Say Hello to Lester Hudson
With the 58th pick in the draft the Celtics select.....Lester Hudson.
Hudson is a 6-3, 190lb shooting guard who averaged 27.5 ppg for Tennessee-Martin.
Strengths (according to NBADraft.net):
Talented combo guard with excellent NBA potential ... Prolific scorer,
(over 25 ppg) ... Has a quick first step and a killer crossover
allowing him to blow by defenders and get into the paint ... Does a
good job of creating baskets for himself and others ... Has precision
passes for ally oops even from well beyond the three point arc ...
drives exceptionally well, with defenses collapsing on him ... Has a
great shot off the dribble, and is able to hit it going straight up or
fading away ... Has a terrific body for a point guard with size, length
and strength ... Can put points up in a hurry. Advanced mid-range game
... Shows excellent vision and passing ability ... A great defender. A
bigtime ball hawk, fourth in the nation in steals ... Shows great
anticipation and his quick hands and feet make him a tremendous on ball
defender ... Gets good lift on his shot and shows a solid shooting form
... An excellent shooter with 3-point range and consistency on his
shot. Shoots threes at a high volume and great efficiency ... His form
and strength should allow him to step back 5 feet and hit the pro three
with consistency in time ... His body strength allows him to finish
after contact, play physical and also helps his range ... Knocks down
free throws at a high percentage >80% ... Solid rebounder for his
position. Plays bigger than 6-3 with his long wing span ... Unlike many
prolific scorers, Hudson is unselfish getting teammates involved
offensively, creating easy baskets for them ... Clutch player who comes
up with big shots when his team needs them ... Highly competitive ...
Weaknesses:
Has not played at a high level of basketball, with
just one season of Div 1 under his belt at UT Martin ... Playing in the
Ohio Valley Conference, his exploits are questioned ... It's tougher to
project him for the next level playing against lesser players ... Ends
up playing off the ball a bit because hes so effective scoring ... He
shows quality passing and ball handling ability, but can he run a team?
...Must develop his point guard instincts, controlling tempo and
overall PG duties ... Still needs to prove himself as a floor general.
Very creative passing the ball, but will need to cut down on turnovers
... Not incredibly explosive. He's a strong athlete without question
but is quicker and stronger than he is explosive ... Will turn 24 in
August, which diminishes his intrigue some ... His long road to Div 1
basketball is a story of perseverance, but also leaves scouts with
cause for concern ... Having lacked structure and discipline for a few
years following high school, Hudson appears to be a changed man with a
new found maturity ...
According to ESPN, Hudson recorded Division I's first-ever quadruple-double: 25 pts, 12 rebs, 10 asst, 10 steals.
For more on Hudson, check out this article from ESPN.com from 2008.