Duke Basketball: NBA Draft profile for sharpshooter Gary Trent Jr.

Weaknesses

The biggest flaw in Trent’s game is his playmaking. Despite playing on the wing with several talented offensive options around him, Trent only dished out 1.4 assists per game in his lone college season. This number pales in comparison to the playmaking skills of teammates Grayson Allen (4.6 assists) and Trevon Duval (5.6 assists). In addition, Trent’s 6.8% assist rate was the lowest among Duke starters this past season.

If there is any consolation for this, it is that Trent consistently avoided turnovers. His 7.4% turnover rate was not only the lowest among starters but the lowest on the entire roster. This low turnover rate might seem like a neutralizing factor to his limited playmaking but it actually just exposes the weakness more. Considering his 19.5% usage rate, his low turnover and assist rates show how he rarely took matters into his own hands in either creating his own shot or finding open teammates.

In fact, the majority of Trent’s scoring opportunities were because of creation by his teammates. For the year, 56.4% of his total field goal attempts were from 3-point range and 94.8% of his 3-pointers came off of an assist by someone else (Hoop-Math). These statistics show that Trent is an excellent off-ball player but did not take over games on his own very often. He has the ability to score off the dribble on occasion but there is limited film on this from his lone collegiate season.

Trent is not the most athletic wing in this class and will not feature elite athleticism at the NBA level. Because of this, he will need to use his basketball IQ and quick feet to stay in front of opponents on the defensive end of the floor. While on offense, focusing on playing within the offense is key for Trent.