Scouting Report: Hayden Dalton
Hayden Dalton signed with Cedevita Olimpija a few days ago and there were some requests that I should make a report on him next so here you have it. Hayden is not a player that will stand out statistically but he will do some things on the court that you can’t see in the boxscore.
BACKGROUND INFO
Position: F
Height: 203 cm (6 ft 8 in)
Date of Birth: 20/6/1996
Nationality: American
Previous clubs:
2018–19 Bakken Bears
2019–21 CEZ Nymburk
Comes from a big family and has four sisters and two brother. Hayden played for Central Wyoming in his Freshman year and Wyoming Cowboys in his next three college years. In his first two years with the Cowboys he was coming of the bench but in his Senior year he was in the starting five on all matches. In his Senior year he averaged 17.7 points and 7.9 rebounds per game in 33 minutes. He started his professional career in Denmark with Bakken Bears and played last two seasons in Czech Republic for Nymburk.
VIDEO REPORT:
OFFENSE
Shooting: Hayden is a great shooter for his position and has a high shot release that is not blocked easily. His mechanics look fine and he can sink some shots even from a few feet behind the three point line. Most of his three point shots are coming from the top as catch & shoot shots and he is pretty efficient in those situations. He is not really a player that would create shots for himself and needs someone to feed him the balls.
Slashing: Hayden has limited 1-on-1 skills on perimeter and mostly struggles to beat the defender and get to the rim from a standstill position but he is way better at attacking closeouts or in catch and drives. He reads the defense very well and if he sees that he has some kind of advantage, he knows how to use it to get to the rim. With his length and athleticism he can go for different finishes at the rim, even try some poster dunks.
Post Up: Sometimes when Hayden sees that he has some height advantage he tries to put his defender on his back and attack from the post. He is not that easy to defend on post ups because of his mobility and ability to make some fadeaway shots. He is capable of creating a nice position for himself on the low post while also showing some good court vision and feel for the game when dishing some assists to open teammates.
Off-Ball Movement & Cutting: An area where Hayden is really good is his off-ball movement and cutting. He follows the game well and has great timing for cuts. Most forwards that are defending him are not that mobile and quick and he uses that to his advantage to get some separation. Moves well in all directions and can cut for easy dunks or layups at the rim and also is able to use the screen to get some separation for an open shot from distance.
Transition: His athleticism and fluidity can also be seen in transition. He is capable of pushing the ball forward after grabbing a rebound or getting a steal which both are two big strengths from Hayden. Sometimes can surprise the defense with an early shot too but those shots look too wild in my opinion. Likes to run without the ball and he was an important piece in Nymburk’s transition offense last season and I’m sure that he will also be a great player in transition in Cedevita Olimpija.
DEFENSE
Perimeter Defense: One of his main strengths is definitely his versatility. With his length and athletic tools he is capable of defending basically all positions. On perimeter for example he has shown that he can slide his feet well, has good lateral movements and reactions and in pick & rolls he is able to switch on smaller players.
Post Up Defense: He is also able to defend some bigs on low post but lack of physicality is obvious and can be moved around pretty easily. He tries to compete and he is usually not making any unnecessary fouls and also stands still and contests shots at the rim.
Off-Ball Defense: His off-ball defense needs some improvements. There were too many possessions when he lost sight of his man and let him cut to the rim or get a big advantage. Needs to be more aware of that and make smarter reads. Also when guarding a stretch big he should be closer to him and not leave so much space for open shots.
Rebounding: Rebounding is one of his main strengths. He has a great feel where the ball is going and with his high reach and athleticism he can compete in rebounding with taller guys too. And as mentioned before, he loves to push forward after grabbing a rebound. Showing some good feel for rebounds on the offensive end too and actively going for those no-one’s balls.
Steals & Blocks: Hayden is showing some good anticipation for steals. With his long arms he can make some deflections or interceptions that lead to easy points in transition. Usually making smart decisions when it is wise to go for a steal but sometimes could be a little more aggressive though. Also showing good instincts for blocking shots around the rim.
SUMMARY
Hayden Dalton is offensively a smart off-ball player with limited on-ball skills. He can stretch the floor and make open shots while also has great feel for cuts so defense needs to keep an eye on him. He won’t be the top scorer in the team but he will bring some points to the table, especially in a fast paced transition game.
Defensively he can cover a lot of ground and defend multiple positions but he just needs to be a little more focused and don’t let his man be left so open. He will bring some energy to the team and is not scared to get his hands dirty or dive for loose balls.
It’s hard to say if he is a good fit for this team because most of the roster spots are still free and a lot will depend on his teammates but I don’t think he will be one of the top players in the team but more like one of the most important role players.
