BORN: –
LAST TEAM: Hawaii Rainbow Warriors (NCAA)
HEIGHT: 208 cm
WEIGHT: 125 kg
PRO
- Physicality – size
- Finisher
- Rim protector
WEAKNESSES
- Managing fouls
- Shooting range
- Lateral mobility
VIDEO
ACTUAL
POTENTIAL
INTRODUCTION
Tanner Christensen started his collegiate career with the Idaho Vandals. After two seasons as a role-player (17′ and 21′ respectively), he transferred to Utah Tech, where he became the center of the starting five for the next two years. For his final year, he moved to the Rainbow Warriors, where his physicality could ensure a high-impact presence in the Big West Conference.
PHYSICAL
Tanner Christensen has a significant frame and possesses a solid, muscular build that allows him to battle effectively in the paint. He has a strong base and good upper body strength, which helps him hold his ground against larger opponents and secure a strong presence to rebound. He moves well for his size and can cover the court reasonably effectively, although lacking dynamism and mobility. His lack of elite vertical explosiveness and lateral quickness may limit his ability to guard more agile players or play above the rim.
OFFENSIVE PHASE
Tanner Christensen is a strong finisher (62.9% on 6.5 attempts) around the basket, where he utilizes his size and strength to score on post-ups. He has a soft touch around the rim and can convert with both hands but is not always secure with the ball when driving to the basket with physical contact and can be prone to lose possession under the help defense from opposing guards (2.2 turnovers). He sets solid screens but lacks the mobility to be an effective roller. The slowness of his footwork can lead to offensive fouls when he sets the screens. However, on the perimeter, he has shown interesting facilitating abilities in front of the basket (2 assists on average) and is working to create a three-point shot, which is still raw (17.6% on 1.1 attempts; the season before, 33.3% on 0.8 attempts). Currently, his shooting range is limited, and he rarely steps out to shoot mid-range jumpers, making him somewhat predictable in his offensive approach.
DEFENSIVE PHASE
Tanner Christensen provides a strong presence in the paint, where his size and strength allow him to be an effective rim-protector (1.5 blocks per game). He is a solid defender in post-up and static situations where he can position his body to deny opponents an easy lay-up near the basket. However, his limited lateral quickness can make him a liability in defending pick-and-roll situations or when switched onto quicker guards. He sometimes struggles with defensive rotations and can be prone to foul trouble (3.8 per game last season). He does not have great leaping ability and responsiveness, and while he uses good positional sense for rebounding, there is room for improvement (6.8 per game).
IMPROVED AREAS
Tanner Christensen is a physical big man who can guarantee an inside presence as a solid finisher and a good rim protector. In the offensive phase, he can expand his shooting range to become more versatile. The main work will have to be done on his lateral mobility, which makes him a target. The excessive fouls troubles due to his game of energy and commitment are attributed to the difficulty of his footwork. The season with the Rainbow Warriors could allow him to achieve excellent stats and work on the limitations that currently make him a player with potential only for a medium-low level in Europe.