a drive. When guarding a pick and pop player, he’s often a second too slow getting back to contest the shot. Opposing teams that feature the befitting personnel, look to exploit Adrien in these situations as often as they can.

Overall, Jeff Adrien is a very productive college basketball player. He can score inside and rebounds with the best in the country. If he wants to continue his playing career in the NBA, or even at the highest level in Europe, Adrien will have to modify his game and become more versatile on both sides of the ball. His work ethic and tenacity are the characteristics that coaches love about him. His fundamental skills are another story, and vast improvements will need to be made if anyone will take a chance on him.

Adrien was far and away the most dominant player of any of the collegians, showing that he could score against taller and more athletic defenders such as the Lopez twins and his Connecticut teammate Hasheem Thabeet. He was just so much more powerful and explosive then any other player on the floor that it was almost unjust to watch what he was doing to his foes. The junior forward established whatever position he wanted on the low blocks, finished around the rim, and was a terror on the offensive glass. Most impressive however was his improved range on his jumper, now being a threat from 17 feet and in consistently.

While Jeff does not have ideal size for a power forward at only 6’6, he is able to compensate for that with a wingspan exceeding 7’0 and exceptional athleticism. He is an extremely productive player with a motor that never stops, making him a coach’s dream for a role player off of the bench. As long as Adrien is able to continue his productivity, there is no reason that he should not find himself on a roster at the conclusion of his tenure as a player at Connecticut.