June 17, 2014

Jarmar Gulley can't share toys.

Gulley did a bit of everything for Missouri State without having much in the way of physical tools to do it. He also did so without having good three point range, without being especially good at creating his own shots (especially jump shots), without being able to make many plays for others, with making many plays out of the pick-and-roll, without collapsing or probing a defense to any great degree, and without being particularly good defensively. You cannot give the ball to Gulley and have him go to work - he hasn't the speed, handle or shot to do that, and instead needs to catch the ball on the move or in some space. Yet despite it all, he led the team in points, rebounds and steals, and was the closest thing an offensively anaemic Bears team with a terrible playbook had to being a focal point.

Notwithstanding his offensive limitations, Gulley is an efficient scorer, mostly because he takes his shots from fairly close in. Thriving in the mid-range area and when driving the ball, Gulley has sufficient size to shoot his mid-range jump shots over the defense, as well as the wide shoulders, good frame and strength to get to the basket and finish. His range does not extend to three point range (yet), but Gulley has a knack for finding offense, even in a limited team offense that created very little in the way of efficient looks. He is a crafty slasher, with subtle use of fakes, good feet and body control, a floater and a spin move, and a will to always drive the ball. Rarely does he dump the ball off or kick it out - when he drives, he is normally driving to score. But he can do so.

It is a bit of a worry, though, that Gulley's defensive effort is distinctly inconsistent. Gulley applies little ball pressure, and for all his strength, he makes little effort to keep in front, preventing to reach in (although he is good at this). There is a lack of urgency to his defensive game (and also sometimes to his offensive game) Mitigating this somewhat is the fact that Gulley played everywhere from shooting guard through to power forward for the Bears, and he shows more interest in the way of help defense. This ability to play the forward spots has also helped him diversify his offensive game - Gulley can be seen to pick and pop at times, as well as be the pick part of a pick-and-roll.

That's all looking backward, though. Going forward, Gulley will need to find the right level at which his athleticism deficiency will not be a problem. A team with good spacing might be something to prioritise, too.

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