Camden wrote:Solid write-up, Lip. I'm willing to bet a couple beers that Saddiq Bey is off the board by 16, though.
Cam - I wouldn't be surprised if Saddiq is gone before we're on the clock at #16. It's going to be hard for teams to pass on a guy who hit 45% of his threes on decent volume - and that's before you factor in his SF length and defensive chops. But most mocks have him around at #16. I think his lack of athleticism along with his poor steal and block stats will cause a number of teams to question how well his defense and perhaps even his shooting will translate to the next level. I hope so. I'm confident he'll be a really good three-point shooter and good defender in the NBA. 45% from behind the college arc on 5.5 attempts per game is super elite. And unlike Derrick Williams it's not like it was a sophomore fluke. Saddiq hit 37% of his threes as a freshman, which tells you he's a natural from behind the arc. He form looks fine and his length will allow him to get his shot off at the next level.
Another guy the Wolves should consider at #16 is Kira Lewis Jr. I was watching some more video of him earlier today. He's really impressive. I look at four things when evaluating draft prospects: (1) college production in key areas relative to the player's age, (2) physical attributes (length, speed, etc.), (3) skill set for his position; and (4) competitiveness/intensity/motor. He scores high on all four categories in my view.
1. College Production -- Kira put up very good to outstanding numbers across the spectrum, averaging 18.5 points, 5.2 assists, 1.8 steals and 4.8 rebounds. That rebounding stat is excellent for a PG. His 18.5 points were efficient as he hit 46% of his field goal attempts, 36.6% of his threes and 80% of his free throws. He averaged a decent 4.2 free throw attempts.
2. Physical Attributes -- He's listed as 6'3, which is solid length for a PG. But what stands out is his speed. While not vertically explosive, he's really fast with the ball and looks like a player who can get into the paint a lot at the next level. In that sense, he reminds me a bit of Tony Parker.
3. Skill Set -- This is where things get exciting. It's one thing to have blazing speed like Kira appears to have. But it's another thing when you can combine that speed with great ballhandling. Kira has a ball-on-a-string handle, which importantly makes him lightening fast WITH THE BALL. It gets even better, however, when you see that he excels at changing speed and direction. When you're really fast, but also adept at changing speed and direction, you can become an elite penetrating guard in the NBA. He also has excellent body control on his drives and a terrific array of moves and shots in the paint and at the rim. He has the ability to finish with either hand, hitting floaters and nifty reverse layups. He also has a really quick release on his three-point shot.
4. Competitiveness/Motor -- I don't have a good handle on this aspect of his character. But on video he looks like a guy with a high level motor. Averaging 1.8 steals and 4.8 rebounds as a 6'3 PG strongly suggests he has a high level motor.
I don't know if he'll be around at #16 either, but he's worth strong consideration along with Saddiq Bey and Patrick Williams.