Gbreaking Down Gbinije
Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports
In a season where all feels lost, Michael Gbinije has been a bright spot for the Syracuse Orange.
After Chris McCullough went down with an ACL injury and Syracuse placed a self-imposed postseason ban, Gbinije has given the team a much needed boost on both ends of the court. He has even flaunted his potential as an NBA player in the process.
Gbinije came into the season relatively unknown. After transferring from Duke as a freshman, the 6-foot-7 forward had to sit out one season before being eligible to play for Syracuse. He had a small role for the Orange as a sophomore, only averaging about 14 minutes per game. Even so, Jim Boeheim saw Gbinije’s potential in being more than just a role player; he wanted him to be the leader of the team — a role he has embraced this season.
The multi-positional junior has developed into the key piece of the Orange’s puzzle. After showing some consistency on the three-ball as a sophomore, shooting 34.9 percent, Gbinije is now at a scorching hot 48.5 percent (on 4.5 attempts per game!) in conference play. Not only is his three-point shooting up, he’s come a long way as a distributor, even acting as the Orange’s primary ball handler at times. The combination of his height, vision and scoring ability has seen him become a versatile weapon that has Boeheim singing his praises.
In 15 ACC conference games, Gbinije is boasting a top-20 assist percentage. When he is the primary ball handler, not only is he looking to set up the right play, he is creating off the dribble and wreaking havoc in the paint. According to Shot Analytics, Gbinije gets to the rim 35 percent of the time and is converting them at a high rate (59 percent). He only gets to the free-throw line 4.5 times per game — not great considering the volume of shots he takes in the paint — but he’s been efficient, which bodes well for his future.
Michael Gbinije shot chart |
Gbinije’s shot chart shows off his analytic-friendly tendencies. He likes getting into the paint, shooting the long ball and makes a high percentage from the midrange, doing so on a minimal number of attempts. The culmination is a gaudy True Shooting Percentage of 60.4. His shooting tendencies, playmaking abilities and length all make him a very intriguing prospect.
So, with all that in mind, where does Gbinije project at the next level?
As of now, the junior is not on any of the major mock drafts and he’s not rated in DraftExpress’ Top 100 Prospects. However, he is rated No. 37 on the DraftExpress Top 100 Juniors. With the way the NBA is progressing, positional versatility is very valuable when evaluating a prospect. Having a wing-sized player with guard-like skills are just some of the intangibles that make Gbinije so attractive. He has the potential to be a solid three-and-D prospect, a role that is in high demand in today’s game.
One thing holding him back, though, is his age. Come draft time, he will already be 23-years-old, which could ultimately a game-changer for teams with a high pick.
Nevertheless, over the past month, Gbinije done much to silence his critics and has moved up my draft board as a result. In his last seven games (from Feb. 2 through Feb. 24), he is averaging an impressive 18.7 points, 4.6 assists and 5.1 rebounds, all the while shooting 16-for-33 (48.4 percent) from three-point distance. While it’s a small sample size, it’s a taster of his potential when he’s able to put it all together.
The overall skill set Gbinije possesses will make him a solid selection in the second round — he could be a useful role player in the NBA, especially if he can continue to hit threes at a consistent rate. Although there are concerns about whether or not he’s a one-hit wonder, he’d be wise put his name out there to gauge interest amongst NBA teams. The combination of his play as of late and athleticism could make him a nice “combine wonder,” something that could boost his stock even more.
Gbinije came into this season with little expectations but he has exceeded anything anyone has asked of him. If he can keep progressing the way he has this year, he could be a nice steal for any team come draft time.