Strengths
Right-handed… Franklin is a long-armed, lengthy athletic wing, capable of playing the 2 or the 3 at the next level. He is an explosive athlete which even allows him to play bigger than his 6'5" frame. Franklin has dynamic leaping abilities off one or two feet, finishing plays above the rim, or making plays on the defensive side of the floor that few guards can make. It's this explosive athleticism, size and length that allow him to rebound at one of the highest rates in the country for a guard, an ability that certainly makes him valuable at the next level… He has long, quick strides as well, making him dangerous in getting down the floor in a hurry in transition or penetrating through the defense off the bounce where his rangy first step puts the defense on their heels almost immediately… Despite not wowing anyone with his assist totals, Franklin has good court vision and a great offensive awareness, demonstrated by the pass that leads to the pass that leads to the score, or the backcourt cut that has him wide open for a two-handed slam… He has some experience playing in the post, mostly resorting to facing up, but does show quick enough moves from the blocks, like a spin baseline or quick baby hook to the middle of the paint… Franklin utilizes the shot-fake extremely well, especially from further out, where defenses should be sagging off him a bit more. He has the reaction to pull the ball back down and lean into his man to get to the foul line…. Franklin has a great motor and hustle to crash the glass. He can soar above others to grab a rebound and a put-back or corral the rebound and lead a fast-break going the other way. His shot-blocking is impressive for a guard.
Weaknesses
Franklin has a funky release on his jumper, sling-shotting the ball towards the rim, especially when he has time to spot-up. His elbow shoots out, creating an awkward rotation on the ball as it gravitates to the basket; he is around a career 33 percent 3-point shooter, clearly affected by his shooting form. That's the biggest weakness in his game and the one that's holding him back from being a first-round pick at this point in time… Another area of improvement is his ball-handling; while solid, it's not great, which can hold Franklin back from attacking the rim more in the half-court or full-court setting, improving his scoring and passing. At this juncture, he is a high-risk, high-reward player, opting for the flashy play, rather than the simple one, resulting in a dangerously high turnover rate. His go-to move is a hesitation or step-back, which has proven to be less effective against better defenders. Franklin has posted extremely high possession rates in his first two seasons in SDSU based on his ball-control and high rates of possessions ending in a Franklin shot attempt.
