Julian Bond @PrepHoopsTN Fall Combine Recapture
Julian Bond (Dyer County) gifted the @PrepHoopsTN/AboveTheRimGym Fall Combine with tenacious rebounding and miraculous upper/lower body strength. He entered his second combine as the #75 best prospect in the state. Julian impressed back in September ’18 and returned with his coach and friends again. He improved a lot over the year.
How did he measure against the competition?
- Class of 2020
- 6’4 1/2″ wing forward
- Wingspan — 6’4″ or 76″
- Standing Reach — 8’1″
- Peak Reach — 10′ 6.5″
- One-step vertical — 29.5″
- Height w/o shoes — 6’4 1/2″
- Height w/ shoes — 6’5 1/4″
- Shoe Size — 14
- Hand Span — 10.0″
- Hand Length — 8.5″
- Lane Agility — 11.61, 11.40
- All-Star Top 20
NBA Stylistic Comparison: 2011 Rockets Chuck Hayes Celtics Marcus Smart
College Projection: NAIA/JuCo.
The Fall Combine doesn’t include the max bench of reps of 185 pounds. If it did, Julian Bond would have challenged Jaden Davis for best in the building. He is a specimen.
Strengths: Leaping ability, upper body strength, power, rebounding instincts. Weaknesses: shooting range.
Not a shooter. That is a concern. Can he defend the rim? Yes. He is a little small for a forward, so he is going to be a wing in college. Bond is a wing that is unable to stretch the defense out, but he defends so well and he is so physical that he might find his way into a junior college or NAIA rotation. His strengths certainly outweigh his weaknesses.
Julian is definitely one of the best rebounders in the state. His vertical was measured just under 30″ and with a running start he conquers that plateau. Bond’s hands also measured larger than most participants. Rebounded with both hands. He was a rebounding dream.
Bond easily absorbs contact, but during the combine specifically Bond leaned away from contact instead into it. With his power and ability to contort his body, Julian Bond should be and can be one of the best at drawing fouls in Tennessee. Finishing around the rim is very challenging, and maybe Bond will miss some of those layups. That is ok. He will help his team and hurt the other by simply drawing the fouls in close.
Bond is a workhorse. There are no Bond games that leave the eye wanting him to try harder. His effort is constantly high. Fitness is wonderful. Truthfully, the development from 4/5 to 2/3 is nearly complete in every aspect save shooting from deep. Bond will be a dominating scorer in tight all season.
The quickness of Julian Bond is easily his most underrated physical attribute. With his lane agility times, Bond outperformed dozens of guards.
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