Theo Pinson Scouting Report

Name: Theo Pinson

School: University of North Carolina

Year: Senior

Height/Weight: 6’6″, 211 lbs

Strengths:

Theo Pinson’s strength comes in his defensive prowess. He can be a pest on the defensive side of the ball making things difficult for the best scorer of the opposing team. He get’s up in the ball handler, plays sound defense and never gives his opponent time to rest. He’s just as active off the ball as he is when he isn’t giving his primary defender any breathing room. Theo fights hard over screens, stays tight to his player, and even makes catching the ball tough for his opponent.

Theo Pinson also uses his size and length to his advantage as he likes to wreak havoc in passing lanes. Any ball that he can get his hands or fingertips on, he does his best to do so. He’s a hustler that makes his best effort to do the little things for his team’s success. Another aspect that Pinson does well is contesting shots. His long arms make shots harder for his opponents. He does a great job at trying to get to shooters but his footwork and mechanics could use a little bit more work to decrease his chances of getting beat on closeouts.

Weaknesses:

The offensive side of the ball is where Theo Pinson struggles. He’s not much of a threat offensively and doesn’t give the Tar Heels much of anything on that side of the ball. He lacks the ability to create his own shot and often when he gets it, he doesn’t look to score. His passiveness is a detriment to his game because teams are more than willing to help off of him to throw more bodies at other threats. Along with Pinson’s offensive struggles comes an inconsistent shot. His form could use some work due to the fact that there’s a lot of side spin on his shot.

Gambling on defense is a gift and a curse with Theo Pinson. While it’s beneficial when he comes up with a steal, it hurts when he doesn’t get a hand on the ball. Gambling puts his teammates out of position and it either leads to an open shot or a foul. Also, Pinson can get too glued to his player off the ball on defense at times. He becomes so focused on not letting his man get the ball, he doesn’t always get in help position.

Future Outlook:

Theo Pinson’s senior season will say a lot about his future. While he gives a lot on the defensive end, his offensive game could use a lot of polishing. The NBA loves “3 and D” guys who can come in and defend but also knock down open shots. Pinson can be just that if he works hard on his shooting. Similar to his teammate Joel Berry II, a lot will be asked of him with a lot of UNC’s leaders from last season gone. How he perfects his shot and works on his game this off-season will determine if he will make it to an NBA team. But seeing that he still has so many woes on the offensive side of the ball, it’s hard to visualize Theo Pinson’s name getting called during the 2018 NBA Draft.