Grant Nelson Scouting Report
Grant Nelson (2025) Scouting Report
Grant Nelson Player Profile:
From: Alabama
Age: 24
Position: PF
Height: 6’10”
Wingspan: 7’0”
Weight: 223 lbs
Strengths:
Offense:
- Decent scorer off the dribble
- Very solid shooter for a big man, at the very least stretches the defense
- Excels in off-ball motion plays
- Pick-and-pop threat
- Handles the ball well for his size
- Solid athlete
- Extremely efficient scorer at the rim
- Finishes well in transition
- Nifty footwork
- Positions himself well in the paint
- Capable playmaker
- Creates shots through handoffs
- Passes well through
Defense:
- Solid rim protector
- Makes use of his length to impact shots at the rim
- Doesn’t concede positioning, and fights for it when he doesn’t have it
- Decent rebounder
Weaknesses:
Offense:
- Can be a bit streaky from beyond the arc
- Must expand on his low-post game
- Can be a bit passive
Defense:
- Struggles to guard quicker players
- Foul prone
- Needs to get stronger
- Screen navigation and off-ball defense
- Slow on closeouts
Player Projections:
Floor: Michael Bradley / Out of the league
Ceiling: PJ Washington / Great role player
Realistic: Santi Aldama / Rotational piece
Analysis:
Grant Nelson captured the attention of the basketball world, in a historic Sweet Sixteen performance to eliminate UNC, the clear favourite in the matchup. That singular performance catapulted him into NBA Draft discussions, which would have been a crazy statement 12 months earlier. However, after testing the waters in the ‘24 class, he will return to Alabama for his final season.
He is a solid scorer off the dribble, who is able to create his own shot with some consistency. He is a respectable shooter from beyond the arc, although he can be hot-and-cold for stretches that can last weeks. At the very least, he is good enough to allow NBA teams to run a five-out offense with him on the floor, which will no doubt draw some interest from NBA front offices.
He excels in off-ball motion plays, navigating off-ball screens and defenses well. He never stops moving and can send a defense into disarray. He has great technique on his screens, and they have great effect, which is a little shocking considering his lean frame. If he can put more meat on those bones he might be one of the better screen setters in the league.
He does well in the pick-and-roll, rolling hard and finishing well at the cup. He also excels off the fade. In fact, I have seen him knock down shots off the fade multiple times up and down the floor, back to back. Even when the defense knows what’s coming, its damn near impossible to stop.
He is an extremely efficient scorer at the rim. He positions himself well against the defense and makes use of nifty footwork to get the defense off their feet and draw fouls. However, his post bag could get deeper, and may need to if he is to reach the next level.
He is a respectable ball handler, and could be a solid tertiary ball handling option at the next level. He makes use of his height to peer over the defense and see options who didn’t even know they were there. He also excels in handoff situations and creates plenty of great shots for his teammates through them.
He is a solid rim protector, and makes use of his length to impact shots at the rim. However, he is too weak for most big men, which will only be further exposed at the next level. This creates a problem, as he is also too slow to keep up with players smaller than him, leaving him as a bit of a tweener on the defensive end. He also tends to get a bit frustrated when things aren’t going his way, and can frustration foul his way to the bench with some haste.
He also struggles defending off the ball, and navigating screens. He is consistently slow on closeouts, and, more often than not, is a large part of why Alabama’s defense breaks down.