NBA Position: PF/C

General Information: 19-year-old freshman, played at Marquette. From Rice Lake, Wisconsin.

Measurables: 6'11.5", 242 lbs. 7'2.25" wingspan.

2015-16 Season Statistics: 17.0 PPG, 9.7 RPG, 1.8 APG, 0.8 SPG, 1.5 BPG, 2.4 TOPG (33 games played, 33.5 minutes per contest) -€” 44.6% FG, 74.9% FT, 28.8% 3P

Summary:

Ellenson has all the tools to be a new-age stretch four, with a versatile skill set and the size, strength, and mobility to adequately defend both big man positions. He's certainly a project player, and will need to show more commitment to defending consistently, but he's got natural scoring instincts beyond his age.

Offensive Breakdown:

Ellenson mostly hung outside on offense, but he is a developing post-player who has good body control and a number of moves in the paint. He shows the full package as a scorer, but expectations should be tampered by his inconsistency (44.6% shooting is well below the other projects in his draft range). He's not an explosive player, and will need to develop many more post moves to compensate for playing below-the-rim.

His range (or potential range) is complimented by his ability to put the ball on the floor and attack the basket, although he'll need to be much smarter about utilizing this against NBA length. His size and shooting ability also makes him a prime threat in the pick-and-roll as a big who can actually perform both of those roles. He's a capable passer and showed some nice court vision (11% assist rate and 2.1 per 40 is solid for a freshman big), but he was also playing on a messy, inconsistent offense that may have hampered this development.

Ellenson also has strong physical tools for a player of his size; he's 6'11 in shoes, shows no issues at adding weight (this may become a problem in a few years), has a solid 7'2 wingspan, and is quick and agile enough to play in a decently fast offense. He could shift over and play the five in small ball lineups, stretching the floor even further, which adds another layer of versatility to his offensive game.

Defensive Breakdown:

The freshman ranks near the top of the class as a rebounder; his 24.2% defensive rebounding rate and 16.5% total rate are both great for a 19-year-old. He shows good instincts on the ball, and is willing to use his size and muscle to battle on the glass. Ellenson won't be beating most NBA power forwards in explosiveness, but he should become a tough, efficient rebounder at the pro level.

Ellenson's defensive intensity didn't match his offensive intensity, and where he showed instincts with the ball beyond his years, these instincts aren't present on defense. I'm not worried about his physical tools on defense—he showed he's fast and lengthy enough to beat defenders on the drive, and he can learn to guard perimeter players like himself. As he becomes smarter and more aware on defense, his size could allow his future team to play small without sacrificing too much size against centers. Regardless of the potential versatility, his defense is the major red flag in his development at this point.

Intangibles:

Fit with Sacramento:

As always, check out the DraftExpress breakdowns.