Elias Valtonen

Tubingen

Position: Forward

Nationality: Finland

#20

Of 1999 Generation

Born: 11.06.1999

Height: 200cm - 6’7’’

PREDRAFT MEASUREMENTS

Evaluating Arizona State commit - Elias Valtonen
Bronisław Wawrzyńczuk
October 13, 2017
As we are slowly approaching the 2017/2018 NCAA season another Top European class of 2018 recruit made his college decision. Elias Valtonen will suit up next year for Arizona State.

His choice was down to Sun Devils and Illinois which he both visited last days. Moreover ASU assistant coach Rashon Burno took a trip to Finland on September to evaluate and recruit Finnish prospects in person.

Valtonen is borderline Mid Major + / High Major – prospect. He is Top 20 caliber player of his generation regarding European market which would easily allow him to be considered Top 100 recruit by USA standards. His stock decreased last months a bit because of minor health problems with his (jumper) knee which limited his presence and impact on the prestigious U18 international events. However it’s past now and medical records are 100% correct.

Young star from HBA Marsky is quite good athlete for European requirements. He posses significant size for position and well proportionate frame. He can get low and attack close out with nice body control. His shot doesn’t work consistently but can be considered the weapon thanks to his notable shot creation ability. He has advanced footwork off the dribble and seems to be skilled enough to translate this ability in highly demanding and physical Pac-12 Conference. He is bucket getter first but has better assisting ability than typical player of this characteristic and can find his teammates on the move. He can play really well with the ball and Arizona State may be the place and the system where he will be able to refine typical guard skillset even more. On the other hand his aggressiveness tends to come and go so he can be unproductive for some stretches especially against physical competition which raises some question about how immediate his transition to college can be. Also he was not equally good on defensive end in the settings we have watched him so far even though he has upside to contribute on this side of the floor as well.

To sum up Elias is a smooth swingman with good feel for the game. He still has a lot of room for improvement and can even ultimately become Euroleague player if Arizona really appears to be right place for his development. Currently he is having hot start to the season and should remain fired up after come back to Finland and decision he has just made.

Full uncovered profile

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Evaluation 1999-2001
Modernet Studio
February 11, 2017

STRENGHTS WEAKNESSESS
  • legit 6-6 with a solid 6-8 wingspan
  • good athlete by european standards. smooth with the ball in his hands and plays at a good pace
  • can play above the rim in space
  • solid frame bucket-getter through and through. Impressive scorer in almost every setting he has played in good shooter
  • confident shooting off the bounce but can also make spot-up three-pointers. Has a very smooth, fairly quick trigger. Could develop into a high-level shooter down the road ability to create space. Uses step-backs to get his shot off. Fadeways also part of his repertoire
  • not super light on his feet but can attack closeouts. Solid awarness, looks for holes in traffic flashy passer. Finds his teammates on the move regularly or kicks the ball to the open shooter in the corner
  • good ball-handler for his size. Uses hesitation moves or crossovers to create seperation right hand-dominant but can finish with his off-hand a bit as well
  • not a great athlete by american standards. More fluid than exploisve
  • can be a bit turnover prone, consistent decision making a work in progress
  • doesn‘t have overwhelming tools defensively. Not super quick or tough. Could play harder at times on the defensive end
  • smooth stroke but results are not there yet. Not very consistent at FIBA tournaments
  • can struggles with contact. Shies away from taking the ball strong to the rim
  • passive when he‘s playing with stronger teammates and against stronger competition. Showed glimpses of exceptional talent at the U17 World Championships and then just looked very average at the U18 European Championships. Not the guy who takes over in camps. Does he lack killer instinct?
OUTLOOK
The Finnish wing has all the tools of an elite european prospect. He‘s a really gifted scorer and a smooth athlete with still quite some room for improvement defensively. Valtonen is considered to take the NCAA route, he‘s already getting offers from high-level schools. It‘s not out of question, that he receives NBA interest in the near future.

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League / TeamGMINPTS2%FG3%FG%FTRDRORTASSTTOBFvFCmEff
Finnish 1st Div 16-17
HBA Marsky		1526:359.043.8%25.0%75.0%5.00.75.72.41.32.50.82.111.1
FIBA U18 2016
Finland		621.77.751.4%11.1%58.3%4.20.34.51.81.52.20.21.38.5

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Evaluating Arizona State commit – Elias Valtonen

As we are slowly approaching the 2017/2018 NCAA season another Top European class of 2018 recruit made his college decision. Elias Valtonen will suit up ...
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