Brooklyn Nets host pre-draft workout for Damyean Dotson
By Josh Rudy
One player who has taken full advantage of the pre-draft process is former Houston guard Damyean Dotson. He worked out for the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday.
There is a recurring theme developing within the Nets pre-draft strategy: target players with the ability to stretch the floor. The guys over at NetsDaily have a full breakdown of this week’s scheduled workouts, and they point out the same concept. It should come as no surprise for the Nets to target shooters. After all, they hoisted up the fourth most three-point attempts per game (31.6), connecting on only 33.8% of those tries, good for fifth worst in the NBA. Those numbers do not add up the way Marks/Atkinson had envisioned.
Meet Damyean Dotson. A 6’5″, 202-pound shooting guard from the University of Houston. He spent his first two collegiate seasons playing for the Oregon Ducks, and was placed on the PAC-12 All-Freshmen Team after scoring 11.4 points per game in 27.9 minutes per game. After going through some legal issues at Oregon, Dotson departed for Houston, his hometown.
Dotson, 23 years-old, struggled to display elite playmaking ability during his time at Oregon and Houston. He averaged 1.1 assists per game over the course of his collegiate career. Mock drafts currently have him all over the place, some tab him as a late-second round pick, others a possible undrafted prospect.
DraftExpress: Undrafted
SEC Country: Undrafted
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Dotson was given an opportunity to put his skills on full display during his time at Houston. He averaged nearly 14 PPG as a junior, and 17 PPG as a senior. However, in his final campaign, Dotson dramatically improved his ability to shoot from distance. Take a look at his 3-point percentages throughout his collegiate career.
Freshman: 32.9%
Sophomore: 31.3%
Junior: 36.7%
Senior: 44.1%
If there are any doubts his range expands to the NBA line, they are invalid. Here, Dotson has his feet on the Houston logo when he decides he is going to shoot this shot. He steps into the shot nicely, and confidently strokes the jumper. Confidence is crucial for shooters.
Dotson is not only a spot up shooter, but also a very capable shooter off the dribble. Notice how quickly he releases the ball after he drops the defender with a nifty behind-the-back dribble. Very smooth.
When asked what was responsible for the drastic uptick in shooting efficiency, Dotson told DraftExpress it was all about his work ethic and repetition.
"“All summer, just shooting, shooting, shooting. Lot of threes, lot of shots on the gun. Just catch and shooting, just trying to stay focused on keeping the elbow in. There’s a lot of technique stuff, but you don’t notice that after you shoot a million shots over and over the same way.”“Long term, 40% is sustainable. Gotta keep working, keep working, keep working, but I would say 40 percent and higher is definitely what I’m reaching for.”"
Since the conclusion of his senior season, Dotson has been working on his playmaking and ball-handling abilities to adapt to the current NBA style of play. In the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament (highlights here; #11 in red), a camp for the top graduating seniors in the country, Dotson was awarded the MVP of the final game, posting 17 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists. He showcased his improvement by displaying an ability to handle the ball, get around people off the bounce and finish above the rim.
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His measurements give him the room to improve and develop into a nice rotational piece for many teams. His 6’9″ wingspan, coupled with his 38″ max vertical and a 8’4″ standing reach equips him with the tools to become an effective two-way player.
Many executives around the league are taking notice of his potential/improvement. As a result, Dotson performed in front of the Knicks, Raptors, Magic and Bucks before working out for Brooklyn.
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Many are pegging Dotson as a “draft sleeper,” and that is exactly what Brooklyn is searching for. Could he be an option at No. 57 for Brooklyn, or will they need to move up to select him?
With just about two weeks until the draft, players are now being seriously evaluated. Each team feels differently about certain players, and it his hard to tell where Dotson will go on draft night. So, if Brooklyn is enamored by his performance on Wednesday, there is a chance Dotson becomes a Net on June 22nd.