This is the guy I really want with our second rounder. He could be another second round stud 3 and D guy like Jae Crowder or Draymond. Here's a
http://runrebs.com/2016/02/15/patrick-mccaw-art-of-steal/good writeup on Pat McCaw:
Patrick McCaw has developed a reputation.
The long, lanky 6-foot-7 guard has blossomed into one of the best defensive players in the country since he arrived at UNLV less than two years ago. But it's not just his ability to lock down that frightens ball-handlers. Take a look at an opposing scouting report, and you'll likely find a bit of good advice regarding the Rebels' master thief: Be careful crossing over in front of McCaw.
McCaw is currently averaging 2.7 steals per game, which ranks a lofty fourth in the nation. And his ability to strip the ball and head the other way for uncontested layups has been one of the true joys of following the Rebels in 2015-16:
Considering McCaw's pilfering prowess, it was noteworthy that he had managed just two steals in the four games prior to Saturday's contest against Colorado State. It was his longest stretch without a multi-steal game since midway through the 2014-15 season.
You knew that wasn't going to last long.
McCaw was back to his normal ransacking self against CSU, swiping the ball away four times in 39 minutes. It was his eighth game with at least four takeaways this season.
"Pat is the best defensive player in the league, mano a mano, in my opinion" Todd Simon said after watching McCaw hound Colorado State leading scorer Antwan Scott into a 5-of-17 shooting performance. And the Rebels' interim coach is probably right.
Opposing players shoot just 31.4 percent when defended by McCaw, and they score just 0.65 points per possession, both of which rank him among the elite in Division I.
It's a talent McCaw has honed over the years.
"There's something about a steal," McCaw said. "A steal and an assist are the best things about basketball, honestly. That's something I've been doing ever since high school."
Physically, McCaw was practically designed and built to get his hands on the ball.
In addition to his superior length, he's also quick enough to stay with any opponent, and his ability to anticipate is off the charts.
But McCaw doesn't rely on his natural gifts to rack up steals.
"Throughout the game, I just kind of focus on guys' moves," McCaw said. "Especially the week leading up to [the game], with scouting reports and watching film. I just try to analyze guys and what they do and how they dribble the ball and what moves they use. And then when it comes to the games, it just depends on if a ball screen is coming and if I'm by myself, so I know exactly what I can do on defense and not try to gamble if I'm one-on-one...It's really just watching a lot of film on players and figuring out what they do and what their moves are."
Those studying habits were on display in the Rebels' win over Oregon on Dec. 4. McCaw recorded one of his best strip-and-score sequences by anticipating a high screen, jumping out in front of it, and then correctly surmising that Ducks' guard Dwyane Benjamin would attempt to cross over and drive left. McCaw waited for his opportunity and then struck with precision, coming away with a clean steal and a layup to help propel UNLV to its best win of the season:
"He plays hard on the defensive end all the time," Simon said. "Being a play-hard guy always puts you in position to get deflections and steals. And obviously he has a unique knack for anticipation. He'll sit on a guy and wait for that crossover to come and he pokes that hand in there, and he's able to get steals that way. So he's a very cerebral defender as well."
McCaw's dedication to defense has earned him the trust of the coaching staff. Not everyone wants their players gambling and lunging for steals, especially in one-on-one situations, as a swipe that comes up empty can give the ball-handler a clear path into the lane and stress the rest of the defense. But McCaw's uncanny ability to win in those situations has gotten him the green light from the sideline.
Simon compares McCaw to one of his former pupils at Findlay Prep, a guard who has since developed into one of the NBA's premier perimeter defenders.
"When you have a special talent at something, and I was fortunate when we had Avery Bradley and some other guys that were unique defensive talents, you kind of let them go," Simon said. "You let them do their thing, and know that occasionally they might gamble and lose, but more times than not he's got the ability to gamble and win."
McCaw's proclivity for burglary will only help him when it comes time to make the transition to the NBA.
College steal rate is one of the advanced metrics that translates most directly to the pro level (contributing to the draft status of recent first-round picks like Marcus Smart and Jordan Adams), and McCaw's rate of 4.6 percent compares favorably (Smart and Adams were both at 5.0 percent as sophomores). When combined with his length, athleticism and promising outside shooting, McCaw's game-changing defensive ability will certainly boost his stock.
But that's something to think about after the season. For now, McCaw is focused on being the best defender he can be. And that means challenging opposing ball-handlers and going for steals, and more often then not, coming away with the ball.