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New Mexico Lobos small forward Tony Snell shot up the NBA Draft boards over the past week and was taken No. 20 in the first round by the Chicago Bulls. Snell will join a Bulls team that should contend for the NBA title now that Derrick Rose will back and completely healthy from his ACL tear. The way for Snell to see the floor early on is to improve his shot, but his defensive prowess should aid him in getting some early season minutes.
Snell's stock has increased pretty much right after he declared for the draft. In college, Snell could go off for 20-plus points or more, or could he could get stumped by Harvard in NCAA Tournament and be held to nine points. He had seven games by scoring single digits and seven with 20 or more points, so that is the definition of a hit or miss player.
Snell did step up in the Mountain West tournament where he was named the MVP by averaging just over 17 points in the three games en route to the title, but his key attribute during that tournament was converting 12 of 20 from beyond three-point range.
His three-point shot is one of his strength, but his shooting overall needs work. Actually, Snell does not really have any other huge strengths when looking at his stats. If Snell can develop a better shot and improve in some other aspects of his game he could be a decent NBA player. His three-point shot is what will keep him in the league, because shooters can last a long time. His defense will help him see playing time early since he has a 6-foot-11-inch wing span, and that allows him to stay in front of defenders and get this hand on many loose balls.