Rasheer Fleming: Do it All Demon
Rasheer Fleming is one of my favorite draft prospects in this class by far. Where does he stack up against his constituents?
I can’t lie, Fleming is one of, if not my favorite player in the draft. At his position, he does practically everything you want out of the modern big, and has the athleticism and intelligence to make the jump. He can shoot the ball at a high clip, rebound the ball aggressively, is versatile on the defensive end while generating turnovers, and has great physicals on top of it. I am absolutely excited to see which team takes a chance on him, because if paired with a good guard, it could make him even better. Let’s see why I have Fleming as my most underrated prospect in the cycle.
Basic Stats (2024-2025): 31.2 MPG, 14.7 PPG, 1.3 APG, 8.5 RPG, 1.4 SPG, 1.5 BPG, 1.5 TO, 53.1% FG
PROS
Incredibly smooth jumper, especially for someone of his stature
Probably one of the best shooters in the A-10 and maybe the stretch big shooter in college basketball (shooting 39% on 4.5 attempts/game
Elevates nicely, meaning his jumper is almost unblockable at that height, with simple, quick motions and a nice follow-through
Takes great shots as well, as his Low Shot Quality Time Rank is at 0% with 14 possessions.
Excellent cutter, one of the best in college basketball, in my opinion (scores 95% of the time when cutting, tied for 2nd in the country!!!)
Anticipates when defenses overcommit to the ball handler, allowing him to find and attack the open space effectively
Displays solid quickness with the ball in his hands
Nothing otherworldly, but he has a nice first step that allows him to not depend on his post-up game as his primary at the rim look. Also looks very light on his feet when driving, often displaying good footwork to get to the rim once he gets a paint touch,
Crafty yet thunderous finisher
Can put bigs or guards on a poster, is able to absorb or dish out contact when going up to the rim using his weight
Can go up and under for a reverse layups and some guard-like finishes, but those are less common
Shooting ability+at-the-rim finishing allows him to be a strong threat in transition (90th %tile PPP Rank for Transition Possessions)
Can make himself the lead man/rim runner and can spot up away from the ball
Heck of a rebounder (6.5 DRbs/game (98th %tile) and 2.1 ORbs/game (83rd %tile))
Displays great hands and length (7’5” wingspan!!!!), allowing him to tip the ball up or back to give himself or his team another chance at getting a board, or high point the ball where no one else can get it.
Stays with it when rebounding, looks determined and engaged to get the ball, often jumping multiple times in one possession.
Well displayed in 2nd chance points, displays a lot of hustle and energy (2.4 2nd Chance PPG, 89th %tile)
While being infrequent, he is pretty efficient down low (89th %tile PPP Rank for Post-Up Possessions)
Uses weight well to bang with bigs effectively down low, patient enough to get a good look at the rim and not force a bad shot
Aggressive on defense
Shows patience+timing and utilizes reach when blocking shots, getting to shots that not a lot of players can get to (4.9% Block PCT at 1.5 BPG)
Stays active in the PNR to impact passing lanes (short roll, pocket passes). Takes advantage of lazy passes and is aggressive at the point of attack (2.7% Steal PCT at 1.4 BPG)
Grades out pretty well on this end as well (above the 50th %tile on every shot type, and is above the 76th %tile on all Play Types with a Time Rank over the 50th %tile)
Decent passer (84th %tile PP(P+A) Rank)
Not in a lot of situations where he can display this ability, but he can find the open man when driving. Can create space for his guards in handoff situations, allowing for easy three point looks.
Pick and roll versatility (1.0337 on Pick and Pops (47.4% of PNR Possessions), 1.444 on Rolls to the Basket (31.6% of PNR Possessions, 1.083 on Slips to the Basket (21.1% of PNR Possessions)
Like I have heavily mentioned before, Fleming’s shooting stroke and aggressive finishing give him a lot of options in the PNR. While not generating much contact, he seems to focus more on slipping or flaring early to get open looks at the three (which he prefers) or at the rim.
CONS
While having a lot of opportunities to convert on offensive rebounds, he isn’t as great at converting them
Despite getting a lot of foul calls, he doesn’t get to the line as much as you would want
Doesn’t project as a high-usage point-forward even though his usage is at the 74th %tile.
Not going to be playing this role at the next level, so this doesn’t worry me at all.
Final Take: Athletic modern big man with an incredible shooting stroke and defensive presence, can grab boards, with versatility on both ends.
Draft Projection: Late Lottery to Mid-First Round.
Player Comp: First time I’ve said this, but I genuinely cannot find a player to give him a fair comparison to. All the guys that are his build don’t really have the same game as him (Jonathan Isaac, Kawhi, O.G. Announby).