(2021 U19 World Cup Championship)
He improved even more as a sophomore, averaging 16.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.2 steals per game, earning him the C-USA First Team of the Year. With such a good performance, although he was not included in the mock draft list, he participated in the Elite camp hosted by NBA G league and showed his best side with other players. Lofton played so well in the event that he was invited to play in the draft combine, allowing more scouts to see him. He also played an excellent performance in it, which also made him resolutely give up his college qualifications and invest in the 2022 NBA draft.
(The G League Elite Camp)
(The NBA Combine)
Player Analysis
From the first glimpse of Kenneth Lofton Jr., you can probably guess the player’s style of play:
At 6’7′ (201cm), he has a weight of 275lb (125kg) and is best at using his huge body to stir in the penalty area. Although Lofton’s height is not enough as a player in the penalty area, and his defenders are often about 7 feet tall, Lofton still faces these defenders who are obviously much taller than him. It is to execute his bully ball hard, use a solid card position to get to a good position first, then use a thick body to form protection between the ball and the defender, and finally use his dominant left hand to put in two points at a tricky angle.
Lofton’s post-up and lane attack are very artistic. As an undersized lane player, he is good at finding better shots with his quick footwork, fake moves and angles. He is very patient and will observe after the collision to see if the opponent is standing still. If the defender’s center of gravity has run away and cannot fight, he will directly put in two points, but if the opponent is just retreating, then Lofton will be patient. The fake moves the defender up and then attacks the rim. That’s why, despite being only 6’7′ tall, he can still smash all sides in the penalty area.
(Kenneth Lofton Jr. sophomore performance)
Due to the speed of the defensive end, he can only defend the opponent’s center. However, although he may not be able to interfere with some tall people due to his lack of height, he will never lose to players taller than himself in terms of physical confrontation. It is worth noting that Lofton has shown a good interception ability since college. He has a pair of nimble hands, and can use his body to interfere with the opponent’s center of gravity when the opponent wants the ball in the low post, and then flick the incoming ball. In addition, it is also a little experience to shoot the ball directly after seeing the opponent turn around or pick up the ball to attack after the confrontation in the penalty area.
However, the above descriptions are all revealed in the college stage. The outside world (including the author) is skeptical about whether such a style of storming the penalty area can be transferred to the NBA. From a drafting and development perspective, just one strong skill is not enough to convince teams to pay for this player, especially since this skill is relatively unimportant in modern basketball and easy to be defended by teams. mode interference, and the success rate of the transfer is still a question mark. That’s why in this year’s major mock drafts, Lofton is mostly at the back of the draft, or even not on the list. What amazes me, however, is what he has shown in his recent elite camp and draft combine events.
The first is his physical condition. Although he still has a little too much body fat compared to other players on the court, it’s a lot better than the tight jersey he had in college. According to the ball commentary during the broadcast of the game, Lofton has lost 25lb (about 12kg). With a lighter body, he can even sprint with the ball himself in the fast break. The author dare not say that Lofton did it in college. Not so much, but the flexibility he’s showing now compared to before is visible to the naked eye.
Then again, as an undersize player, shooting ability is a must. Lofton’s three-point shooting in college was abysmal, a record 20 percent in his second year. However, in recent events, Lofton has hit three-pointers with a very high shooting rate, and has made fluent C&S, poking and pulling up, etc., which makes people feel his improvement and development in shooting.
He also made changes in his style of play. He reduced too many singles in the restricted area and increased the number of face-frame singles involved in pick-and-rolls at the top of the arc and medium and long distances. In the restricted area, it is mainly standing in the dunker spot or the second attack after the offensive rebound and the slide after the pick-and-roll. And since college, he has shown dribbling ability and has a few shows, and can make some correct judgments, such as scoring small balls to teammates in the dunker spot. Of course, his signature restricted-area singles are still undiminished, and these offensive adjustments and moves that were rarely seen before began to slowly increase his draft stock.
In fact, from the standpoint of stature alone, NBA players with a similar stature are still capable of surviving. Everyone knows that Zion Williamson is actually shorter than Lofton and heavier than Lofton, but he can still play bully ball in the NBA restricted area with a slight modification of the college style of play. Of course, it doesn’t mean that Lofton can do exaggerated movements like Zion. After all, although Zion may be difficult to play in the penalty area because of his size, his physical fitness is one of the best in history, which also allows him to rely on strong physical fitness. Survive in the NBA in a simple and crude way. In college play, Lofton and Zach Randolph have a lot in common. Also a left-handed player in the penalty area, with excellent penalty area footwork, Randolph developed mid-to-long-range shots late in his career, and Lofton can see some shadows of the retired star. However, I personally think that the best development model for Lofton should be to move towards Charles Barkely in the middle and late stages. He needs to increase his shooting ability and give himself a way to switch to different positions, and then perform low-post singles or storms in the restricted area when needed, which may be more in line with the needs of most teams now. The good news is that Lofton is only 19 years old now. Being younger, he also means that he has more development space and potential in the future, and also adds a score in the hearts of the team.
Summarize
I think the confidence and ambition that Lofton has shown will be a big key to his career. Whether it is not afraid to collide with opponents taller than himself on the court, or from not being included in the mock draft to being invited to participate in the draft combine step by step, Lofton does not think that he is inferior to others, and uses a very positive attitude. Strengthen your weaknesses. Undoubtedly, with his strong learning ability and adjustment ability, he will definitely have a period of adaptation in the face of the changes in the strength and style of his opponents. I hope Lofton can use his fearless attitude and confidence to make his own way in the NBA. .