NBA Draft Profile: Jeremy Lamb

By Kels Dayton
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Updated: May 7, 2012

By: Kels Dayton

JEREMY LAMB

6-5, 180 lbs.

Hometown: Norcross, GA

School: Connecticut

Class: Sophomore

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STRENGTHS: Jeremy Lamb was one of the breakout stars of the 2011 NCAA Tournament, playing Robin to Kemba Walker’s Batman and helping lead Connecticut to a stirring national title. Lamb averaged 16 points and 5 rebounds in six tournament games in 2011. He was terrific defensively, and thrived as the second scoring option, knocking down open looks and even having plays run specifically for him at the end of games. Lamb broke out in the Sweet 16 game against 2nd-seeded San Diego State, going for 24 points and drilling a huge three-pointer with just over a minute left. He then sealed the game with an acrobatic steal and dunk moments later. He appeared to be one of college basketball’s best players coming into the 2012 season, and ended up averaging 17.7 points and 4.9 rebounds per game.

WEAKNESSES: Ask any Connecticut fan how they feel about Lamb and you’ll probably get a sigh. He could have been much better. The Jeremy Lamb that we saw during the 2011 NCAA Tournament never showed up in 2012. He was tentative, lackadaisical, and about as aggressive as lime jello. He struggled mightily in being the team’s go-to-guy, and saw drops in field goal percentage, three-point percentage, and player efficiency rating. The slashing, silky-smooth Lamb from 2011 devolved into him standing at the three point line and not even trying to get the ball, then jogging back on defense like he was playing a pickup game in Rucker Park. His calm demeanor as a freshman turned into him not caring as a sophomore. It was a shame to watch because UConn was one of the most talented teams in the nation and ended up having an embarrassing season, culminating with a blowout first-round loss to Iowa State.

BOTTOM LINE: Unless Lamb wakes up and starts playing with a purpose, he’s going to be a bust in the NBA. That said, he likely won’t have to carry the load the way he did at UConn last season, and may return to form as a second or third scoring option. Whatever he does, he’s going to have to add about 30 pounds of muscle. He’s projected as a lottery pick, which is utterly shocking to those of us who watched him play all of last season.

Video by: Jared Jones @elitehoopsaau