The art of scouting: evaluating talent

Фото: FIBA Assist Magazine

Adam Filippi is the International Scouting Director of Los Angeles Lakers. His scouting career begins in 1997, working for Fortitudo Bologna. In 1999 becomes international scout of New Jersey Nets. He collaborates with several NBA teams and he has been working for Los Angeles Lakers since 2001, and in 2002 he wins the NBA Championship. Instructor in many clinics, Filippi is also a certificated Personal Trainer (CPT) after having studied at the National Academy Sports Medicine (USA).

Friends often tell me, “You watch basketball games for a living! That’s not a job!”. It’s not quite that simple, but for sure, working in basketball is a privilege. I prefer to call my job a “lifestyle” out of respect for the guy, who has to go to the office from 9 to 5 everyday. But, seeing countless games and players, traveling around the world, watching video, writing reports, gathering information, constantly being updated with all leagues, and being away from your family isn’t always easy. When I speak at basketball camps and clinics, I always tell the audience that anybody with passion for basketball can become a scout, and that not everybody can become a player.

At the same time, if a young kid decides that when he grows up he wants to become an NBA scout, his chances would be far less than becoming an NBA player, or even a multi-million dollar making plastic surgeon for that matter. That’s because there are 450 openings for players in the NBA, but less than 30 positions like mine. Yes, I know that I have been blessed to be able to work for my favorite childhood team, the LA Lakers.

WHAT MAKES A GOOD SCOUT?

To become good at any job, you have to either have talent or a strong work ethic. Those that have both talent and work ethic, and love what they do (passion), are usually very successful. I believe this is the key in any line of work.

Having played the game of basketball at an organized level is definitely a plus in scouting, as it is with coaching, but it’s certainly not a mandatory qualification. We all know there are many successful coaches, scouts, and general managers, who have not played competitive basketball, but have studied the game thoroughly. And there have been countless former star players who have been either unsuccessful coaches or shown a poor eye for talent.

THE JOB

Scouting is the cornerstone of building a good basketball team. Good scouting leads to knowing the players well, and “knowing the players” is crucial in a team’s decision making during the draft, free agency, and trading procedures. It is often more a process of “elimination” of players rather than actually choosing the perfect one.

I quit playing in 1997 at age 25, and dove into scouting (for Italian teams) instead of coaching because at the time there were countless (unemployed) coaches, but no scouts working for European teams. Also, very few NBA teams had international scouts. So I felt I had more of an opportunity to establish myself and bring value to an organization in a scouting capacity. I had passion, knowledge, but no real “school,” so I had to learn while doing the job, developing my own “style”. Thanks to Nowitzki, Stojakovic, and other Europeans blossoming into NBA stars, and as more international players started declaring early for the NBA draft, my opportunity came when I was hired by the New Jersey Nets in 1999. Working as a Scouting Director for an NBA team is different than working for a European team. In the NBA, I deal almost exclusively with the General Manager and Assistant General Manager, while working in Europe I would report to the GM but talk more often to the head coach, and sometimes be a “liaison” between them. In both cases, it is a “behind the scenes” job.

An NBA organization’s scouting staff must cover the following players:

• College.
• International:
  • Prospects for Draft (age 19-22).
  • Over 22 (free agents, foreign and US).
• Very Young Prospects (16-19).
• NBA (free agency and trade possibilities).
• Minor Leagues (D-League).

College basketball will always be the largest area to cover. International basketball scouting has become crucial as it’s usually the foreign players that “change” the draft. Because of contracts, league talent levels around the world, and countless cultural differences, international player evaluation is the most complex and deceiving in scouting. NBA scouting is the most overlooked, as sometimes teams “think” they know a player or just remember how he played against them. In addition stats sometimes lie (great stats on a bad team!). This is where I feel teams make the biggest mistakes. The NBA Development league has been great to monitor, especially in case of a sudden injury, so you can find a “temporary solution.”

Scouting Reports

Today some teams have sophisticated computer software tools for scouting. However, I prefer traditional player evaluation reports. At the beginning of my career I would write three-page reports on a player, with background, offense, defense, coaching opinions, graphs, stats, interviews, and grades. Yes, it was a lot of information. It was hard work and required a lot of research, but I felt that my head coach or GM deserved as much information as possible. But, General Managers and coaches don’t have the time to read a three-page player report that ends with: “I don’t think he can play for us.“ I soon realized that my job is to simplify their jobs. I can talk to my boss for 30 seconds about a player and suddenly he will interrupt me to ask, “Can he play or not?” or “Would you take him or not?”

A well-done player report should provide the following Information:

• Body, size, athleticism.
• Offensive and defensive strengths and weaknesses.
• Can he create his own shot?
• Can he play in the NBA? Star? Starter? Rotation? Journeyman?
• Can he play for our team? Do we have a need at that position? Can he play the triangle offense?
• Margin for improvement - upside? Can he improve the flaws he has?
• Special NBA skill - What’s going to make him successful?
• Similar NBA player - My boss needs to visualize who he plays like.
• Why he is CNP - if you say he Can Not Play, give reason

Don’t be afraid to say you like a player and why. Don’t be afraid to say you don’t like a player and why.

Major “Turn Offs” You Notice In Scouting:

• Bad body language.
• Laziness.
• Out of shape.
• Selfish play.
• Lack of focus/concentration.
• Trash talking.
• Disrespectful: towards coaches, teammates, referees, opponents.

SHOT CHART

I’ve grown to love the shot chart: it shows and reminds you where a player likes to shoot from, and how much he drives to the basket. The chart isn’t going to tell you everything about a player’s game, but I do consider it very useful.

Under Pressure Factor

I love to talk about GAME PRESSURE. Some players just disappear or don’t perform well in the last minutes of games or in big games. I want to know if a player wants the ball, if he’ll carry his team, if he’ll have the guts to take and make the last shot. Figuring out if a guy is mentally tough is another key factor in evaluating a player.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

I add a little background and/or personal information in each report, then right before the NBA draft I’ll gather all the information possible for my “Draft Book” that covers all the players in the draft. Having a good network (coaches, trainers, reporters, players around the world) is important, but don’t let people’s opinion influence you too much. I try to find out and gather the following information: family, attitude, work ethic, teamwork, off-the-court interests, and performance in the classroom. Basketball intangibles are a major concern..

For international players, the most difficult issue is the player’s contract situation: Is he free? Buyout? How many years are left on his contract? What kind of leverage does he have? Will he re-sign in Europe? These issues can impact a final decision in drafting a player, not withstanding his playing abilities.

HOW MANY TIMES SHOULD YOU SEE AN NBA PROSPECT?

Five is a good number for a “new” prospect, but most times I will have seen a player many times during the previous two to three seasons. You can supplement your same thing as seeing a player in person at close range. Seeing a player just once can really trick you, but seeing a player too much can mislead you also: overscouting.

This was the case with Tiago Splitter of Tau, a player I had seen for five consecutive seasons. I saw him play so much that I only ended up watching for his flaws, while not appreciating his strengths.

IT’S OK TO CHANGE YOUR OPINION AND EVALUATION ON A PLAYER

I may change my opinion on a player from good to bad over a year or two. Very rarely, however, I will change my opinion from bad to good. Still, there are those few players, who do improve their game and attitude or grow into their bodies. There have been incredible cases of players whose game was never in question, but whose bodies and athleticism surprisingly developed, making them much improved players over a short period of time (like over the summer!). Best examples I’ve witnessed have been Deron Williams, a player who I never thought could change his “funny body;” Carlos Boozer was taken in the 2nd round because of his apparent lack of athleticism; and Marc Gasol, who could not run the floor at 19, now starts for Memphis as an NBA rookie.

ARE WE DRAFTING AN “NBA PLAYER” OR “A POTENTIAL NBA PLAYER”?

When you draft a 20-year-old player you can’t expect him to know the game thoroughly. And you must know that he may not be ready to contribute for one to two seasons. I am obsessed with the fundamentals of the game and I feel that my scouting, previous playing, and skills training experiences allow me to do a good job at identifying player weaknesses and how to improve in those areas. When you draft a player you have to know what you’re getting: What are his strengths and weaknesses and what is the margin for improvement. Can he overcome his flaws? Can he improve his ball handling or shooting in order to become the player we need? Intangibles and work ethic are important as now these questions become “Does he have the DESIRE to become a better ball handler or shooter?” Saying that a player can pass when he averages 10 assists per game or that he can shoot after he makes 8-10 3-pointers isn’t hard, but figuring out his mental strengths, dedication, and will to become a player is difficult.

“DOES HE LIKE TO PLAY?”

It may sound like a silly question, but it’s not. Believe me there are some very good professional players that are not in love with the game. When a guy loves to play, he is more committed to getting better and winning, and usually is more competitive than a player who “just” plays basketball for a living. This is what makes evaluating players complex. It’s very hard to get into a young player’s head!

When we drafted a 17-year-old Andrew Bynum at #10 in 2005, he had played basically only one year of organized basketball, so there were huge risks involved.

The physical abilities and upside were there, but the truth is, it was too early to know if he really loved the game of basketball. He was a smart kid, and immediately we realized he was a worker and wanted to develop his skills.

His subsequent improvements led to enhanced confidence, and as he became part of the rotation, he started loving the game more each day. Now, at 21, he has become fundamentally sound, confident, in love with the game, and more competitive every day.

The entire process has been exciting to watch. A good team environment and the player’s dedication will lead to the improvements you hoped for on his draft night.