My NCAA Sophomore Crush: Tyler Lydon
By Cole Zwicker
First off, let’s just take a step back and discuss the greatness that is Tyler Lydon’s mustache. It would actually be quite horrific from a pure aesthetics standpoint if it wasn’t named Rico, which I’m choosing to believe it’s named after a racketeering charge, and if it didn’t inspire it’s own twitter account called Rico Suave.
Basically, I’m all-in anytime an athlete embodies the self troll, and I’m especially all-in when a teammate provides commentary on any physical feature of another teammate in the form of “I love it. It gives us that creep feel…”. Needless to say I’d be a Tyler Lydon fan even if he wasn’t a good basketball player, but it turns out he is that as well.
Any analysis of the near 6-10 stretch 4 archetype should definitely start with his shooting prowess — 40.5 percent from three on 121 attempts and 77.4 percent from the line on 93 attempts. He shoots a ridiculously pretty ball with great rotation and doesn’t even require both shoes to do it:
I love that one dribble step-back three from stretch 4s on fly-bys. It showcases Lydon’s fantastic footwork and body control to square up on the move. Lydon’s shooting mechanics (almost no extraneous motion, fluidity of the release, etc) stand out, but his footwork and preparation before the shot goes up is especially outstanding:
It doesn’t get much cleaner than this throughout the entire shooting process. Lydon catches on the hop ready to shoot with his shoulders square, and the release is all one fluid motion. He does dip the ball at times, but has the quick release to shoot over closeouts:
This is a big time NBA shot with range, and aesthetically it’s straight gorgeous. You probably get the point, but here’s one more example in pick-and-pop form of the footwork to get squared up and the quick, fluid release:
Being a stretch 4 has definitive value, but without complimentary offensive skills such as the ability to attack closeouts and make decisions on the move or post up mismatches, that stretch value takes a sizable hit. NBA teams have largely figured out the pure shoot only 4s: just stick a wing on them to mitigate the space to get a shot off and/or switch everything for guys who can’t hurt you on mismatches in the post. Thus, for Lydon to be an impact NBA player, he’ll need to be competent at attacking closeouts, passing on the move, and posting up smaller players on mismatches.
Lydon is far more skilled as a passer than given credit for. His 1.5 assists per 40 figure doesn’t knock your socks off, but the tape tells a more promising story:
The fluidity in the shot-fake, straight-line drive and drop-off sequence is projectable to an NBA setting. Lydon isn’t especially fast with the ball, but he flashes occasional athleticism to finish (or attempt to finish here) above the rim on closeout attacks:
As a passer he’s comfortable operating at the foul line extended as a facilitator here, simulating a potential pick-and-pop situation on the skip pass for a side three:
Lydon has good enough vision where it’s reasonable to see him evolving into some form of a playmaking threat as a passer, which is probably the hardest skill for a big to master offensively:
As for being a threat on post-ups to neutralize switches, Lydon definitely needs to improve. He’s not a physical force and his footwork in the post isn’t advanced, but he’s shown flashes of being able to beat obvious mismatches. With strength acquisition it’s projectable that he could be enough of a threat there (he has fantastic hands):
Complimenting Lydon’s analytics-friendly offensive stretch appeal is his rim protection acumen for a 4. Lydon mostly played the 5 spot in the middle of Syracuse’s patented 2-3 zone, leaving him in good position to block and contest shots around the rim (and making projecting his perimeter defensive translation murky), but you can’t argue with the results and the eye test. Lydon sported a 7.0 percent block rate and had eight games last year with four or more blocks. He only has average length for a 4 (unofficially around a 7-0 wingspan), but compensates with plus instincts, especially in recovery situations:
Lydon shows good recognition of spacing between the dive threat and the weak side shooter, and has the reactionary athleticism to get over to close the play with a block. He also has pretty good range on the court as a shot-blocker:
You’d like to see a more controlled closeout here, but Lydon shows a good motor and understanding to crash back down for the block. He’s also adept timing-wise at knowing when to rotate off his man to contest:
Lastly, the recognition and perimeter contest for the clutch block against Gonzaga down the stretch shows a more perimeter-based play in a big moment:
Overall, Lydon is a burgeoning stretch big, who flashes playmaking skills, and has the instincts to protect the rim some at the 4 spot. He’ll likely draw some Ryan Anderson comparisons for his shooting and because we can’t help ourselves *deep sigh*, but he’s a far better athlete (and a very underrated athlete with some vertical bounce), as demonstrated by the following put-back dunk and lob catch respectively:
Lydon will be 21-years-old on opening night in the NBA if he declares after next year, thus he’s not the youngest prospect. But the baseline skills are there to be a lottery pick in 2017, especially if he shoots over 40 percent from three for a second consecutive season.
Right now he’s in the back half of the lottery for me with the ability to ascend if he showcases more consistent playmaking and the ability to shoot off screens. I think he’s a better prospect than Marquese Chriss. So buy, and buy big.