Making The Grade: Lennard Freeman

The importance of staying ready throughout the season cannot be understated and luckily for the Pack Lennard Freeman kept himself in great mental shape as he was thrust into the starting lineup in February. When one analyzes Freeman’s game it is easy to see both his strengths and weaknesses. On the one hand he is an above average defender who uses adequate lateral movement and bulk to frustrate other post players, then offensively he can frustrate any fan with an inexplicable missed layup. The one thing that comes to mind when I think of Freeman is growth, this kid is still young as he is only 19 years old heading into his junior campaign. Here is a breakdown of his sophomore season and what will be an important offseason that will hopefully springboard Freeman into a great last two seasons in the Red and White!

Offense: 

There were glimpses of Lennard having potential offensively as he did display a couple of nice post moves and touch from the block but it was just too far few and in-between. Freeman  hit a couple of 12 to 15 foot jump shots but he just wasn’t consistent enough to warrant any attention from other teams. Take for example the Duke game in the ACC tournament as Coach K was content to let Freeman have free rein as he chose to use a defense that pressured relentlessly on the perimeter while letting Freeman’s man play safety in the paint. The main thing with Freeman is that we do not need him to be a double figure scorer consistently.  We need him to be a threat. If State is going to build upon this season’s success they cannot play four on five on the offensive end next season.

Grade: D+ 

Defense: 

As much as a Freeman was a weak link offensively he was an anchor on the defensive end as he played sound post defense and was versatile enough to guard stretch fours on the perimeter. One thing that I love about Freeman is his willingness to compete on the defensive end and get himself into a stance to move his feet. Lennard was also impressive in the way he talked on defense, he was an excellent communicator as he helped our guards and big men navigate ball screens and switches. Another strength that Freeman gave the Pack was a toughness and the ability to rebound. Although he averaged just over 5 rebounds per game this does not tell the whole story. Many times Freeman prevented his man from getting a rebound that allowed one of his teammates to finish the job. Overall NC State rebounded by committee as Freeman lead the charge for the Pack at 5.6 boards per contest.

Grade: A

Intangibles: 

Freeman is a great example of someone who doesn’t do a lot things that create eye popping statistics but if you ask anyone on the team or coaching staff they will be the first to talk about how integral of a part he is to their success. Every team needs a guy with a blue collar work ethic and that is exactly what NC State gets from Freeman. He is always willing to take on the dirty work, think of him as an offensive lineman in football. Everyone knows that football is a game won at the point of attack on the line of scrimmage and basketball isn’t that different as a team must be able to rebound and keep their opponents off of the offensive glass in order to win. Freeman goes about his work quietly and is low maintenance which adds to the team camaraderie. I honestly don’t think our team finishes as strongly without Gottfried’s decision to thrust Freeman into the starting lineup as he opted to go with a more defensive front court.

Grade: A 

Offseason Checklist: 

The biggest thing Freeman needs to improve is his touch around the rim. He should have to make 250 shots everyday inside the paint with both hands. He also needs to have someone pushing him and giving him contact so he can start to use his 250 pound frame to his advantage. Lennard is blessed with a big thick frame that should allow him to be an efficient finisher underneath! He also possesses above average hops, look back at some of his strong dunks and tip-slams. If Freeman can improve his finishing he should be able to use his face up game to attack the rim and bully his way inside to get some easy lay-ins which will open up the offense for our guards and whoever is flanking him in the post. Lennard can easily turn his D+ grade offensively into a solid B if he uses this offseason to fine tune his craft and learns how to use his size to his advantage.

A good player who he should look at to model his game after is DeJuan Blair. Like Freeman, Blair is an undersized power forward who has learned how to use his big frame and backside to neutralize bigger defenders. Throughout his career DeJuan Blair has exceeded expectations with hard work and being crafty which resulted in a heralded college career at Pittsburgh and he has carved out a niche in the NBA off the bench. Freeman has the potential and ability to be one of the most improved players for the Pack next season if he works efficiently this offseason.