With most scouts, fans, and analysts pegging Kawhi Leonard as the next Gerald Wallace, Chris Singleton could be the next best alternative for teams such as the Golden State Warriors looking for defensive, athleticism, and size at the wing and front court positions. With Leonard being a top 10 pick in most mock drafts, the Warriors chances of landing a defensively minded played like him could be slim.
Known to be a lockdown defender in college, Singleton has been working to expand his repertoire before the draft. Analysts over at NBADraft.net think Singleton is severely underdeveloped on the offensive end, describing him as such:
Not a natural wing player, he is not very smooth with the ball and does not have the ballhandling skills which would allow him to create his shot with consistency…
Sounds a lot like Mickael Pietrus part deux than the next Gerald Wallace. But Chris Singleton seems to think otherwise about these early reviews. Looking to challenge these assumptions of his limited skill set, Singleton shares via his SLAM Online Draft Diary that he’s more than a defender:
My main message is that my game is versatile and that I just care about winning and contributing positively to any team that drafts me any way I can.
That’s what I always admired growing up, the players that could do so much for their team. Like Magic (me=Earvin “Magic” Johnson) and Scottie Pippen, those kinds of guys that had so many skills in different aspects of the game. That’s what I hope to do for my team.
Singleton’s choice to model himself after players of another generation should be a positive sign for interested teams. Perhaps this is a sign that Singleton knows his hoops history? The Warriors definitely need more skilled players, but they also need better defensive. At the very least, Singleton’s athleticism could make him a great target for alley oops with the Warriors best passer in Stephen Curry.