NBA Comparison: Ben Gordon/Rodney Stuckey
Strengths: Was considered by most as a lottery type talent before the season ... Warren's biggest asset in regards to being successful at the next level is his ability to create shots for himself, and shoot the ball off the dribble ... An offensive-minded combo-guard, uses a quick first step and athleticism to create space and get in the paint ... He can make shots of the highest difficulty, labeled a "good bad-shot shooter" ... Deep offensive shot-arsenal ... Strong finisher around the rim, averages 6 free throw attempts per game... Shows explosiveness and impressive body control in traffic... NBA body, confident scorer who has shown glimpses of possessing point guard potential... An above average passer, with ability to split the defense and open things up for teammates ... Has an excellent handle, with NBA 3 point range...
Weaknesses: Warren suffers from a poor shot selection, and when asked to be the number 1 scoring option, he struggled making shots ... Overly ball-dominant, tends to over-dribble and take his teammates out of the game ... Very turnover prone, finds himself out of control frequently after forcing the issue... this past year has not been an effective catch and shooter, shooting a dreadful 30% from downtown ... Defensively he is uninspiring, seeming to get his rest on this side of the ball ... Poor footwork results in allowing his man to get into the paint way too often ... Undisciplined decision maker, with an inconsistent jump shot, negative attitude and troublesome ankle will put a scare in some coaches and GMs ... Apparently was at odds with Coach Capel and those close to the team pointed to lack of maturity and selfishness as reasons for Warren's inability to fill the high expectations in his sophomore year (aside from missing extended time due to having mononucleosis) ... There is some concern over whether he's truly a point guard or even a combo. Shows some solid passing and ball handling skills, but has never proven to be a true floor general that can take over a team and run the show at a high level ...
Overall: If the draft was a straight up talent contest, Warren would be a lottery pick, just as he potentially was after his freshman season ... A prime example of why players leave college early when their stock is high, Warren had a rough second season playing the role of go-to scorer with Blake Griffin leaving for the NBA ... He can score in a variety of ways, and if he gets back to that complimentary scorer mentality he had as a freshman, he could make for a nice scoring option off the bench ... His lack of concentration on the defensive side of the ball, along with his all around questionable attitude and poor results when asked to play a larger role are 3 significant factors when explaining his lowered draft stock ... Warren also had an arrest for driving with a suspended liscense after the season ... With his high skill level though, he can be a steal if he slips too far ...