Offense
Strengths
• Playmaker – creates shots for himself and teammates
• Consistent form on jumper
• Has the strength to post up on other guards/small forwards and to finish strong at basket
• Quick first step
• Good instincts
• Sees the floor well
Weaknesses
• Not very active without the ball
• Tends to overdribble and take too long to create
• Questionable shot selection
Defense
Strengths
• Anticipates passes well
• Good on-ball defender when he tries
• Can guard 3 positions
Weaknesses
• Needs to improve footwork on defense
• Stands straight up on defense – can get beat off the dribble
• Slow to close out on shooter
• Needs to improve his rebounding
Analysis
Stephenson has started to show the potential that has had people talking about him since his freshman year of high school. He shows remarkable skills on the offensive end – gets to the basket like a small forward, a shooting guard’s jumper and the court vision of a point guard. He does need to work on his shot selection, which should improve with age. His biggest weaknesses are on the defensive end, where he shows the ability to be a good defender, but he doesn’t put in the same effort he does on offense. He has overcome probably his biggest challenge already – the knock that he can’t be coached and is overly selfish. He has adjusted well to the college game and seems to fit in nicely with his teammates and Coach Cronin’s system.