[The following scouting report is part of a series on potential 2023 draft prospects from Sports Business Classroom alumni.]

Chris Livingston
Frame: 6’6″, 220 lbs
Position: Wing
Team: Kentucky
2023 Draft Age: 19
Stats via www.sports-reference.com

Offense

Livingston is a talented slasher who relies on his physicality to bully his opponents to the rim and get attempts off. He has shown flashes of being able to finish through contact with big men. Livingston does a fine job cutting to open spaces on the court to receive open looks. 

But far too often, he relies on his size solely as his means to get to the rim, leading to offensive fouls. His handle is a work in progress as well. He is prone to have the ball poked away from him when driving in traffic or with a defender on the strong side. Livingston shot 64.4 percent on 73 attempts while being assisted on 59.6 percent of those shots, according to www.barttorvik.com.

An area of growth for Livingston is his three-point shooting. His mechanics are relatively slow, and his release is low—meaning his attempts are easier to contest than other players. Combined with a lackluster handle, Livingston struggles to get up open looks as an on-ball shooter from behind the arc. He also opts to take difficult shots, which never bodes well for him. In his freshman season, Livingston shot 30.5 percent on 59 attempts while being assisted on 100 percent of those shots. 

Livingston’s woes as a three-point shooter also translate to his mid-range game. A slow release, poor shot selection, and clunky handle make it nearly impossible for him to get off quality attempts consistently. He’ll need to change his approach to progress at the next level after shooting 26.9 percent on 52 attempts while being assisted on 28.6 percent of these shots. 

He’s also not a strong facilitator, struggling to string out plays, and often needs to catch up on open looks for his teammates. His timing on passes could be more consistent, constantly moving the ball after passing lanes have closed. Livingston averaged 0.7 assists to 0.9 turnovers this season, with a 5.5 assist percentage to a 16.2 turnover percentage. 

 

Defense

Livingston has impressed as an on-ball defender against wings, using his size to absorb contact and bump offensive players off their path without fouling them. He uses his 6’11” wingspan well, frequently keeping his arms wide to bother opposing ball handlers. Livingston recovers well to contest shots when a player gets by him, whether through ball screens or in isolation. He can guard some forwards due to his strength, making it difficult for players to bully him in the post.

Off-ball defense is a little weaker as he’s slow to react to sets and closeouts on shooters, specifically when positioned in the weakside. This speaks to a problem Livingston has in general with creating turnovers. He averaged 0.4 steals and 0.4 blocks per game this season, with most of both coming on the ball.

Looking Ahead

As a former five-star recruit, there is no denying the disappointing season Livingston had as a freshman at Kentucky—his struggles to get off clean looks offensively and lackluster speed plague his outlook at the next level. He possesses some defensive strengths as an on-ball defender, but an overhaul of his offensive skillset is necessary to survive at the next level. 

Livingston projects to be a G-League caliber player with upside as a spot rotation player—with potential for more if he can improve his offensive game.