Trentyn Flowers has intrigued scouts and draft analysts with his combination of size, athleticism, and potential. His ability to utilize his athleticism while attacking the basket, playmaking, and defensive upside had him rise on many draft boards in recent months. He could be one of the more interesting picks in the 2024 NBA Draft.
Trentyn Flowers 2024 NBA Draft Profile
International Career
Following high school, Flowers decided to forgo college and chose to sign with the Australian-based Adelaide 36ers of the NBL, which is the same league that potential first-overall pick Alex Sarr plays in. In the NBL, Flowers averaged 5.2 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 0.4 assists per game while also averaging 12.7 minutes. He shot 45.8% from the field, 42.1% from three, and 61.3% from the foul line. With the 36ers, the six-foot-nine forward displayed his impressive athleticism and ability to score at the rim. Additionally, Flowers flashed potential as a floor spacer and playmaker, demonstrating serious offensive upside.
Strengths
The offensive end of the floor is the stronger part of Flowers’ game by far. Among his strengths as a player, one of the main positives of Flowers is his fluidity and athleticism. He is explosive and has a nice burst when attacking the basket, leading to highlight dunks or tough finishes. Flowers can generate an impressive amount of paint touches and he has shown ability to operate in the pick-and-roll as the ball-handler. From there, he has also flashed some playmaking ability as Flowers has thrown impressive passes this season. Another strength that Flowers possesses is that he can extend his range to the three-point line, where he shoots 42.1% on the season.
On defense, Flowers has the potential to be a multi-positional defender due to his size and length. Furthermore, his athleticism should also help him become a versatile defensive piece. Essentially, Flowers has all the physical tools to be a good defensive player across multiple positions.
Weaknesses
Many of the issues with Flowers as a player are on the defensive end of the floor. He isn’t impactful defensively and he will need time to improve in that regard. His defense largely causes him to have fewer minutes on the court. Flowers lack consistency in competing defensively and he can be caught ball-watching, allowing for back-door cuts. Furthermore, Flowers needs to get stronger and fill out his body as he can be overpowered on defense, which is most apparent on switches. Though Flowers is only 19 years old, so there is still quite a bit of time for him to continue building his body.
Offensively, Flowers has shot poorly from the foul line and will need to improve. However, he did only average less than two a game, which does obscure how real the percentage is. Speaking of shooting, Flowers could also improve his three-point shooting, which has been inconsistent due to his shooting form. Additionally, he lacks the ability to efficiently shoot threes off the dribble, so he will need to improve on that to be a greater threat from distance. Flowers could also tighten his handle further and continue to improve his passing as he turns the ball over way too much. Lastly, he could stand to take better shots at the rim, as he shot rather inefficiently around the rim. However, a lot of that has to do with not getting many whistles as the NBL allows more contact.
NBA Comparison
Flowers, as a player, is an offensively-minded forward who can score and play-make, which brings to mind NBA players with similar skill sets. Namely, Kelly Oubre Jr. and T.J. Warren both share a resemblance to Flowers in terms of their game as all of them are forwards who primarily contribute offensively. While Oubre and Warren are more capable as pull-up shooters, it is quite possible for Flowers to achieve that eventually.
