Robbie Avila

Robbie Avila is a 6-foot-10 big man with extreme skill, craftiness, and basketball intelligence. He’s an inside-out scoring threat and also an advanced passer, but lacks the athleticism or body composition of most college stars, leading to the frequent references as the mid-major Jokic last year at Indiana State.

What makes Avila such a difficult defensive cover is his offensive versatility and consequent ability to punish any coverage. Inside the lane, he has terrific hands, footwork, and an understanding of how to seal. While he’s rarely an above the rim finisher, he’s an exceptionally quick one, who is equally good with both hands and thus able to convert 69% of his attempts. He’s also a very good dribbler who sees the floor waiting on secondary defenders in order to utilize his passing ability.

On the perimeter, he’s a consistent three-point shooter, both in pick-and-pop action as well as spacing the floor. He ranked in the 89th percentile in catch-and-shoot situations last season per Synergy Sports and had total shooting splits of 54% from the floor, 39% from three, and 81% from the free-throw line. He’s again crafty with his dribble, able to attack bad close-outs, create angles with his footwork, and spin off defenders on his way to the paint. He can also play out of short-rolls and reward cutters as a facilitator from the elbow, top of the key, and potentially any other spot on the floor.

The biggest questions are on the defensive end given his lack of speed or athleticism, and while there could be limitations that become more apparent at a higher level, his overall awareness and intelligence helps him compensate for what he may lack physically. Nevertheless, he isn’t much of a shot-blocking threat, but gets his hands on some loose balls while rebounding his area.