sketch 11/100

The Playoffs are finally over (congrats to my Dakota Bikers!) and the 2010 FBA Draft is right around the corner! That means it's time to have a look at this year's top prospects!

I'll be taking you through each of this year's 24 prospects most likely to get drafted in the 1st round. These prospects are in no particular order, so this is no indication of their likely draft order.

I'll link to the final draft report that I wrote (with some helpful character info contributed by our wonderfully creative FBA fans!) once league commissioner  buckhopper approves of everything.

[If the owner of this character notices anything wrong with my information, please let me know.]

Let's get this show on the road! :D


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Info:

Name: Gilbert Exen
Nickname: Gex
Position: Guard
Species: Anole (Lizard)
Gender: Male
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 180 lbs
Birthplace: Savannah, GA



Stats:
These will be simplified for the next character, but I'll spell them out the first time.

PPG: Points/Game (average): 20.4
RPG: Rebounds/Game (average): 4.2
APG: Assists/Game (average): 3.2
SPG: Steals/Game (average): 1.9
BPG: Blocks/Game (average): 0.6
TO: Turnovers (losing the ball)/Game (average): 3.1

FG%: Field Goal % (all shots taken during play - average %/game): 48%
FT%: Free Throw % (only foul shots taken after a foul - average %/game): 87%
3PT%: Three-Point Field Goal % (only 3 pointers taken - average %/game): 46%



Player Report:

Projected: TOP 16

Gex is probably one of the most unique specimens in this year's draft class, particularly for his unorthodox shooting style. While all other furs shoot with either their right or left paw, with very few being able to occasionally develop a trick shot with another appendage, Exen is the only player in recent memory that primarily shoots with his tail, as that's how he taught himself. And even that wasn't developed until a few years ago.

At an early age, Exen established himself as a world-class traceur in the parkour discipline, having appeared in numerous videos worldwide free-running through cities across America and Europe (hey, sticky fingers and the ability to literally crawl up walls makes it a lot easier). Basketball was a late discovery for the lizard, who virtually taught himself the entire sport, leading to his utterly unique tail shooting style. He can dribble and shoot effortlessly with his tail, hitting insane percentages from all over, especially at the line and from downtown.

His method works as almost entirely set shooting, as he doesn't like to jump when he shoots. Once airborne, he has no choice but to shoot with either hand, which due to his sticky lizard fingers, never leads to good results. His tail shooting works when he sets his feet, bounces the ball between his legs from the front to his waiting tail, which then whips the ball over his head and into the basket. Unusual for sure, and in a way it limits him in his shot selection, but it's very hard to stop once his tail has the ball. Tight, physical D can make his entry pass to his tail very difficult though.

His style in general is fast and fluid, and he is able to move the ball from hands to tail with ease, making him nearly impossible to rip. And if you think that his set shooting makes him unable to get his own shot, think again. It only takes about 0.4 seconds for him to set, pass to his tail and fire a shot. A quick step-back move usually creates the desired amount of space for him to fire away. However, his percentage is much higher when he shoots off of a crisp pass from a teammate instead of off the dribble. Also, inside the paint it gets much trickier, and he is at a big disadvantage.

The rest of his game, other than shooting and 3-pointers, is going to take some work. His passing and rebounding is average, but nothing special. His one-on-one defense is pretty good, as he uses his tail to poke the ball away extremely well. Though his lack of basketball IQ and formal training could make him a liability at times, he's obviously a very quick learner. And a shooting machine like him is always nice to have around.


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Gilbert Exen character ©  buckhopper
Art ©  jtigerclaw
FBA ©  buckhopper