Strengths: A true inside outside threat ... Is equally adept with his back to the basket or when facing up to the hoop ... Lefty has a solid mid range game with a reliable jumper that extends as far out as the three point line
Weaknesses: Has good footwork but isn’t quick enough to play anywhere but the post at the next level … His foot speed and athleticism wont stand out on the next level
kinda reminds me of KVH....McRoberts has the skill set to be a versatile 4 at the next level. Defense is average...I feel he's a better help defender than anything.
If people can overlook the fact that he's white, they will see a tremendously skilled and athletic big man. If you combined his skills with Tyler Hansbrough's tenacity, they would be unstoppable. He can run the fastbreak at 6'11, and can shoot it out to 20 feet. Needless to say, he doesn't need to stick around Durham another year ;-).
He's a natural PF, thats where he will play in the NBA. He reminds me of Chris Webber. He has maturing to do and I hope he breaks out but he has a ton of talent. Has nice speed, nice athlete, can pass, can shoot, can score inside.
That's who NBADraft.net compares him to. I don't mind him playing like Weber this year.
Anyone think he could play a little 3 too in the NBA? He does have great ball-handling and passing skills and is currently working on his outside shot.
he played on the same team as 2 All-Americans for goodness sakes
he doesn't play back to the basket. sorry, you're never gonna see it, at least while he's at Duke. that's not his game, and he doesn't like playing like that.
As a freshman power forward for the Duke Blue Devils, Josh McRoberts attempted 13 shots from 3-point range -- one for about every 68 minutes he spent on the court. That means he was only a bit more likely to fire a long jumper than to stop the action and cut loose with an a cappella audition for American Idol.
So now, not quite a dozen practices into the 2006-07 season, McRoberts is open on the right wing and the ball is resting in his hands. Coach Mike Krzyzewski has two words for him.
Shoot it
Krzyzewski expects McRoberts will become a "very good shooter" at some point in his career. It might happen after he leaves Duke. These Devils, though, need him to be at least a threat right now.
Twelve months ago, McRoberts was trying to find a role on a team dominated by seniors J.J. Redick and Shelden Williams. Now, McRoberts is the face of Duke basketball -- and the very picture of how different this team will be from its immediate predecessors.
McRoberts is 6-10, even longer than his height suggests and more athletic than it should allow. He is what the "new" Duke looks like. The Devils won't make their greatest progress until sophomore point guard Greg Paulus returns from a foot injury. But soon they will be better equipped to pressure passing lanes and convert turnovers into baskets, the way Duke teams did before Redick's shooting brilliance and a lack of depth made them more of a halfcourt operation.
Duke forced 16.2 turnovers per game last season, which is a lot but about three fewer per game than induced by its 2001 NCAA championship team. Duke averaged 81.1 points, which is a lot but down nearly 10 from that 2001 team.
Duke does not have a scholarship senior. Its one such junior, wing DeMarcus Nelson, has been injured for much of his career. Don't bother weeping over what the Devils lack, though. "We have decent talent," Krzyzewski says. "We're deeper than last year, more athletic, bigger. We're just not as experienced.
"It's the kind of team that if they stay healthy, they should get better."
Krzyzewski believes the Devils' strength will be versatility, the notion anyone could lead in scoring on a given night.
McRoberts, though, will be the most prominent player. He'll dominate by doing more than simply setting up inside, accepting entry passes and drawing double-teams. Florida's Joakim Noah showed what a ballhandling big man can do to open up a balanced offense. Though he has not yet demonstrated Noah's confident tenacity, McRoberts is better at dribbling, shooting and passing. Freshmen Lance Thomas and Brian Zoubek will do a lot of inside work to free McRoberts to roam.
"I think my role has changed a lot," McRoberts says.
I've loved this kid since I first saw him. He's so much better than Tyler Hansborough that a lot of people are going to be just SHOCKED, they won't know where his explosion this year came from. McRoberts is the best big white guy I have ever seen. Bar none (EDIT: Okay, bar Larry Legend). He has none of the typical big white guy limitations. He's a decent ball handler (I believe Duke used him to break the press last year) and has a pretty decent shot. But on top of that he IS a freak athlete. He's incredible. He's not KG or Travis Outlaw, but the kid has some major hops.
Josh McRoberts
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