Fabian Nelson @PrepHoopsTN Fall Combine Recapture

Fabian Nelson (Northpoint Chrisitan School - Mississippi) infused the @PrepHoopsTN/AboveTheRimGym Fall Combine with a rare scoring touch and quick feet.

How did he measure against the competition?

• Class of 2021
• 5'6" PG
• Wingspan -- 5'6" or 66"
• Height w/o shoes -- 5'6"
• Height w/ shoes -- 5'7"
• Shoe Size -- 9 1/2
• Standing Reach -- 7'0"
• Peak Reach -- 9'4"
• Vertical Jump (One-step) -- 2'4" or 28"
• Hand Span -- 8.0"
• Hand Length -- 6.5"
• Lane Agility -- 11.30
• Summer Combine Ranking -- #59

NBA Stylistic Comparison: 2019 Mavericks Seth Curry

Fabian Nelson is a point guard with shooting range.

His foot speed is decent and his change of direction is better than average (11.30 lane agility).  When he gets plenty of room to burst upcourt, Fabian is quicker than some guards.  His court awareness enables him to find shooting pockets in the defense.  Considering how integral Fabian's shooting success is to his overall impact, Nelson could and should improve even more in this area of strength.

Areas for Improvement

The 5-foot-6 point guard cannot "get taller", but he can get bigger in the chest and shoulders.  This is a common recommendation of mine, but every guard needs to be able to absorb some contact in order to be effective in the paint.  Fabian is no different.  Without more upper body strength, he will be relegated to scoring 8'+.  The threat of scoring in deep just opens up the game so broadly.

The Foundation

The 5-foot-6 point guard is a wonderful shooter.  The backbone of his game is shooting and left alone Fabian Nelson is certainly deadly from 10' to 18'.  A hyper-critical analysis, Nelson is more accurate on both the one-dribble pull-up and catch-and shoot than he is with two or three dribbles into a shot.  He can knock down shots from either elbow or the baseline with comfort.

Fabian's shooting form is impeccable.  Nelson utilizes his legs and fluidily transitions into a high-finishing flick.  Both feet are wide and creating excellent balance.  Regardless of how fast he speeds into his shooting plant, Fabian always explodes upward and on balance.  The lower half of his body is more consistent and repeatable than his upper half, and generally demonstrates hours of practice.

The release is pure and the result is undeniable.  His capacity for improvement as a mid-range and outside shooter is very high.  It will only take him continuing to train in the same way he has been training.  

During our combine he was unable to show off a reputedly impressive handle, but considering his touch on the ball and quick footwork this is plausible.  

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