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Draft Profile: Rondae Hollis-Jefferson

Opinions expressed on this page are solely those of the author(s) and don't represent the opinions of the Celtics front office.

NBA Draft Combine Measurements

Pros/Cons

Why You Might Know Him

By Taylor C. Snow

While Stanley Johnson was garnering attention on the offensive end for Arizona this past season, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson was taking care of the defensive side of the ball. He’s as staunch a defender as could be found in the Pac-12 during the 2014-15 campaign, as coach Sean Miller would often call his name to shut down the top opposing scoring threat. He can provide thrills on offense as well; Hollis-Jefferson threw down a team-high 43 dunks during the year.

Scouting Report

Brad Stevens loves players who give it their all. Boston’s coach must be a fan of Rondae Hollis-Jefferson. Everything Hollis-Jefferson does, he does it as hard as he possibly can. His effort is top notch. From on-ball defense to taking the ball to the basket, this guy leaves it all out there. His effort at the defensive end is a game-changer. Many compare his defensive abilities to Tony Allen, a perennial All-Defensive team player, yet Hollis-Jefferson has two inches on Allen. Hollis-Jefferson can guard an opposing team’s top player, with the exception of true big men. That’s exactly what he did at Arizona, where he was tasked with defending the opposing team’s top offensive threat nearly every night, from D’Angelo Russell to Frank Kaminsky. He is strong, he does his work early, and his length challenges and disrupts offensive players. He has a great feel at the defensive end. For example, on close-outs, he seems to know when shooters are throwing a shot fake as opposed to actually taking the shot. He has fantastic lateral quickness and is active with his hands. He is a long, supreme athlete who possesses a great second leap. If you throw it up for him around the basket, he’s going to finish it. He sets good screens for his teammates, which is rare (and valuable) for swingmen. Offensively, Hollis-Jefferson, a lefty, is a bit challenged. He beat collegiate defenders regularly, but he did so more so via pure athleticism than via great moves. His burst and first step are impressive. His jumper is very raw; although his release is relatively smooth, he rarely squares up to the basket and just doesn’t seem to have a great feel for distance from the rim in the midrange or long distance. I believe his shot will develop with repetition and NBA coaching, though I don’t believe he’ll ever become an elite shooter. At times, he doesn’t seem to understand his limits. That, or his coaches at Arizona asked him to push those limits. He isn’t a ball handler and is not yet a reliable shooter. He plays much better in space than in traffic. He finds lanes and hits them like a running back, powering through any contact along the way. However, he does not deal well with contact at the point of release. What Hollis-Jefferson lacks in offensive firepower, he certainly makes up for with his defense and rebounding. He attacks rebounds at both ends and snatches them out of the air. I’m confident that his defense and rebounding abilities will translate to the NBA.

Biography

By Taylor C. Snow

Hollis-Jefferson was born on Jan. 3, 1995 in Chester, Penn. to Ross Hollis and Rylanda Jefferson. He and his older brother, Rahlir, who played for Temple University from 2009-13, were raised by their mother and attended Chester High School. Hollis-Jefferson guided the Clippers to a 91-5 record over his last three high school seasons, which included the program’s first-ever unbeaten campaign during his senior year. During that 2013 season, he was honored as Pennsylvania’s 4A Player of the Year and became the first athlete ever to earn consecutive nods as Delaware County Player of the Year. Chester’s all-time leading rebounder (780) compiled senior season tallies of 15.5 points, 11 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 2.8 steals and 2.4 blocks per contest. During his freshman season at Arizona, Hollis-Jefferson was a key contributor off the bench, averaging 9.1 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game. He recorded the fourth-most blocks (40) and sixth-most rebounds (215) among Wildcat rookies in program history. This past season, the small forward earned All-Pac-12 and Pac-12 All-Defensive Team honors, averaging 11.2 points and a team-high 6.8 rebounds per game. He led 'Zona in rebounds (260), blocks (32) and dunks (43), helping the squad earn a 2-seed in the NCAA Tournament. Hollis-Jefferson declared for the NBA Draft on April 7.