Upside Potential
Throughout this season La’Bree has shown flashes of what’s to come in his development and the potential impact he can have on the floor in the near future. His offensive arsenal is a specific area where small growth could pay big dividends not only in his game, but the associated production he can provide for his programs at the next level.
Being able to score off the dribble is nothing new to La’Bree’s game, but he’s showing signs that he can be much more dominant in this particular area very soon. Leaving bigs to guard him from the perimeter, on an island, is not a particularly great idea. He has the acceleration and athleticism to blow by most of them without at least making a trip to the free throw line. However, straight line cuts are no longer the only way opposing coaches have to worry about him attacking off the dribble.
There’s a growing trend of La’Bree putting together combination moves to get by defenders and still be well within his ability to convert at the rim, on pull-ups and through contact. This is a further disadvantage for bigs who have difficulty recovering on the move and aren’t keen on adjusting to quick changes in direction. These ball-handling improvements aren’t limited to attacking the basket and have also been spent upgrading his ability to create his jumpshot off the dribble.
Plenty of room exists in La’Bree’s game to impact the game at a much higher level. He’s already on his way to doing so and the team’s willing to take a chance on his versatile production aren’t going to regret it.