B.J. Mullens is very agile for his size and he almost moves like an elongated 6?7? wing. This isn?t saying he is super-athletic or a great leaper, it speaks more to the fluidity of his movement. But he does have impressive athleticism considering his size and strength considering his age; even though he isn?t quite as athletic as he thinks he is, suggested by some of the improbably moves he attempts to make around the bucket.
The most logical frame of reference for Mullens is to compare him to Kosta Koufos. They are similarly skilled following their respective freshman seasons at Ohio State, but while Mullens is superior physically, Koufos was a more polished offensive product.
On that note, Mullens will likely test out impressively in the physical drills.
Mullens moves well in pick and roll situations, showing an ability to catch the ball and finish in traffic and also improvise in those situations. He also does a good job giving a good shot hand in the post.
With the kind of reps he will get as an NBA player, he will have a very nice right-handed jump hook that will be unguardable by most bigs. He elevates nicely and extends high with his release hand.
Mullens has a natural vision as a passer out of the post, though he sometimes doesn?t sense a sagging help defender quickly enough yet.
As a shooter, Mullens has a long ways to go in becoming consistent, but his form is very promising and he gets a lot of his lower body and lift into it, which is rare for a player of his size.
He has a soft touch around the bucket and will effectively use the glass. Mullens also is a strong finisher, with good elevation on alley-oops and put back slams.
He can be slippery into space an offensive rebounder and genuinely enjoys this aspect of the game and clearly sees it as an additional opportunity to score.
His hands are not horrible, but he is much better on the catch when he gets to go into the air for it and use his lift than the passes thrown from his neck to waist.
On the defensive end of the foor, Mullens is a frustrating case of not yet utilizing his length and athleticism. He is frequently out of position and really should be a more active shotblocker. He would be a more attractive prospect with even marginally better ability on defense, but his problems are fairly easily correctable. Mullens will grow on this end of the floor naturally with more experience.
Mullens has plenty of confidence, skill and athleticism to become a 25-minute per night center someday in the NBA. The game moves too quickly for him at this point and he will spend the first season and a half to two seasons at the end of the bench and in the D-League and will need to go to a team with patience and commitment to the development of their big men.
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