NBA Draft Profiles: Top 5 Shooting Guards

Mandatory Credit: Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports

This upcoming draft isn’t so deep at the shooting guard position. There’s not much immediate help available but there are a few long term projects that could pay off.

1. Malik Monk

Measurements

Height: 6-3

Weight: 200lb

Wingspan: 6-6

Stats

Points: 21.7

Assists: 2.3

Rebounds: 2.4

Steals: 1.2

Blocks: 0.3

FG percentage: 50.7

3FG percentage: 41.4

So far this season, Malik Monk has shown that he is one of the best scorers in college basketball. Monk’s elite athleticism allows him to finish efficiently inside. His 3-point shot has been better than expected. We knew he’d be a good shooter but definitely not a 40+ percent 3-point shooter. And as a freshman to average over 20 points on arguably the most stacked college team in America is simply amazing;

Kentucky relies on Monk when they need a basket, he’s become their go-to man. He can definitely heat up in no time, scoring 47 points in college is rare, especially against a top team like UNC.

Monk’s height of 6-3 is just not big enough for an NBA 2-guard. Some believe that for Monk to succeed in the NBA, he’ll need to move to point guard, however, Monk has shown very little playmaking ability so far — only averaging 2.3 assists. Will he be trusted to run an NBA offense?

There aren’t many shooting guards at 6-3 or under who have had a great deal of success. Of course there was Allen Iverson, but is Monk really the next Iverson? I don’t think so. The next undersized shooting guards with some success are Monta Ellis, Ben Gordon and former 76er, Lou Williams, all who have been effective NBA players throughout their careers.

Given his size it may be best for Monk to guard point guards at the next level. His defensive effort can sometimes be inconsistent and can loose focus at times. Throughout the season, Monk has shown flashes of being an effective defender but it doesn’t come around too often. He can definitely score, so for him to rise up draft board he’ll have to show that he can defend point guards and shooting guards.

Due to the way the NBA is heading, a position-less league, perhaps Monk size won’t matter too much. With teams having point guards like Giannis Antetokounmpo and Ben Simmons, Monk could help space the floor and guard point guards on defence.

Jan 14, 2017; Louisville, KY, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Grayson Allen (3) smiles as the crowd boos him during the first half against the Louisville Cardinals at KFC Yum! Center. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Rhodes-USA TODAY Sports

2. Grayson Allen

Measurements

Height: 6-4

Weight: 195lb

Wingspan: 6-7

Stats

Points: 15.2

Assists: 4.1

Rebounds: 4.6

Steals: 1.1

Blocks: 0.1

FG percentage: 40

3FG percentage: 33.3

During his sophomore season last year, Grayson Allen broke out, going from averaging a measly 4 points per game to 21 points per game. We all thought that this year Allen would further build on that great season and be in the conversation for a lottery pick, however, Allen has disappointed this year. All of his stats, apart from assists, have decreased, his shooting percentages have taken a big hit, and his super reliable free throw is no longer super reliable.

Despite Duke being stacked this year, Allen was always gonna be their number one option, but as the season progressed, players like Luke Kennard have broken out and somewhat filled the void left by Allen.

This year for Allen has been a year to forget, his third tripping incident saw national attention again. It’s been bad press for Duke and the legendary Coach K. This led to Allen being suspended indefinitely, that only ended up being one game.

After the third tripping incident, Allen seemed to lose control of himself, another concerning factor given that he’s a junior, a player who has had time to adjust and learn. This is not what you want to see from your captain at the time, and his captaincy was ultimately stripped from him after the incident. Allen was very sorry for what he did and instantly regretted it, but why couldn’t he prevent it from happening?

Focusing more on the positives, Allen has already proved that he can knock down the 3-point shot at a decent rate, but like all shooters, they have down years. As we saw in the National Championship game, Duke vs Wisconsin, Allen gave Duke the edge by his never-give-up attitude, hustling for loose ball after loose ball, giving Duke the momentum to ultimately win the game. Also, people always seem to forget that Allen can jump out of the building. A very underrated skill of his, but will definitely be a factor in where he gets drafted.

Mandatory Credit: Erich Schlegel-USA TODAY Sports

3. Kostja Mushidi

Measurements

Height: 6-5

Weight: 210lb

Wingspan: 6-10

Stats

Points: 9.3

Assists: 1.7

Rebounds: 2.4

Steals: 0.6

Blocks: 0.2

FG percentage: 36.9

3FG percentage: 30.6

Kostja Mushidi, from Germany, is one of the premier foreign talents in this draft, he offers a similar skill set to Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot. Mushidi was the MVP of the 2016 Albert Schweitzer Tournament, and Germany won the tournament by beating Serbia in a close affair, with Mushidi scoring 25 points and grabbing 11 rebounds. The German averaged 23.5 points per-36 minutes on the tournament. Then, at the under 18 European Championships, Mushidi averaged an impressive 22 point per 40 minutes. The guard is also a good playmaker, at this tournament he averaged 5.8 assists per-40. On his career, Mushidi is shooting 32 percent from three, he’s definitely more of a volume shooter that can heat up than a deadeye. Sometimes, however, his shot selection is definitely questionable.

The length of Mushidi is also impressive, his 6-10 wingspan will definitely help him defensively. HIs blend of length and athleticism is one of the reasons why he is one of the most sought after foreign players. At both of the aforementioned tournaments, it’s amazing to see how easy it was for Mushidi to get baskets. He seemed to just glide past defenders all the time, and either finishing strong at the rim or using his playmaking skills and kicking out out to a teammate.

Due to this very deep draft class, we may see Mushidi fall into the second round, it would be a shock but definitely a possibility, but that would be one heck of a steal. Mushidi may stay overseas for a year or two to work on his game but I think he provides as much upside as any other two-guard in the draft.

Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports

4. Luke Kennard

Measurements

Height: 6-5

Weight: 180lb

Wingspan: 6-5

Stats

Points: 19.7

Assists: 2.4

Rebounds: 5.5

Steals: 0.9

Blocks: 0.4

FG percentage: 52.9

3FG percentage: 44

Luke Kennard has been one of the biggest risers throughout this college season. He was on nobody’s radar going into the year, and now there’s talk of him going in the first round. His 3-point shot is his calling card, shooting an impressive 44 percent, a 12 percent increase from last year. He has filled the void left behind by star forward, Brandon Ingram, giving Duke a reliable shooter beyond the arc. Also with the incidents and slumping of Grayson Allen, Kennard has really stepped up.

In addition to this, to make it at the next level, Kennard already has a tool that will keep you in the league for a long time. But he still needs to put on weight, 180 pounds is too small for a shooting guard in the NBA. He is also very efficient on two pointers, he is shooting an impressive 59 percent. Kennard can also create his own shots at a decent rate, further showing he is a versatile talent.

An underrated talent of Kennard would be his rebounding. Being on a team with strong rebounders like Amile Jefferson, Harry Giles and Jayson Tatum, it’s impressive to see the skinny shooting guard averaging 5.5 boards a game. Perhaps he could be a contender for breakout player of the year if he continues this production.

Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

5. Terrance Ferguson

Measurements

Height: 6-7

Weight: 186

Wingspan: 6-10

Stats

Points: 5.2

Assists: 0.7

Rebounds: 1.4

Steals: 0.2

Blocks: 0.3

FG percentage: 39.5

3FG percentage: 33.3

Surprisingly, Terrance Ferguson opted to play in Australia despite already committing to play for Sean Miller and the Arizona Wildcats. He chose to play in Australia to fulfil a promise he made to his mother when he was nine, to be able to support her financially. The former 5-star recruit has found playing time hard to come by for the Adelaide 36ers. Only playing 16 minutes a game, Ferguson hasn’t been able to develop consistency in his game.

Furthermore, jumping from high school to professional basketball is a big leap, so it’s understandable that Ferguson hasn’t been getting consistent playing time. Perhaps playing in Australia may better prepare him for the NBA as he is going against seasoned pros on a nightly basis.

Terrance Ferguson is definitely one of the most athletic players in this draft class. He is probably the more flashiest dunker in this draft. Perhaps he could have a similar career to Terrence Ross, an energy guy who come off the bench to shoot threes and shift the momentum through amazing dunks.

Similar to Kennard, Ferguson needs to put on weight to survive in the NBA. He looks to be a project, whoever drafts him will need to be patient with him. It will be another big transition period for Ferguson. Ferguson’s shot selection is also questionable at times, he needs to be more careful and considerate when choosing what shots to take, but that skill will come over time and as he adjusts to professional basketball.