Six Players The Erie BayHawks Should Look At

Mar 23, 2014; San Antonio, TX, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels forward James Michael McAdoo (43) dribbles during the game against the Iowa State Cyclones in the third round of the 2014 NCAA Tournament at AT&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

James Michael McAdoo PF

After his freshman season, James Michael McAdoo had to decide between staying in college, or leaving for the NBA and potentially being a lottery selection. Fast forward three years, and McAdoo is an un-drafted free agent. While it’s a move that could pay dividends when his basketball career is over, McAdoo ended up costing himself millions, and possibly the chance to play in the NBA.

When breaking down his game, there is a lot to like. McAdoo is a phenomenal athlete who possesses nice touch around the rim and has an array of post moves as well. He is a very good defender who is versatile and can guard both forward spots. While his strengths make him sound like a player who should be in the league, a few of his weaknesses are big red flags. He’s undersized for the power forward spot, and his shooting leaves much to be desired.

In the NBA today, teams want their power forwards to be able to do one of two things: help protect the rim, or spread the floor.Unfortunately for McAdoo, he does neither well at this time. That’s not to say that with time he couldn’t, however. Teaching a player to shoot is doable, and with time in the D-League, possibly even with the BayHawks, McAdoo could become a good enough shooter to warrant some time in the NBA. Like many players in the D-League, he’s somewhat of a project, but with time could find the form that made him a top-10 player coming out of high school.

Stats Per 40 Minutes 

Season School Conf FG% 2P 2PA 2P% FT% TRB AST STL BLK PTS
2011-12 UNC ACC .434 5.7 13.2 .434 .638 9.9 0.7 2.2 0.9 15.5
2012-13 UNC ACC .445 7.7 17.3 .447 .578 9.7 1.5 2.0 0.5 19.2
2013-14 UNC ACC .458 6.8 14.5 .466 .537 9.0 2.3 1.8 1.2 18.9
Career .447 6.9 15.4 .451 .569 9.5 1.6 2.0 0.9 18.3
*Ed note: James Michael McAdoo and the Golden State Warriors came to an agreement on a deal after this article was published.