Michigan landed its floor general over the weekend when former Auburn guard Rhodney "Tre" Donaldson announced his transfer to Michigan on Sunday.  

I'm relatively familiar with Donaldson, having scouted him extensively at the HS level and watching multiple games of the Auburn Tigers over the last two seasons. Tre is much different than the typical point guards that have played in Ann Arbor and I think he'll become a fan favorite, in part, because of his propensity for highlight reel plays in the open court. 

SCOUTING (Offense)

Tre's most enticing skill is the ability to hit pull-ups from distance. In a B10 conference that has a plethora of relatively slow-footed bigs that like to play drop coverage, this is a real weapon to counter that approach. 

When you have off-the-dribble (OTD) shotmaking that extends beyond the arc, it puts opposing coaches in real conflict. Show high with your big and risk a numbers disadvantage on the backend or take your chances giving up a triple. 

Donaldson is a tough shotmaker in general, and the pull-up prowess isn't limited to those occasions when opposing guards go under screens/opposing bigs play drop coverage. He routinely hits contested midrange pull-ups as seen below.

Tre decelerates + maintains balance pretty well, and he's able to square up and get real elevation on his jumper. While he's not an elite OTD shooter, Donaldson did check-in at 51st percentile nationally on pull-up jumpers..........but on really high volume at 86th percentile in attempts. Given that volume and what I see on film in terms of body control/balance, the pull-up shooting should translate well in my opinion. 

For me, playmaking for others is the most undervalued facet of Tre's game. He's not necessarily the typical ballscreen shot-creator for teammates that we're accustomed to (in part because of the Auburn offensive structure), but the pass placement/execution is really impressive.

Donaldson routinely fits precision passes in tight-windows. The ball placement isn't where teammates are currently at, but rather where they need to be in order to finish the play. 

And while we don't see a ton of Tre hitting roll-men in PnR, the efficiency in the ballscreen game is absolutely there. Donaldson generated .99ppp in PnR possessions including passes, good for 78th percentile in the country with 89th percentile volume on such possessions. Additionally, the 28.3 assist rate this season also lends credence to the playmaking prowess.

[After THE JUMP: great finisher and above 40% from three? Sign me up.]

One wouldn't assume a 6'0-6'1 guard (I'm fully aware he's listed at 6'3) would be a plus finisher, but that is indeed the case. Tre has all the tools that make a small guard a good finisher. Good lift, the ability to jump off 1 or 2 feet and the body control to absorb contact without losing balance. All of that shines through below.

The numbers back up the film, as Synergy has Donaldson at 1.25pps at the rim, good for 73rd percentile nationally. Per Torvik, he converted 59% of shots at the rim and has only been assisted on 27.8% of those attempts. For context, 6'11 Danny Wolf only shot 57.4% at the rim with 46.6% of those attempts being assisted. In short, Tre is creating a lot of his own looks at the rim and converting at a really high level, particularly for a guard. 

While Donaldson is at this best in an on-ball role, he's elite as an off-ball floorspacer on low volume. Tre has legit NBA range that easily extends out to 27 feet.

The raw numbers are great, as Tre shot 41.2% from three this season. A deeper dive under the hood is even more encouraging. On 42 catch + shoot jumpers this season, Tre put up 1.26pps, and that comes in at 91st percentile. I wouldn't expect him to be quite that good at Michigan because the volume will undoubtedly increase, but Donaldson is going to be a very reliable floorspacer for Dusty May. 

If there is one legitimate knock on Tre, it is the lack of consistent ball-security. He had a 26.3 TO rate this season against top-50 opponent and a head-scratching 28.8 TO rate...........in transition. Dusty May generally fields teams with low TO rates and one has to assume this will be a point of emphasis in order to mitigate that issue. 

SCOUTING (Defense)

This section is going to be relatively brief. There's only so much detail/nuance once can have when discussing the defensive ability of a 6'1 guard. The duties are relatively limited and that will be reflected here.

You may not be aware that Tre was a high-level football player in HS. As a safety prospect, Donaldson reeled-in gridiron offers from multiple SEC programs. That ball-hawking anticipation also shows up on the hardwood and is reflected in the numbers. With a 2.9% steal rate against top-50 opponents, he can be disruptive in passing lanes and with his hands in general.

Based on what I've seen from Dusty May at FAU, the defensive approach at Michigan is probably going to be relatively conservative. So while I don't think Tre is going to rack up steals to the extent he did at Auburn, the ability to do so is there and it will manifest, and likely in highlight-reel fashion as we see above.

As a POA defender, Donaldson is solid. He's probably average in terms of lateral agility and above-average in terms of functional straight-line speed, but more than compensates with superior strength + core balance. Put simply, he can bump opposing ballhandlers off their spots and has enough agility/speed to be an aggressive pest at times. 

PROJECTION

This is likely the most straight-forward projection on the roster. Tre is going to be Michigan's starting point guard and log 30+ minutes per game. As an above-average OTD shotmaker with good playmaking chops, Donaldson is likely going to be a high-usage guy with a lot of on-ball reps. There will be some off-ball minutes as well given the elite C+S ability in tandem with Rubin Jones' ability to be a good on-ball option. 

In terms of point production, I'd anticipate him to be somewhere in the 10-14ppg range. With respect to playmaking, I think a decent portion of that is influenced by the hopeful addition of Vlad Goldin. Tre is at his best with a lob-threat and Vlad is the perfect partner to optimize Donaldson's natural instincts. Assuming Goldin is eventually in the mix, we likely see Tre somewhere in the 5 assist per night range. If Danny Wolf ends up being the primary big, that number may see a decline to 4. 

Much like Rubin Jones, I really like the versatility of this addition. While Donaldson is a really good shot-creator, his floorspacing ability as an off-ball option is superb. Dusty May can interchange Tre/Rubin to optimize lineup configurations based on opponent and the corresponding favorable matchups. 

Defensively, Donaldson is penciled in to check opposing PGs based on size. There is some versatility there to defend SGs, particularly with the B10 lacking perimeter talent, but that would be more of secondary assignment generally speaking. He should be a solid defender that can generate some TOs and get out in transition because of it. I wouldn't expect him to have a real defensive impact to the extent Rubin Jones does, but I don't necessarily think we need it with Jones, Gayle and Voldin serving as the wall of defense.