There are good point guards in draft, but none without flaws
There is no Kyrie Irving in the upcoming NBA draft. There isn’t a John Wall or a Derrick Rose, either.
There may be a couple Isaiah Thomas clones, though.
Irving, Wall and Rose, the last three point guards to go No. 1 overall in the past 10 years – all had good size for their position, didn’t have any glaring flaws entering the draft and all spent just one year in college.
In contrast, NBA executives looking to find their next floor general will have to overcome legitimate questions about each of the top point guard prospects ahead of the June 23rd draft. For instance Providence guard Kris Dunn, a projected top-5 pick, is 22 and underwent two shoulder surgeries in college. The last time a 22-year old was taken in the top-5 was 2010.
“(My first surgery) definitely impacted my career because for the first time it took me off the map,” Dunn said from the draft combine in Chicago where 63 prospects tried to impress dozens of NBA head coaches, scouts and team executives. “Coming out of high school my buzz was kind of high. It brought me from the top to the bottom real quick. I was at a bad space.”
Dunn, after returning to Providence despite recommendations from his coach to pursue the NBA last season, won Big East Player of the Year and conference defensive player of the year each for the second consecutive season. He averaged 16.4 points per game and 6.2 assists per game and led the Friars to their first NCAA tournament win since 1997. And given his rough upbringing, he said staying in school and ensuring he graduated was more important than risking a drop because of his age.
“I’ve seen so much throughout my life, so I think the maturity level (is what separates) me and the other guys,” he said. “There’s no knock on them, they’re just young.”
Despite their age difference entering the league, Dunn said he sees the comparisons between he and Wall, which some in NBA circles have made. Another Western Conference assistant coach cited Dwyane Wade when asked for a possible high-end player comparison. Dunn may wind up being an All-Star, but he has work to do.
After Dunn, there might not be another point guard taken in the top 10. And from there, it’s anyone’s guess who gets selected next. There could be 6-foot-1 junior Demetrius Jackson out of Notre Dame, an excellent athlete whose 43.5-inch maximum vertical leap was second at the combine. Teams in need of a reliable guard who doubles as a pesky defender could turn to Jackson, but he’s neither an elite passer nor playmaker.
It could be Vanderbilt’s Wade Baldwin, who possesses excellent length that projects well on the defensive end, but his ball-handling and passing are still question marks.
Or it could be Kentucky sophomore Tyler Ulis, the second-shortest player in the draft at nearly 5-foot-9 and weighing in at a slight 149 pounds. Asked what distinguished him from the other prospects and Ulis quickly quipped, "I'm shorter."
John Calipari called Ulis the best floor leader he’s ever coached, which includes names like Rose and Wall. But Ulis, who averaged 17.3 points and an SEC-best 7.0 assists per game, has another player he uses as inspiration.
“What Isaiah Thomas is doing in the next level is crazy, it’s unbelievable,” Ulis said. “Nobody thought he would do it. He was the 60th pick in the draft.”
And it seems Boston Celtics coach Brad Stevens already had an affinity for Ulis during his Butler days.
“He actually recruited me," Ulis said. "I love him as a coach. … They could have two midgets in the backcourt if they want, you know.”
It’s an unavoidable topic, a prospect’s measurements. It could mean the difference between being a possible lottery pick, as Ulis might be, or dropping significantly, as another dynamic – albeit tiny – guard can attest.
Not many people knew of Kay Felder, who played three seasons in obscurity at Oakland University in Rochester, Mich. Felder, who’s stocky but still measured at barely above 5-foot-8, readily admitted that he had his coming out party earlier this year when facing national power Michigan State at The Palace of Auburn Hills, home to the Detroit Pistons. The Golden Grizzlies lost 99-93 in overtime, but Felder scored 37 points that included 18 trips to the free throw line.
“It set everything off,” Felder said. “After that game, phone was going off, Twitter, Instagram, all that. That Michigan State game did a lot for me.”
Felder heard from former Spartans star and current NBA All-Star Draymond Green, who reminded him to always stay in “kill mode.” And he heard from Thomas, the Celtics’ sparkplug point guard whose unbelievable ascent has improved the odds for guys like Ulis and Felder.
“He just said being small you have to be special.”