NBA Future Prospect: Melo Trimble
Melo Trimble: 6’3” and 185 lbs. Guard from Maryland
Melo Trimble’s current draft projections vary from early to late second round to undrafted. Trimble is more of a shooting guard than what would be considered a traditional point guard. He is aggressive on offense, trying to score the ball before he looks to pass. He is a good passer but he still has a lot of room for improvement when it comes to running the offense. He is a solid defender but not exceptional, he’s best at pressuring the ball.
Trimble’s biggest strength is his ability to take over a game scoring the ball. He’s most comfortable driving to the rim but is capable of shooting from outside. He has great ball handling skills and he’s an above average shooter from the free throw line so he can wreak havoc on a defense with his penetration ability. His outside shooting is streaky though, and he has a tendency to settle for tough shots.
Scoring is easily Trimble’s biggest strength but he’s also a savvy defender for his size. He is very quick and does a good job putting pressure on the ball handler. He has quick hands and is good at forcing turnovers. Trimble is a capable passer but it is an area he needs to work on a little more as he primarily looks to score within the offense. He’s also an underrated rebounder for a point guard.
Trimble’s biggest weakness is his decision making. As the point guard he tends to take poor shots over running offense, which is concerning for a junior. His tendency to fire at will can put his time in tough situations. If he can focus a little more on being a facilitator he can find a way to make an NBA roster.
Trimble’s draft projection is all over the place so he will likely be relying on a team to fall in love with his potential. He would benefit more from sitting behind a veteran like Deron Williams on the Mavericks, but will likely be taken by a team with more need at the position like the Knicks. For Trimble simply being drafted would be optimistic based on his current stock. He has a lot of room to improve but has enough raw talent to warrant attention going into the draft.
Featured Game: Win at Illinois 62-56
The featured game I chose for Trimble was Maryland’s game against Illinois on 1/14/17. He ended the game with 12 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 steals. This was not one of Trimble’s better games as he really struggled shooting the ball. He was 5-16 from the floor and a measly 2-11 from three. He was a little quick with the trigger finger and didn’t slow down despite having such a poor shooting night. He did manage 5 assists which is above his average, but with such an off scoring night he could have focused on passing a little more. His three steals were the high point, showing that even when he’s struggling on offense he’s still engaged. Trimble is so dynamic on offense that he demands a lot of attention, he just needs to get better at taking advantage of that attention.
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