Cassius Stanley: Strengths
The phrase “momentum-changing plays” was made for Cassius Stanley. Everyone that has watched a game live has felt that anticipation when an elite athlete gets a steal in transition or breaks away from the pack for what will be an earth-shattering dunk.
Hell, as Knicks fans, we even felt it for Kristaps Porzingis! Stanley has that in spades and while it might seem like a car salesman’s attempt at distracting you from the broken down engine, whilst highlighting the shiny new paint-job, Stanley has substance to his game.
Per his scouting report for NBA.com, Stanley shot an impressive 63 percent and 40 percent from each side of the corner three respectively. He also converted 58 percent of his attempts at the rim. Additionally, according to hoops-math Stanley took 58.6 percent of his shots at the rim and 31.9 percent of his shots from the three-point line. It doesn’t take an expert in analytics to understand how useful Stanley can be at the next level, especially with a point guard that can breakdown the defense and get into the paint.
The following video showcases some nice catch-and-shoot clips from Stanley as well as some intangibles and passing (if O’Connell doesn’t finish that layup it’s a pretty nice assist from Stanley). I’ve seen some sites criticize his mechanics, but generally, Stanley has a quick release and a shot motion that appears repeatable. This past season, per Synergy, Stanley shot within the 93rd percentile in half-court catch-and-shoot situations. The last clip also features a nice step-back jumper from Stanley in a game versus Clemson.
Putting together some Cassius Stanley tape for an upcoming article. The C&S mechanics are solid (93rd percentile C&S in the half-court). Could be a solid pick at either 27 or 38. pic.twitter.com/87AX2vMr3O
— Geoffrey Campbell (@geoff_boy_ardee) August 26, 2020
"I didn’t really think about it that much. People can say it’s my age or that I’m playing on teams that have other good players or whatever, so I’m not going for 30 or 40 points every game. I’ve heard it all. I just know that I win and my record speaks for itself. I’m not really worried about what people were saying or why they were devaluing me. I just know that every time I step on the court, I get the job done since high school, Peach Jam and Nike Skills Challenge. I’m a winner. That’s all I know."