Scouting Report: Steven Enoch
Steven Enoch (Monbus Obradoiro) is playing great in the second half of the season. In the five games in April he averaged 18 points and 5.6 rebounds even though he played just a little more than 23 minutes per game.
BACKGROUND INFO
Position: C
Height: 208 cm (6 ft 10 in)
Date of Birth: 18/9/1997
Nationality: American/Armenian
Previous clubs:
N/A
Played his Freshman and Sophmore years for UConn Huskies but his role in the team was small and decided to transfer to Louisville. He played around 20 minutes per game there and averaged around 9.5 points and 5.4 rebounds per game. Enoch also played for Armenian U20 national team in 2016 and 2017 in the FIBA U20 Division B championship and averaged 17.3 points and 15.2 rebounds in 2016 and 22.5 points and 14.2 rebounds in 2017.
VIDEO REPORT:
OFFENSE
Post Up: With his great size and strong body, Steven has great tools to find the best possible position in the center of the paint. He positions himself really well and his teammates know how to feed him the balls. When he catches the ball, he keeps it high and doesn’t put it below the waist as some other bigs do. His hands are great and he is a really good finisher around the rim.
Also knows how to use his size in post ups. Can turn around both shoulders and finish with both hands. Knows how to play with back to the basket while also showing some face up game when he is knocking shots over defenders. Has good balance on those spins and with his ball handling skills he can create separation and some easy points.
Shooting: Steven is not just showing great touch around the rim but also a little farther from the basket. He is a good shooter from mid range and also capable of knocking down open three point shots. His release is really smooth for a big man and I think his offensive role will get bigger over the years and he will become a great offensive player.
Free throws percentage is a solid predictor of how good someone is shooting the ball and Enoch is shooting 88 % from the free throw line this season and went 14 for 14 in one game and also had one when he hit 11 of his 12 attempts. Those numbers are great for a guard let alone for a 6’10" player. Looking at his release, I believe he can be an above 85% free throw shooter consistently through his career.
Pick & Roll: Another skill that most bigs need to have is the pick & roll game. Steven is showing some great potential in this area too. Can roll directly under the rim, short roll and make shots from mid range while also has the ability to pop and knock shots from distance. So many options and if he is paired with a pick & roll maestro, he can excel and be hard to defend even on top level in Europe.
Offensive Rebounding: Offensive rebounding is also one of his strengths. Steven has great instincts and is capable of making some putback dunks. Also showing some good anticipation where the ball is going and being at the right place at the right time.
Decision Making & Passing: An area where he is having the most weaknesses or better said room for growth is his decision making and passing. Needs to be a little smarter with his fouls. He made a few unnecessary fouls in bonus or too early in the clock when the man he was guarding wasn’t even dangerous to score some points. Also made some other bad decisions like taking a shot too early in offense.
An even bigger problem were some really bad passes that resulted in turnovers. I’m not expecting from a big man to be a great passer but he should take care of the ball a little better and that would definitely increase his market value by a lot.
DEFENSE
Rim Protection & Post Up Defense: Definitely can improve as a rim protector. He can block and contest some shots here and there but most of his block attempts are timed poorly and he jumps too late in most occasions. Sometimes also jumping in the body of the offensive player which resulted in a foul. In post up situations he is holding his position well and not afraid of contact. When he gets more experience he should be fine as a post up defender.
Pick & Roll Defense: His pick & roll defense also needs some fixes. Sometimes positioned too bad and not defending anyone. Moves his feet solidly for a player his size and can follow some guards and make some switches but just too indecisive and giving too much room to the ball handler and roller. Physical tools are there to be at least a decent pick & roll defender but definitely needs to put a lot more work on this aspect of his game because there is a lot to improve in this area.
Rebounding: I already touched a little his rebounding in the offensive rebounding section and everything could be repeated here again. Boxes out, fights for a good position and actively goes for rebounds. Does everything you would expect a big man to do in the rebounding battle.
SUMMARY
Steven Enoch is really talented in offense where he can score in so many ways — be it under the rim or stretching the floor. Just his decision making and passing need some improvements, if he wants to be in the elite, but even without that he should be fine.
Defense on the other hand has more space to improve, especially his pick & roll defense.
Not many people are talking about Steven Enoch but I think we will hear his name a lot in the future so better get familiar with his game and write his name down because he has the tools and potential to play at the highest level in Europe.
