Highlighting Jeremiah Fears’ Strengths and Weaknesses Ahead of NBA Draft

Oklahoma wasn’t one of the top teams in the country last season, but the Sooners were good enough to make the NCAA Tournament. This team was led by freshman point guard Jeremiah Fears, who wasn’t projected to even be drafted heading into the season, but after an amazing freshman year, solidified himself as a lottery pick. Let’s examine his strengths and areas for improvement.

Strengths

The most NBA-ready skill for Fears is his elite explosiveness, burst, and blow-by speed. That combined with his tight, shifty handle allows him to pressure the rim at will. He can break defenders down and consistently generate paint touches. The speedy lead guard does a very good job of drawing fouls at the rim and converting on those free throws at a 85% rate. Once he adds strength to his frame he will get better as a finisher and be much more comfortable absorbing contact.

For a young point guard, he’s a good playmaker, but he has the potential to be an elite playmaker. Fears has good court vision and a great feel for the game. He excels out of the pick and roll as he’s able to find the roll-man, spot-up shooters and cutters. The Oklahoma lead guard can make advanced reads out of the pick and roll and knows how to pick his spots wisely. If he continues to improve as a decision-maker, he has the potential to be one of the top advantage creators in the NBA.

Fears is a good shot-maker that has very good scoring instincts. He has a solid pull-up jumper and isn’t afraid to let it go from the perimeter despite not being the best shooter on the court. He shoots it with confidence, which is key for a young player. His shooting percentage on floaters and from the free-throw line indicates he has legit shooting potential and if he ends up developing a consistent and reliable jump-shot from behind the arc then NBA teams will have a lot of trouble defending him in the half-court for many years to come.

Areas Of Improvement

The biggest area of improvement for Fears is the three-point shooting. In his lone season in college he shot 28% from behind the arc, which is less than ideal out of a lead guard. The speedy point guard has limited off-ball offense and is a bit ball-dominant, so there is some bust potential due to that. His high usage will limit his ability to play with certain players in the NBA so developing as a shooter will be crucial for his NBA career.

Despite being able to put pressure on the rim at will, he struggles to finish at the rim when he gets there. Not only does he lack strength but he also doesn’t have a good vertical, which forces him to be a below-the-rim finisher in the half-court. His thin frame severely alters his ability to finish through contact and through defenders, so putting on more weight and strength will improve his finishing significantly.