Roster Thoughts: Meet Darius Adams and Paul McNeil (again)

Good news, everyone! NC State has confirmed two more members of its backcourt with the addition of Darius Adams and the readdition of Paul McNeil.

Adams is a former five-star recruit and McDonald’s All-American who escaped Maryland after his freshman season. He suffered a hand injury shortly before the start of the year, returned in full before the season opener, and then proceeded to post some pretty gruesome numbers over the course of that season. As a freshman, Adams shot 24% from three, 43% from two, and averaged 1.6 assists to 2 turnovers per game. 

I don’t think these numbers are necessarily indicative of Adams’ future. There are a wide variety of outcomes on the table for a guy like this, especially with his history of being a more capable shooter than his current college production. If he can rediscover his jumper, he’ll be a contributor quickly, even if that’s just as a floor spacer off the bench. Adams is a little bit better on-ball defender than some of the other guards on this team. He also plays hard, so he achieves at least that required minimum. There is no laziness on his tape. 

He’s a pretty fluid shooter off the dribble and looks comfortable in the mid-range. There is a definite confidence there. Unfortunately, he shot just 31% on mid-range shots last year, so they weren’t going in. I don’t think he’s an elite advantage creator off the dribble, but he can win off the bounce and has great length that he sometimes flashes good use of as a finisher.

Adams’ tape looks like a guy who just really wants it. He could add weight to his frame, but he is willing to be physical and throw his body around to try and finish dribble drives. This is a good thing in the long-term, provided you can harness that energy. Right now, he takes a lot of very difficult shots at the rim trying to score through pure will power. 

Of all the portal ads so far, Adams is easily the hardest to project. I could see this going a ton of different ways and don’t feel comfortable putting my name to a specific projection as to what he could contribute. I also have no idea what State paid for him, but provided it wasn't too much, this is a good move for a program with this budget. Signing Adams is like swinging at a 100 MPH fastball. You might miss, but if you make contact, it might go pretty far.

State has also confirmed the return of Paul McNeil, who figures to join Edmead and Hammond as the starting guards. This is a nice little score for Justin Gainey. He was able to dispatch some suitors that, while morally bankrupt, certainly weren’t financially bankrupt. McNeil’s story gives him a lot of intrinsic value to State fans, and as this saga dragged on, it only seemed to amplify the stakes associated with it. He's also a darn good player who should serve as a reminder that not all floor spacing is created equal.

I think McNeil has a chance to fit really well with Preston Edmead, and there is a very specific reason for this. Follow me here. I expect that Edmead will see more at-the-level and above ball screen coverages this season. His shooting demands such (read more about this here), as he needs very little space coming off a screen to pull up, and that’s a shot that defenses will very much not want to allow. 

Bringing the big to the level of the screen or above will prevent these shots, but it will also force rotation on the backside in the form of roller tags, as it actively puts two on the ball. Rotation means opportunities for shooters, particularly shooters who can catch and shoot on the move. You may have noticed over the course of the last year that Paul McNeil is very good at this. Shake actions, roll-replace actions, and things that bring shooters back to the exchange point of the ball screen could make a lot of sense with this crew. 

You should also keep an eye out for an expanded role for McNeil, not necessarily volume wise but action wise. Don't be shocked to see more twos from McNeil, whether that comes from more on-ball activity or just from ball-denial counters like back cuts. He showed none of this under Wade, but flashed a few times playing out of handoff actions under Kevin Keatts.

Stepping out of the weeds of that stuff, it’s just generally true that McNeil is an elite space creator. When it comes to gravity, he is Jupiter. Adding him and Christian Hammond to Edmead-based actions will make defenses seriously question helping off the perimeter on any drive. Add Yalaho to that and you can run various 5-out sets with four players who are high-end shooters. This roster is clearly valuing spacing and offensive skill set over all else, and while it has some versatility questions when it comes to creation, its strongest point right now is its play-finishing tools. If Edmead can take a sophomore step with some inside-the-arc scoring and more consistent decision making, this offense could really run hot with guys like McNeil in the fold. 

The obvious concern is on defense. State is not particularly athletic. Hammond and Yalaho both struggle as on-ball defenders, and while I think Edmead is underrated there, he’ll have limitations too. McNeil is riding in a very similar boat, and I have doubts about State’s ability to keep the ball out of the paint. Outside of Bishop Boswell, Gainey really hasn't prioritized perimeter defense as a trait.

When you don’t have Scrooge McDuck money, you sort of have to choose what kind of team you’d like to be and then creatively find ways to shrink the opportunity cost of that choice. It’s unlikely State will guard the ball well with this lineup, and if it does, extend Justin Gainey, because this would be a pretty good team in that case.

The point of Kyle Evans is to build a backstop for the perimeter defense that can cut into the effectiveness of opponent paint touches without having to help aggressively. I expect to see a lot of drop coverage and a lot of keeping the big home in attempts to guide all dribble drives to the rim protection. This is what Evans did at UC Irvine, and it's hard to see another coverage that would suit this lineup nearly that well.