2017 Orlando Magic Draft Preview: Who is Tyler Lydon?

Syracuse forward Tyler Lydon has a lot of the offensive skills to become the perfect NBA stretch-4. But there are warning signs about how he translates.

Athletes are a dime a dozen in the NBA.

Distinguishing one of the most athletic people in the world from another of the most athletic people in the world is a difficult task. They all have been able to get by on this supreme athleticism. It is their skills that differentiate them.

Athleticism can win at lower levels. But in the NBA, with some of the most athletic and gifted basketball players in the world, skill ultimately wins the day.

Making this differentiation harder is the fact these are mostly 18- and 19-year-old boys coming into the league. These are not fully formed players the Draft is trying to project into the future.

In steps Tyler Lydon, a somewhat unique take on the uber athlete coming into the NBA.

Lydon spent two years with the Syracuse Orange, putting up solid numbers and wowing with his ability to soar above the rim. He averaged 13.2 points per game and 8.6 rebounds per game, shooting 39.2 percent from beyond the arc on 3.7 attempts per game. His game continued to expand and he showed plenty of skills that look like they might be able to translate.

Lydon spent last year proving he was more than just an athletic forward and high leaper. He was someone with something to contribute. Something that the NBA desperately wants in its players. This is an athlete who can shoot. Those eyes are clearly widening throughout the league.

Clearly enough to catch the Orlando Magic’s interest. He reportedly was in Orlando for a workout earlier this week.

It is hard not to see that interest with what he produced with the Orange last year.

Lydon has the size and instincts that tantalize scouts. He has the numbers to back up that production too. And plenty of room to grow.

Lydon certainly has his weaknesses. He must still grow into a stretch-4, rather than someone who tries to attack off the dribble. But unlike most stretch-4s, Lydon has the athleticism to work around the basket. He is not one-dimensional.

And that is how Lydon stands out.

The Good

The first thing that stands out about Lydon is his athleticism and physical attributes.

At the NBA Draft Combine, Lydon measured at 6-foot-9.5 with a 7-foot wingspan. He hit 2.81 seconds in the shuttle run, the third-fastest time at the Combine. Lydon showed a quick burst that made him one of Syracuse’s top player the last few years.

That is what makes Lydon a NBA player. Without that ability to quickly change direction and get to full speed, he probably would not be in NBA consideration.

That athleticism enables Lydon to get above the rim when he gets to the basket. It also enables him to have a high upside defensively. Playing in Syracuse’s 2-3 zone, it is hard to say exactly what he can do defensively. It is tough to trust his defensive metrics because of the Orange’s defensive style.

The potential is undoubtedly there. Length is a commodity in the league and Lydon has it. He has all the physical attributes a team would want in a stretch-4.

And he can add some of the shooting to it too.

Lydon hit on 39.8 percent of his 3-pointers in his two-year career at Syracuse. He has to prove he can step out to the NBA 3-point line, but this is an encouraging sign for him and how he can develop.

Put him in pick and rolls and he can serve as both a lob threat on the roll and a popping threat behind the 3-point line. That kind of versatility is extremely valuable in the NBA. There are not too many role-playing power forwards who can do both.

If shooting is what matters in the league, adding a shooting along with his versatility and athleticism makes Lydon a very intriguing prospect.

The Bad

Tyler Lydon though has a lot of the tools needed to be a role player, but really not much more.

While he is athletic and long, his athleticism is not top-end athleticism. It works in the college game and certainly in a 2-3 zone, but it is not among the best athleticism in this year’s draft or in the NBA.

Lydon has a lot of good skills, but no great skills.

There is plenty of suggestion his 3-point shooting will translate — he shot 80.9 percent from the foul line and continues to improve his free-throw stroke. That suggests his ability to improve his shooting still.

His rebounding too suggests it will translate — although rebounding out of a zone is different than rebounding man to man in slight ways.

The key thing with Lydon is to limit expectations and carve a defined role. He is not going to be able to put the ball on the floor and create. Outside of spot-up shooting or coming off free on a pick and roll, he is not as reliable a shooter. One dribble or a little bit of pressure gets him in trouble.

Defensively, Lydon seems to have all the lateral quickness to be at least a passable defender. But no one really knows. And his athleticism is good, but not top-end. There is no telling what he could do defensively or where his potential lies.

But the truth is with Lydon, his skill set will lock him into a very narrow role. Lydon can develop into a stretch-4, and a unique one at that who can run to the rim and dunk. There are not many power forwards like him with that skill set.

But it is also unclear whether Lydon can reach that potential. His skill set is really defined at this point. And the potential for growth seems lower than most. Especially for someone the team would spend a first-round pick.

Draft Sites Say

Matt Kamalsky & Ryan Thomson, DraftExpress

"Lydon’s physical profile is a bit of a mixed bag.  He has solid size for a power forward, standing just under 6’10 in shoes, and possesses an improved 223-pound frame that he clearly worked on coming into the 2016-2017 season, but has a less than impressive 7-foot wingspan and still has room to add strength.  A fluid athlete, Lydon isn’t overwhelmingly shifty with the ball in his hands, but runs the floor well and is quick off two feet when he can build up a head of steam approaching the basket."

NBADraft.net

"Stretch 4 with a pretty stroke from the perimeter … Gets good lift with a high release point and a smooth follow through … Good athlete with solid leaping ability off two feet. . . . Comes into the league with limited conventional defensive ability, after playing in Jim Boeheim’s 2-3 zone for the past two years … D is a big question mark … Frail body for a 4. Needs to add weight to battle inside for rebounds and defend."

Cole Zwicker, The Step Back

"Lydon is essentially a power forward-only player, locked into that single position with average tools and minus strength. He doesn’t possess the height of other skilled stretch archetypes like Frank Kaminsky or Kelly Olynyk, nor the length or strength or Patrick Patterson and Marvin Williams types. But we have seen evidence of a player with his build and tools succeeding at the NBA level in the form of Ryan Anderson. Unfortunately, Anderson was a far more productive scorer with higher usage and a superior rebounder in college, making that comparison limited."

Kurt Helin, Pro Basketball Talk

"Can shoot the three and was a good rim protector (but in the Syracuse zone). Was a good stretch four in college but is undersized for that at the next level."

Final Word

In some ways, Tyler Lydon is exactly what anyone would want in a stretch-4 in the NBA these days. He can shoot and roll hard to the rim, using his athleticism to be a lob threat. There are very few power forwards who can both roll and pop in pick and rolls.

But in many ways, Lydon is a tease.

He has the athleticism it would seem to do a lot of things on the floor. But the reality is he is not a top-end athlete. He cannot trade on his athleticism alone in the NBA. He will have to take his game up another level.

And in two years at Syracuse, he did not really step his game up. His offensive game is limited to very simplistic sets. He is not going to be able to take anyone off the dribble. And asking him to put the ball on the floor to create his shot, or step in for a jumper is inconsistent at best. His field goal percentage dropped dramatically after taking even just one dribble.

That shadow only deepens the doubt around Lydon. His defensive potential is hard to predict. It is hard to see exactly what he can become. He has the athleticism to be a good defender, but his frame is slight. And coming out of the 2-3 zone at Syracuse, it is hard to figure out if he can translate to the NBA fully.

Lydon seems like he would have a lot of promise. His offensive potential in a narrow role is certainly encouraging to see. But Lydon also has a lot of questions he needs to answer to fully fit into the NBA.

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It is unclear where that fit is unless he truly accepts and grows into that stretch-4 role.