Video: Michael Snaer's Double Double vs Auburn

Florida State has been bad this season and a 78-72 loss to Auburn last night doesn't make things any better. Ian Miller has been hurt and played ten minutes last night from injury and they need him healthy for ACC play. Without him, Michael Snaer is not only expected to lead them defensively but offensively as well.

Snaer does a lot of things well and is an intriguing prospect. His defense is already NBA caliber - possessing good length and lateral quickness, and a keen understanding of positioning.

Offensively, Snaer does a lot of things well. For the second straight year, he is a 40%+ shooter from behind the arc and 80%+ from the free throw line. He has nearly doubled his rate of getting to the line so far this year, finally putting his first step and fluidity to use. He's also explosive at the rim and is seen completing a backdoor alley-oop in the video below.

Snaer's efficiency on offense is hurt by the fact that he is being asked to do it all for Florida State. But in a smaller role, Snaer is a guy who can do a little bit of everything on both ends. From passing, rebounding (he had 12 against Auburn), getting into the lane, and lighting it up from outside - Snaer has an NBA game.

Scouting Report: Phil Pressey

Height: 6'0''
Wingspan: 6'3''
Weight: 178lbs
Bday: 2/17/91
Team: Missouri
Class of 2014

A young Pressey rocking a different looking. Truly defining how to "get low"

Coming into his sophomore season at Missouri, Pressey had full control of the point guard position and his game in almost every statistical category. His shooting from all areas of the floor improved, his assists and rebounds went up, he cut down the turnovers and fouls, and nearly doubled his attempts at the free throw line. Most importantly, Pressey was the leader for one of the best teams in a country and a team that was known for unselfishness and excellent chemistry. Pressey had great teammates around him, but he embodied all positive characteristics and did a great job making plays for the other three guards on the court.

Let's ignore Pressey's size at first and examine his college game. Right now, he may be the most talented returning college basketball player and he's still only going to be a junior. It is high praise, but very much earned. Pressey played entire games last year where he was virtually perfect. He defended the entire court, made terrific passes, hit his jumpers, and controlled the tempo. Lots of times it seemed like he could do whatever he wanted out there.

His unselfish play and understanding of the pick and roll offense are two things that bode well for him when projecting his NBA future. Pressey always looks pass first. He can dominate a game without taking a shot and will if you let him. He takes advantage of Mizzou's uptempo offense for assists, but also know how to operate in the halfcourt. In the pick and roll offense, he is deadly. He is so small that he is able to split defenders and he changes speeds perfectly. He can move around into the lane at half speed, just because of the threat of his blow-by potential. He has a good feel for where defenders are playing him and uses his small frame as well as he can when he has a defender on his back after driving off a pick. When he is doing his damage in the lane, he is almost always under control. The only issue with Pressey in the pick and roll is his own ability to finish.

Pressey displaying a NBA "arm bar"

Pressey shot just under 43% from the floor last year, which was actually up from his freshman number of  38.7%. While Pressey has a smooth stroke in the mid-range area, his 2-pt percentage is hurt by his play amongst bigs. Pressey takes a lot of difficult shots inside thanks to his shortcomings in the height department. Instead of using a classic floater, Pressey ends up in tough spots where he is 10 feet away from the hoop and trying to push the ball to the rim with a defender on his inside. He is a crafty guy and a great athlete, but he isn't very explosive. Not in a Nate Robinson kind of way where you are going to see him dunking. He's more along the lines of a DJ Augustin type athlete. He's going to have to bulk up quite a bit so he can deal with contact and develop a more reliable floater. I know the floater should be no problem for a guy with his touch, he just needs to do a better job of positioning himself inside.

In transition, Pressey normally has no problem finishing. When he gets rolling to the basket, he is way too quick for defenders to be able to set their feet and draw a charge or block his shot without fouling. Most of his free throw attempts come off these situations. Pressey's passing is also a big factor here as he is one of the best at delivering good passes to his teammates on the run. Pressey is great in transition and has had plenty of practice in these situations at Missouri.

Shooting wise, I think he is better than the numbers say he was. He has deep range and is able to pull up from anywhere on the court. He can shoot off the dribble and create enough space to shoot the ball. He reminds me a bit of Isaiah Thomas from Washington with the way he can size up his defenders from the top of the key or shoot off the pick and roll. Pressey was shooting 28% from 3-pt range last year on February 15th, but finished the season on a 22-40 hot streak where he displayed complete confidence in his shot.

Another thing to note is Pressey's crossover which is absolutely ridiculous. Its a video game crossover that can take him 5 feet in any direction in a heartbeat. Overall, he does a great job changing directions and he completely dices up defenses. As I said before, Pressey looks unstoppable a lot of times in the college game. In terms of everything he can control, not much more can be asked of him.

Before we touch on his defense, we have to acknowledge his size now. Pressey was measured at 6 ft tall in shoes with just a 6'3'' wingspan at the 2012 Deron Williams Skills Camp. The year before, he was under 6 feet with just a 6'1 wingspan. The numbers can vary a bit. Either way he is really undersized, but a 6'1 wingspan is particularly troublesome. Trey Burke is around the same height as Pressey, but Burke has a better frame and a few extra inches on his wingspan. That is the reason why Burke is considered a better prospect.

Nobody can say Pressey doesn't lay it all on the line. There are countless hustle pics off Pressey on Google Images

In terms of lateral quickness, Pressey has it and he's very agile to boot. Defensively, he really turned it up at the end of the year and played good defense against the likes of Pierre Jackson, Myck Kabongo, and Tyshawn Taylor. He has great closing speed, defends out to halfcourt, and does a good job closing passing lanes and getting steals. Pressey isn't a gambler perse, but can bait the opposition into throwing passes. He does a great job chasing his man around screens and getting interceptions there. He can be bullied and shot over, but Pressey has plenty of heart and pride on defense. Too much to be a complete non-factor.

I doubted Isaiah Thomas last year who had similar measurables last year and he has since proven me wrong. I'm still not sure how good of a player Thomas really is as he put up those numbers of the Kings and I didn't get a chance to watch him much, but he definitely is an NBA player. And I can say with certainty that Pressey as a sophomore was a better played than Thomas was as a senior in college. Pressey has always been a natural point guard while Thomas was much more of a scoring guard until the second half of his senior year.

One thing Thomas did well that Pressey can mimic is the pick and roll game. Thomas had the deep jumper to keep defenses honest as well and similarly used screens to get into the lane. They both show a lot of heart, character, and love for the game. You can never count out players with the kind of work ethics they possess. One area where Thomas has the advantage is his build, where he is a bit stronger. Thomas was a better finisher at the rim because of that and slightly better explosiveness. Still, Thomas never ran the point like Pressey can.

Pressey is the kind of player a general manager or coach can fall in love with. A guy who can make a coach feel that despite his size, he can be their point guard and allow the coach to have complete faith in his decision making. He will have detractors that say he isn't worth even a late first round pick, but there will be a at least a few that will look for him in the first round. I'll admit, I could probably be swooned over by Pressey in interviews and group scrimmages. He's been said to be the best point guard at all the camps he's played in, but still doesn't get as much attention due to his size. With a potential player of the year campaign on the horizon, the topic of his size will continue to be the biggest component that needs to be figured out in his transition to the NBA. He has everything else working for him.

Scouting Report: Adonis Thomas

Height: 6'6''
Weight: 240lbs
Wingspan: 7'0''
Bday: 3/25/1993

Team: Memphis
Class of 2015

Adonis Thomas came to Memphis as a top 10 recruit in the nation even though he was seen as a guy stuck between the 3 and the 4. He chose to stay local and was willing to accept whatever role Memphis threw him into. The role for his freshman season was power forward. Thomas was able to put on over 20 pounds prior to the season to prepare for the season, going from a respectable 207 pounds to a beastly 230 pounds in order to handle battling inside with taller foes. Injuries took away the majority of his in conference season, but he is back for his sophomore year to prove he can produce for an entire season. He never did get a chance last year to perform consistently so this is a big year for him. With Shaq Goodwin coming in and Witherspoon and Will Barton off to pursue pro careers, Thomas should become more of a perimeter player this season.

Thomas is the kind of player that is able to play many different roles and positions for a ball club. You can say that about a handful of players, but it is rare to see a player that is able AND willing. Even more rare when you are looking at a McDonald's All-American player. The intangibles for Thomas, who is also a great student, defines Thomas as a player. He is a great character guy, works hard, and is willing to do all the little things to help his team win.

His freshman year was a testament to everything high school scouts raved about. Thomas battled consistently inside at power forward. He relished the role and played as much like a true power forward as he could. He battled in the post, set screens for the guards, and was always sure to box his man out. He used his strength and outstanding base on defense to handle other big men in the post.

On offense, Thomas stays in his lane. He lets the game come to him, but when he gets the ball in the mid-range area, he looks to attack. The mid-range game is his bread and butter right now. He has improved his mid-range jumper to a point where it is a weapon. His shot can be a little flat at times, but it looks for the most part. His jumper is able to open up room for the drive, although with his great first step, it was rare that forwards could stay in front of him anyway.

When driving, Thomas stayed under control and was able to shift his body just enough to avoid picking up charges. He showed advanced footwork - showing off a good feel for the Euro-step - and ability to maneuver in traffic. His great first step and subsequent dribbles combined with his frame and steady handles makes him a force attacking from mid-range - and Thomas knows this. He loves the face-up drive from 15 feet in. The question that has to be asked is how Thomas can adapt doing similar moves from the perimeter, where his shiftiness will need to go from good enough to above average.

Around the rim, Thomas's explosiveness and strength aid him yet again. But he doesn't strictly rely on that. He can hook the ball over his outside shoulder and also does a great job of using the rim to protect the ball. Just as with his dribble, Thomas isn't super fancy, but he has just enough creativeness to get the job done effectively.

Overall, his mid-range game is where he is most comfortable at right now and he has no problem staying within 15 feet while the guards dance around the perimeter. He constantly works to get post position and sneak into passing lanes to receive the ball. He works so hard no matter what - a lot of times Thomas didn't get a lot of touches but there was never a drop off in his play or any discontent expressed with his body language. While Thomas is an aggressive attacker in mid-range, he is a very unselfish player in the sense that he will always do whatever his team needs him to do. There is no "I" in Thomas's play.

His post game also has potential and he is received valuable experience last year as one of Memphis' "go-to post threats". I use that term very loosely as Memphis runs more like an AAU team, but Thomas still got a chance to focus on his back to the basket game. When facing away from the hoop, Thomas uses his frame to carve out room inside and presents a good target to throw to. His long arms are able to retrieve any pass within his range. You can tell Thomas enjoyed posting up in high school because he already has some decent post moves for a future NBA small forward. This part of his game should develop to a point where it is worth mentioning even as a perimeter player. Thomas will be one of the dying bread of NBA perimeter players who can work out of the post. While his post game isn't deadly, the fact that he has one is a plus.

Offensively, Thomas plays more like a power forward than small forward. At least, last year he did. He doesn't create much offense for him or other teammates. He can move the ball, but his negative A/TO reflects the way he played. Thomas stays in his zone and will take his shot if he is within his comfort zone (mid-range), but on the perimeter he rarely looks to make a play. He has shown continued improvement in his 3-pt shooting and it looks like that can actually turn into a strength down the road.

The fact that Thomas has a tweener offensive game isn't really worrisome. On offense, players can be interchangeable and versatility should be viewed as a good thing. Tweeners are only a problem when they are in between positions on defense. And that is not the case with Thomas.

With his 7-ft wingspan, excellent motor, strength, good awareness, and solid lateral quickness Thomas has everything it takes to defend small forwards at a plus level and perhaps even at an All-Defensive level. He is a pest on the ball and does a great job staying low. He has no problem fighting through screens but his versatility allows him to switch on screens if needed. He can legitimately guard three positions on the court. He also isn't much of a risk taker. Thomas stays in his own lane and focuses on stopping his man. That is not to say he lacks awareness - he has a good feel on the defensive end and provides help defense - it just means he doesn't gamble. That can partially explain his low steal and block numbers. The zone that Memphis employed also had a good deal to do with it. Regardless, Thomas doesn't appear to be a big threat blocking shots and it would be nice to see his steal/block numbers reflect his athleticism a bit more next season.

The same thing can be true for his rebounding. Thomas pulled down only 5.2 rebounds per 40 minutes, while his ultra skinny teammate, Will Barton, had 8.8 per game credited to his name. This can draw questions about his hands (he has strong hands but are they soft?), but I think part of it can be attributed to his unselfishness. Thomas often would tip rebounds to his teammates. Still, the numbers he put up are a little surprising for the kind of player he is. A super athletic player who played inside, had great strength, boxed out on each shot, and never took a play off couldnt put up good rebounding numbers?I would have expected him to over 10 rebounds per 40 minutes at the power forward position. In the end though, I doubt poor rebounding is going to be a weakness used against him come draft time. His job in the NBA will be to keep his opposing player from hitting the offensive glass and with his determination to box out, he will have no problem getting that done.

When projecting Thomas to the future, there is reason to believe he has a very high ceiling. To me though, he is actually one of the safest picks in the lottery while not possessing NBA First Team potential. I just don't ever see him being a prolific scorer from a skill standpoint or from an attitude standpoint. Think Marvin Williams. They are different players, but both are very unselfish, great character guys, who played a smaller role in college but their tools project them to be stars in the NBA. In reality, they played smaller roles because that is their style and neither of them were much of shot creators. Thomas is comfortable playing a role. Shot creating can be improved, but rarely do players make drastic improvements after they are drafted.

Still with what Thomas gives you, you are looking at a good to a great starter who can be somewhat of a super role player. He does all the little things and has no problem doing them. He has great character and great work ethic. He is good in transition. He is versatile. He can space the floor. He is a very smart player and a potential stopper on defense. He is a winner and his game translates well to games played in May and June. He is a guy you draft, plus him in at the wing, and don't ever worry about him again. While he doesn't make his teammates better with his creating ability, he makes the TEAM better with everything else he can do. I see Thomas as a mid to late lottery pick this year.