C.J. Wilcox

C.J. Wilcox

Wilcox barely played as a rookie, recording only 101 minutes, which is not enough time to make a judgement of any substance. We then have to return again to his projection, that of being a three-and-D potential player. With his size, wingspan and good set shot, Wilcox certainly has this, but with the trade for Lance Stephenson, it doesn't seem as though he will get any minutes with the Clippers again this year either. A change of scenery might be the best thing for him - then again, it hasn't helped Reggie Bullock.

Neither of them seems to be particularly enjoying this.

Wilcox is best as a shooter. The majority of his offense comes from the three point line, and although he's an excellent shooter from the foul line, he rarely gets there. This is in spite of having a tempting combination of good size and great length. Wilcox absolutely has the frame and body type of an NBA wing, and he has the game to fit the oft-coveted three-and-D role.

Be it off the catch or off of screens, Wilcox is a good jump shooter, aided further by a decent pull-up shot when asked to create. He is not a primary or secondary offensive creator, lacking much in the way of a handle and distinctly better playing off the ball, and with the quick-release jump shot being his main tool. That said, Wilcox has developed slightly during his career as a Husky at driving to the basket, and finishing once he gets there. He still does not excel at either and still avoids contact at the rim, yet his finishing, which was once a distinct weakness, really improved as an upperclassman. Wilcox exhibits a decent left hand despite being right handed, preferring to both drive and finish that way, and has improved his ability to change direction and find gaps.

Questions lie around Wilcox's ability to defend his position at the NBA level, and whether he can gain any separation for his shot. Despite the blocked shots numbers born out of his tremendous wingspan and decent motor, Wilcox has already had trouble keeping players in front on the perimeter, and for all his length, he is not especially quick nor athletic. That also affects his ability to get separation - outside of catches off of kick-outs and transition play, Wilcox does not consistently get himself open looks, hence the rather low scoring output in rather large minutes.

Wilcox shone as a role player through efficiency, discipline, playing within his limitations, contributing in multiple facets and excelling at one. This is precisely what the NBA needs him to do too. But it's not an automatic transition.

[...] In addition to those two, Washington also sport Darnell Gant in the frontcourt, the consummate little-things player who turned up to his junior season armed with a previously lacking jumpshot. Gant puts up few stats, but he can defend opposing big men of any type, chips in with some rebounding, and does not damage the offense, despite his inability to contribute much towards it himself. He is, in a way, the opposite of MBA. On the wings, Washington boast the size and shooting prowess of 6'6 players Scott Suggs (junior) and C.J. Wilcox (freshman), neither of whom contribute a whole lot more than their jumpshooting, but whom both know how to get open for their shots, and are judicious in their usage of them. Wilcox in particular is an impressive role playing contributor for a freshman. The other freshman wing player, Terrence Ross, has slightly more versatility with his ability to put the ball on the floor, and has more upside with his greater athleticism, although he too is used largely as an off-ball shooter in the current set-up.