Last Ranking:

Projected NBA rookie role: Physical 2-Way Floor Stretching Forward

Projected NBA position: Forward

Projected Rookie Statline (Pts, Reb, Ast, Blk/Stl):

Strengths:

Weakness:

Shades of/comp:

Best outcome:

mid outcome:

worst outcome:

Pros:

• Size

  • 6'9, 240lbs, but the absolutely crazy thing is a rumoured, but apparently NBA tested 7'4-5 wingspan. And he uses every bit of it, its absolutely ridiculous, Fleming worked out with a few NBA teams in the summer (Atl-Bos-Bkn to name a few) And said his wingspan measured at 7'4 closer to 7'5. This is just ridiculous and anyone with this type of body is going to be very interesting to scouts.

• Defensive Versatility

  • Due to his insane body, he has a lot of insane uses on the defensive end, being a potential rim protecter and Wing defender due to his size and length, one of the most intriguing thing about him as versatile defenders are one of my personal favourite skillsets and archetypical players in the NBA, players like DFS for example. He uses his long arms to get into passing lanes and swat shots at the rim, he is very good at anticipating passes and poking, and his body isn't so tall that he struggles moving though he has had some problems to do with that that I will get into later. Anyway to add some stats to this, 4.7 DBPM, his stops percentile is comparable to someone like Tari Eason who is one of the most valuable defenders right now. Very similar defensive numbers to Jonathon Isaac who its very versatile as a defender. he is in the 98th percentile for defensive rating. Very insane numbers.

• 3 point shooting

  • I love this guys shooting form, he shoots from NBA deep at 44% from 3 on great volume for his position, definitely not someone you ever plan to leave open, he barely gets contested due to the freakish arms, just looks perfect for a guy his size. I know this is a little off topic but if you combined his 3 ball and stops over 40 minutes, they are similar to that of Chet Holmgren, and i'm not gonna say he is gonna be that guy but his 3 ball is that good. Not only that his movement is great off ball, good footwork and gets space for catch and shoot threes.

• Cutting and inside play

  • I mean I just wanted to start by saying he is extremely efficient offensively, 63% EFG, great inside, spots space, fights through contact, gets a lot of second chance buckets, sees space cutting to the basket, uses his length to finish well and is somewhat athletic so he can jump over guys, also gets a lot of space under the basket, numerous times found open through plays. he gets in to some great post plays, uses mismatches correctly, can go grab a lob but need some more volume. Really unstoppable.

• Rebounding

  • Linked to the size but he has been a very efficient strong rebounder, and when we talk about how he will be used positionally in the NBA as a stretch 4 maybe 3, its going to be very interesting as a factor to have another guy who can snatch some rebounds at an extremely high level positionally. he is also great at taking offensive rebounds, something I think I previously mentioned is he gets a lot of second chance buckets, getting his rebounds and putting them back back in pretty proficiently, definitely a large strength to his game. 98th percentile rebounder.

Cons:

• Ball handling

  • Can't really create for himself, some people will find this a large con, I don't think this matters entirely for the type of value he brings offball and on defense. I don't think he is ever going to be a great creator off his handle, he has shown some interesting flashes in the post since he is able to hit the open man and in general good reads. But in general hes a pretty weak handler that you definitely don't trust in the nba.

• Defensive brush-ups and annoyances

  • Ok so this is purely eye test stuff, when you watch him you might pick up on a few things he tends to do or has problems with. When he goes for blocks, too much is he going for the person rather than tracking the ball, if he wants to be elite as an interior defender, he needs to be tracking the ball more and trying to snatch it. The other thing. that annoys me is when he closes out he gets beat quite a bit, one of the big ones was against Texas Tech when he was guarding a very strong player in Darrion Williams, he got beat a lot and had trouble recovering, he in general needs to control himself, be a bit less eager and wait for the ball rather then rushing. this is less a technical problem mainly a mental problem he needs to switch if he is going to be a player who can guard 1-5 which he has said is something he personally is training to be.

• Free throws + Mid range?

  • it gets on my nerves a little, 70% is not too bad but for someone who shoots so well from 3, he has to work on this. And the other thing kinda linked to this, he is very against the mid range, like a ridiculously low volume, not good percentages. Now as someone looking at the modern game, honestly not as worried that you cant shoot the mid range anymore but it feels like a natural progression improving his offence, Free throws and mid range.

Interesting factor:

• Archetype

  • What is he, someone very weird positionally, because as ive said preciously he has similarities to some stretch 4s looking at Evan Mobley and Chet Holmgren that I brought up, not as good at all like these guys who are definitely the top of this archetype, and then he has similar defence to Jonathon Isaac as this combo forward type guy. but then if we just look at a comparison skillset for skillset, OG Anunoby makes a ton of sense, they match really well. But also have some differences, OG is a better playmaker ball handler although neither are particularly proficient and a much better perimeter defender as he is one of the best in the league, but i'd say Fleming is a much better shooter of the ball, and is more athletic and sized at the rim. So scale matters a bit which is why Fleming is quite so interesting because, I don't think we have a great idea of what he could be like in the league. he is a physical anomaly.

Conclusion:

Prospect ceiling: One of the most valuable Roleplayers

Pick Range: 11-24

NBA Comp: Defense of Jonathon Isaac sounds right to me but as a total package, OG Anunoby

Best Fits: -

• Atlanta

• Minnesota

• Detroit

Long athletic big man who can score and rebound really well. Scores and guards multiple positions. Solid ball handler. He an space the floor as well. (42% 3pt)

NBA Comp: Lauri Markannen

The prototypical 3&D that every team needs. Good 3pt shot, good defense (underrated IQ) but not a playmaker. He's a bit older but that doesn't bother me. He will just be a good role player, now it depends if he will be a starting caliber one or a bench one.

NBA comp : Jeff Green/PJ Washhington

(2/3) TBC

Fleming is a 6'9 F who has grown into an undeniably enticing 3 and D archetype.

According to Jonathan Givony, Fleming has a 7'5 wingspan. His defensive numbers agree with this measure. 1.5 steals and 1.5 blocks, both from his length (as I've watched him effortlessly reach around offensive players and pick their pockets), and his athleticism (as he swoops in from help so slap away an attempted floater).

While his defense is great, he does need to develop a bit more self control. I feel like the way he slides into players, or blocks shots with too much forward momentum, will come back to haunt him when players are better at exploiting it.

It would be a pain to stop Fleming from finishing in transition. His long strides, bounce, and laser-focus on the rim is deadly.

That being said, Fleming is not a jump-out-of-the-gym athlete. He can catch lobs, for sure, but he doesn't complete every play with his shoulders above the hoop.

Contesting a confident 3-point shooter with a shot that ends high above his head and doesn't hesitate is really difficult, no surprise. His shot really nice consistent motion, which tells me he's worked on it for a long, long time. His 3PT% has increased every year in college, and took a big jump this season (32% -> 43% as of today). This may be a concern for some.

Shot creation and ball-handling is something that Fleming struggles with, although that being said, there is a smooth flow to Fleming's offensive game. If Rasheer sees a line to the rim, he's not afraid to pounce on it. That being said, don't expect any hesi-tweens to get a cold fadeaway.

His anticipation on defense is impressive, which leads to his length poaching any imperfect passes. He also regularly recognises what quicker guards want and beats them to it, ending those possessions with an easy block.

Fleming's FT% is unimpressive, sticking in the 60s his college career. I don't think FT% is a be-all-and-end-all, but it is interesting. In this same way, his mid-range game is really unimpressive, which points to a less developed, well-rounded offensive playstyle.

Fighting around screens isn't a strength in Fleming's game, but he is happy to do it, and I'm sure will only improve with time.