Draft Profile: Dwayne Bacon

Dwayne Bacon: Small Forward – Florida State University (turns 22 on August 30)

Measurables: 6-7, 221 lbs., 6-8 wingspan

Strengths: Scoring, Strength

Weaknesses: Defense, Passing

Conclusion: Like most of the 2016-17 Seminoles roster, the sophomore was a streaky outside shooter, which resulted in their NCAA tournament demise against the Xavier zone defense. Bacon doesn’t have amazing ball-handling skills, an incredible burst of athleticism, or great vision as a passer in the half court – and relied heavily on his superior size and strength to dominate in college. The dude gets buckets though a-la Dion Waiters, and when all is said and done he could be a decent slasher in the NBA. For his teammate and soon-to-be lottery pick, Jonathan Isaac, many scouts are wondering how he’ll fare on offense at the next level since he wasn’t a high usage player, but with Bacon it’s the opposite. It will be interesting to see if he’s able to adjust since he’ll be spending much more time off the ball after having the rock in his hands all the time as FSU’s go-to-guy. That’s the challenge for most stars at the college level, because it’s like going from being the biggest goldfish in a pet shop tank to a small one in the deep sea. If he can master the off-the-ball game on offense and make strides as a defender, passer, and three-point shooter, Dwayne could become a solid rotation player capable of filling in at up to three positions. Khris Middleton went No. 39 overall back in 2012. He measured in at 6-8 with a 6-11 wingspan at the NBA Draft Combine, per DraftExpress, but he wasn’t as good as Bacon in college and turned out to be one of the best players in the league. You just never know who’s going to rise the top, and that’s why Bacon fits the profile as a second-round or summer league sleeper. If things don’t pan out, he can still try to bring home the bacon by playing basketball overseas (or in the NBA D-League).

Projection: Undrafted in Ilia Shatashvili’s most recent mock draft, No. 62 on his most recent big board

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