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Melo Trimble has been the heart, mind, and soul of the Maryland basketball program over the past three seasons. During those three years, Trimble averaged 15.9 points and around four assists per game while helping clinch a NCAA Tournament bid in each of those three seasons.
Many speculated as to why Trimble waited so long to declare for the NBA Draft. After an outstanding freshman season, Trimble decided to stay in college for two more years, and his efficiency started to drop drastically. With his dwindling numbers, his draft stock also began to deplete, and he's seemingly fallen off the radar of NBA teams.
Nevertheless, an NBA team who is in dire need of a point guard who has the capability to make plays for himself and others could use a player like Trimble. Let's take a look at what Trimble brings to the table in the NBA.
PLAYER STRENGTHS:
Standing at 6-foot-3, Trimble has ample size for an NBA point guard. He doesn't possess a jaw-dropping athletic ability, but he knows how to use his ball-handling and wits to control the pace of the game and create opportunities for himself and his teammates.
In his freshman year, Trimble averaged 16.2 points per game and shot 41% from behind the arc. His first year in College Park happened to be his most productive year and when his draft stock was the highest. The reason for that: Trimble played within himself and didn't have to do everything on the offensive end.
When he plays to his strengths which are shooting the ball in rhythm and creating off the pick and roll, Trimble is very dangerous and is very difficult to stop which will give him some looks from NBA teams.
PLAYER WEAKNESSES:
The cause of Melo's lower numbers his sophomore and junior year at Maryland was the how much he was relied on to score and create shots for others. Instead of being patient and looking for the best shot, Trimble would settle for a contested jumper and rush the offense which would lead to turnovers and low-percentage shots.
Defensively, Trimble hasn't shown much potential on that side of the ball. According to DraftExpress, Trimble averaged 1.5 steals per 40 minutes which could be due to his unimpressive 6-foot-3 wingspan and how he stands upright on defense and doesn't show much tenacity on defense.
POTENTIAL BEST FIT:
A team looking for a guard who can shoot the ball and is improving his playmaking abilities would be a place where Trimble can flourish. Most likely there won't be a spot where Trimble can play significant minutes right away, but a team like the Detroit Pistons who need a reliable outside scorer could use a player like Trimble's who's main strength is driving to the basket but also can shoot the three-ball.
OVERALL:
The likelihood of Melo Trimble hearing his name on draft night is slim. All of the draft board I've seen have Trimble going undrafted which gives us a good preview of what his fate is.
Now, there's no doubt in my mind Trimble can get a spot on a summer league team and thrive and earn himself a spot on an NBA roster in the next year or so. If Trimble finds a team where is primary role will be scoring the ball and draining from beyond the arc, he could be the next Big Ten point guard to go undrafted and become a valuable contributor for an NBA team.