Previewing the Grizzlies Summer League - Gauging The Potential Of Simi Shittu

Shockwaves from the Grizzlies' 2019 draft reverberated throughout the NBA. The team's front office acquired Ja Morant with the second overall selection, and traded up to pair him with quick jump specialist Brandon Clarke, forming a formidable tandem. As a result, Grizzlies fans from far and wide have grown considerably more optimistic about the team's promising future. As the Grizzlies adapt to the current state of the league by transitioning from Grit N' Grind to a new 'Grit N' Motion' offense, they must bring in players with potential in the open floor. 

Simisola "Simi" Shittu qualifies as a raw, high upside big that can potentially thrive out in transition. Standing at a chiseled 6'10 (6.2% body fat at the combine), Simi possesses a unique handle, and can be effective attacking the basket. Relative to his size, he is surprisingly agile with the ball in his hands. Simi sports an effective Euro step, which projects to be deadly in one-on-one scenarios in summer league. At Vanderbilt, he regularly utilized this move, pulling the ball over his defender's head, and escaping past his man. Importantly, Simi will be able to cue fast breaks at the professional level, pushing the tempo with his outlet pass, or driving the ball up the floor himself. In terms of his handle, Simi must do a better job of protecting the ball when met with double teams. His handle is still relatively loose at this stage, and he could stand to tighten it up in some ways - refining the height of his dribble first and foremost. 

With that said, Simi was a mixed bag attacking the basket in his freshman season at Vanderbilt. Simi often initiated his rim runs from beyond the three point line (or bringing the ball up the floor in transition), as he would typically fake a hand off before opting to beat his man off the bounce. Because of his unique agility with the ball in his hands, Shittu was able to draw 5.4 fouls per 40 minutes, 6th best in the SEC. He did a nice job of initiating contact this season, but must work to avoid charging straight into his man at the next level. On the flip side, Simi struggled finishing at the rim, mostly because of his poor body control. Importantly, Simi must work on his 'contact balance', or ability to absorb contact (from the defender) and remain under control. At Vanderbilt, Simi was consistently thrown off his spot and opted to shoot extremely off balance scoop layups. Statistically, he shot a remarkably poor 49.6% from 2-point range (44% in conference play [as competition improved]), though most of his shots were taken close to the basket. With improved balance and better concentration, Simi would likely have been able to finish many of his shots at the rim with ease. Like many freshman, Simi seemed to play fast and often forced the issue when he was not receiving an appropriate number of post touches.

On the interior, Simi was effective as a back to the basket weapon, with a half hook and a quick drop step-spin move in his arsenal. He appeared most comfortable here and typically finished balanced, off two feet, contrasting his tendency to clumsily finish off one foot when driving the lane. He must continue to improve his lower body strength so that he can initiate his post moves quicker and closer to the rim. Importantly, Simi must fight for deep post position, working to seal his man on the block. Frustratingly, Simi's teammates failed to find him on countless possessions where he was open on the block, and this likely was a contributing factor in his decision to leave early. In terms of his ability to secure offensive rebounds, Simi did a poor job mixing it up inside on the offensive glass at Vanderbilt, and instead tended to float along the perimeter - where he was a non-threat.

With that said, Simi Shittu is a capable rebounder, with solid strength, a 7'1 wingspan, and decent box out fundamentals. While he was a below average presence on the glass at the offensive end, Simi habitually fought on the defensive glass, out-muscling more physical opponents and working to establish position. His 21.3% Defensive Rebounding % was the 5th best in the SEC this season. Once he secured a board, Simi would typically look to push the tempo, which is where his potential lies for the Grizzlies. All in all, Simi's rebounding ability should translate to the next level, though he must improve his assertiveness on the offensive glass.

In terms of his most glaring weakness, Simi's shot is no where near ready for a higher level of play. His 5.6% three point percentage (on 18 attempts) was abysmal at Vanderbilt, and he needs to work with player development coaches on his mechanics. His poor balance was also evident when he was forced to step into his shot or move beyond the three point line. Instead of pointing his toes in a staggered manner in the direction of the hoop, he occasionally fanned his left foot towards the scorer's table, leading to awful balance and poor lift for his jumper. Even when he did properly get his feet under him to shoot, he shot the ball on the way down from his jump. Optically, he also must work to make his shot more fluid and less mechanical. If he does not make significant strides in this area, defenders at the next level will slack off him and render him a non-threat. He must improve significantly here if he ever hopes to earn a shot at the NBA.

Despite this, Simi possesses unique potential as a passing big man. Operating mostly from the high post or beyond the three point line, Simi does a nice job of feeding both cutters and post weapons high-low. He has good vision when attacking the basket, and is often patient, drawing multiple defenders before hitting cutters. Simi needs to do a better job kicking the ball out along the perimeter, particularly towards the top of the key, when he draws defensive attention. This type of ball movement is a pivotal part of NBA offenses. While Garland's injury impacted the pace at which Vanderbilt played, it is clear that Simi would thrive passing the ball in an up tempo offense, as he did in his first contest against Winthrop.

On the defensive end of the ball, Simi improved considerably from his first college game. He still must grow as a rim protector, utilizing his length to contest shots in help defense, instead of sticking with his man and allowing easy layups. He possesses good fundamentals contesting without fouling at the rim, utilizing every bit of his 7'1 wingspan and displaying remarkable verticality, which altered many shots last year. Also, Simi does an excellent job contesting three point shooters without fouling. He often disrupts opposing offenses by getting his hands in passing lanes and deflecting the ball. Despite this, Simi was surprisingly unproductive on the defensive end of the floor at Vanderbilt, posting a 2.0% block rate, good for 39th best in the SEC. Simi tends to get beat on switches and must improve his defense in space, particularly out of pick and roll sets. He tends to float in no man's land at times, which will allow for easy jumpers and/or layups at the next level. While Simi must still remember to stay in his defensive stance, especially along the perimeter, he improved considerably here by the time conference play started. Simi also was much more vocal on the defensive end towards the back half of the season, and this was clearly reflected in his team's hotly contested overtime battle with in-state rival Tennessee at home. 

Overall, at 19 years old, Simi Shittu is still young enough to develop his game, and must utilize his opportunity in summer league to build on his freshman year. If he refines his shot, improves his balance, and learns to properly defend pick and roll sets, Simi has a shot. Otherwise, as Fran Fraschilla famously put it, he is "two years away from being two years away." 


(Photos courtesy of insidehalton.com and anchorofgold.com)