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Hackett's Draft Prep Part 2: Point Guards

Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

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Continuing our look at draft prospects. Most info from Draftexpress.

Jerian Grant, 16, PG
Cameron Payne, 20, PG
Tyus Jones, 20, PG
Delon Wright, 26, PG
Terry Rozier, 28, PG
George Lucas Alves de Paula, 30, PG

Two tiers here: projected around 20 and the guys maybe you have to reach a bit for.

First the three projected close to our pick:

Jerian Grant, PG, 22 years old, 15th in DX Top 100
Measurements: 6'4", 198 lbs, 6'8" wingspan, no max vert data
Scouting report:
Athleticism: Quick first step, not explosive vertically, not particularly strong.
Offence: Unselfish, good passer, decent shooter, good shot selection, poor finishing inside due to lack of strength. Can hit the three, though not great (34%).
Defence: Poor and inconsistent defender overall, lack of toughness, solid lateral quicks but can't fight through screens or defend in the post very well.

Cameron Payne, PG, 20 years old, 21st in DX Top 100
Measurements: 6'2", 183 lbs, 6'7" wingspan, 36" max vert
Scouting report:
Athleticism: Middling athleticism - average speed, average first step. Can jump but doesn't often. Skinny, lacks strength, but has the frame to fill out.
Offence: Great mix of scoring and passing. Very good passer with both hands. Unselfish, very creative playmaker. Handled very high usage for his team, was still very efficient and managed to be a top assist man as well. Very good shooter, hitting 37% on 6 three point attempts per game. Streaky shooter though, and shies away from contact inside, opting for floaters rather than going all the way to the rim.
Defence: Good defensive tools, quick hands, gets steals on his man and in passing lanes. Inconsistent effort though, defensive focus questionable.
Other: Played in an inferior conference, against inferior competition.

Tyus Jones, PG, 19 years old, 14th in DX Top 100
Measurements: 6'2", 185 lbs, 6'5" wingspan, 33" max vert
Scouting report:
Athleticism: Below average athleticism. Not great speed, first step, jumping, lateral quicks... Lacks the physical tools.
Offence: Very good passer, especially in transition and in the pick and roll, two essential scenarios for the NBA. Almost never turns it over. Great pull up jumper off the PnR, along with his passing makes him very dangerous there. Did well to draw fouls and converts at 90%. If he doesn't get fouled, though, struggles to finish inside the paint. Can hit the three (37%) though doesn't take too many (3 per game). Has a portfolio of clutch plays to his name already.
Defence: Very poor on ball defender, lacks the tools to stop athletic opponents. Also lacks intensity on that end of the floor, tends to float.

Now for the guys who are predicted as a little more of a reach right now.

Delon Wright, PG, 23 years old, 28th in DX Top 100
Measurements: 6'6", 181 lbs, 6'8" wingspan, 31" max vert
Scouting report:
Athleticism: Not particularly quick or explosive, but very strong. Sneaky footwork - very good at changing directions and speeds, making up for his lack of raw athleticism.
Offence: Decent though not great shooter, draws fouls well. Decent passer, uses height well to make plays. Very poor off the dribble shooter, decent on catch and shoot. Can be indecisive and kill his dribble too early, gets stuck taking tough jumpers. Struggles finishing close to the basket as well.
Defence: Very good defender, uses size well. Applies great pressure on the ball, and has great instincts in the passing lanes, generating lots of steals. Can guard either backcourt player, and doesn't gamble, is very aware of when to help and when not to.
Other: Questionable potential, as he's shown very limited improvement in college and is already 23.

Terry Rozier, PG, 21 years old, 49th in DX Top 100
Measurements: 6'2", 190 lbs, 6'8" wingspan, 38" max vert
Scouting report:
Athleticism: Top notch athlete, great speed, great jumper, very strong.
Offence: Tends to be shoot first, tends to miss when he shoots, both inside and out. Not much of a passer either. Gets to the line well and converts alright (80%) for a PG. Almost as many turnovers as assists.
Defence: Solid defender, generates steals, very good rebounder for a guard.
Other: Really dropped off after a great previous year. Lost his shooting touch entirely.

George Lucas Alves de Paula, PG, 18 years old, 29th in DX Top 100
Measurements: 6'6", 197 lbs, 7'0" wingspan, 34" max vert
Scouting report:
Athleticism: Lots of filling out to do, but already strong. Lacks explosiveness, but is not unathletic. Good lateral quicks, good at changing speeds offensively. Has tremendous size and is very quick/fast for his size, which puts him about average for a PG.
Offence: Very creative passer, unselfish. Huge hands let him handle the ball very well, height helps with playmaking. Like to drive and dish, whether it be a kick out or a drop off. Still very raw decision making, turns the ball over a lot, but has shown promise. Solid shooting mechanics that could use some work, still struggles from distance and with overall consistency. Has shown improvement in the combine though.
Defence: Has all the defensive tools, and can wreak havoc, generating steals, playing in passing lanes and even getting a good number of blocks as a PG. Still learning to use strength, tends to get bullied. Can be blown by as well occasionally, as his awareness and anticipation is still a work in progress, as is his help defence.
Other: Lack of experience, even playing limited minutes in Brazil. Very reminiscent of another recent Brazilian draft pick. Probably slightly closer to being able to contribute though.

I know my picks from this group are Cameron Payne and Lucas, due to defensive potential and pass first tendencies, along with youth and potential. Question marks for both (Payne played in an inferior conference, Lucas is practically unknown) but for me that's better than the known deficiencies of the other prospects. Thoughts?