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Eric Dixon, F, Villanova
Height: 6-8 • Weight: 265 • Class: Senior • Age: 24
Summary: Dixon is a burly forward who brings a toughness and physicality to the game. As Villanova’s all-time leading scorer, he showed versatile scoring skills but in the NBA his lack of athleticism will put a limit on the type of usage he can receive.
Comparisons: Julius Randle, Glen Davis
Strengths
Shooting: Dixon always had touch throughout college, and it finally translated beyond the arc as a super senior, making 40.7% of his 7.2 attempts per game. For NBA purposes, he’ll play off-ball a lot and he made 43.2% of catch-and-shoot 3s, per Synergy.
Drive game: Attacks closeouts with patience and a good handle. He uses his massive frame to plow through opponents and draw contact inside the paint. Or he can turn around and post up. Add in his seasoned screening ability, and he could be a weapon in ball screens.
Offensive versatility: Villanova used Dixon all over the floor. He’d go from a primary creator one play to using off-ball screens on the next to posting up down low. Though he won’t be such a high-usage player in the NBA, he could plug into different roles for his team.
Concerns
Defensive versatility: He’s not all too quick defending on the perimeter, and he lacks explosiveness protecting the rim and crashing the boards. He’ll need to dramatically improve his lateral ability so he can be a switchy defender, but early in his career he’ll be targeted.
Athleticism: Despite standing at 6-foot-8, Dixon logged only five dunk attempts in his final season with Villanova. He made only three. He’s a below-the-rim guy who relies on strength to plow through defenders, which is no guarantee to translate against NBA athletes.
Playmaking: He had a negative assist-to-turnover ratio in all five years at Villanova. He isn’t too aware of double teams, so NBA speed could be an issue.
For a two-round mock draft and a big board with full scouting reports, check out my NBA Draft Guide.
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