USA TODAY Sports' Derek Bodner identifies his top defensive playmakers available in the 2016 NBA Draft. USA TODAY Sports
While there's tremendous depth at the point guard position in the NBA, elite talent at the shooting guard spot is a little more scarce. There's still impact players at the position, such as James Harden, Klay Thompson, and Jimmy Butler, but finding legitimate, two-way wing players is something virtually every team is looking for, especially in a league that's emphasizing positional versatility, perimeter shooting, and secondary ball handlers more than ever.
Because of that, players who show the potential to develop into impact players at the shooting guard spot are increasingly sought after, and draw significant interest in the NBA draft. Here we rank some of the best talent that should be available in June 23rd's NBA draft.
Jamal Murray, Freshman, Kentucky
The second half of Jamal Murray's season at Kentucky was nothing short of incredible. While Murray struggled out of the gate for John Calipari and the Wildcats, shooting 42% from the field in November and 38.3% in December, he rebounded in a big way after the new year, in part because he was moved off the ball and asked to create less of the team's half court offense.
Murray used screen after screen to free himself from defenders and create open scoring opportunities for himself, which he used to knock down three-point shots at a 41.5% clip after the new year. Perhaps most impressive was the range he showed on his shots, with 201 out of his 277 three-point attempts coming from 24 feet and beyond, according to the shot tracking service Shot Analytics.
There are concerns, mostly centered around his average-at-best athleticism and ability to create his own shot, although some scouts are also worried how well the low release point on his jump shot will translate against NBA-level defenders. Still, Murray's ability to hit from NBA distance, put pressure on the defense off the ball, and how comfortable he is making decisions as a secondary ball handler should make him a virtual lock to be selected in the top 10 in June's draft, and he could go as high as third or fourth overall, depending on how the lottery shakes out.
Buddy Hield, Senior, Oklahoma
Hield's magical run to the Final Four ended in disappointing fashion, as he shot 4-of-12 in a blowout loss to eventual champion Villanova.
Still, that disappointing end didn't take the shine off of a senior season for the Oklahoma guard that was downright dominant at times. Hield's 25 point per game average and 45.7% shooting from three-point range showed his ability as a scorer, and also the gradual improvement over his four year career that gives optimism that Hield isn't done growing, despite the fact that, at 22 years of age, he's relatively old for a draft prospect these days.
Still, for all of Hield's accomplishments, he needs develop as a shot creator, especially for his teammates, to really take his game to the next level as a prospect. Hield assisted on 12.7% of his teammates field goals while he was on the court, and that lack of point guard instinct limits his versatility, which hurts since Hield is slightly undersized for the shooting guard spot at 6-feet-4.
Like Murray, Hield's shooting, which few question whether it will translate, is valued enough that he should get drafted in the top 10 in this draft, but whoever drafts him will likely hope that he's still relatively early in his development cycle.
Timothe Luwawu, Mega Leks, Adriatic League
Luwawu made the jump from France's second division to the Adriatic League look easy, improving his output in virtually every category, finishing with averages of 14.6 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game. The biggest individual improvement was from three-point range, where Luwawu shot 37.2% from deep, a huge improvement over the 28.7% he shot the previous year for Antibes in France's Pro B league.
That three-point shot provides Luwawu with significant three-and-d interest, as somebody who teams could, theoretically, put in the corner, space the floor, make good decisions with the basketball, and defend at a high level.
That defensive ability is, right now, mostly theoretical, a supposition based mostly around Luwawu's 6-foot-7 frame, quick feet, and willingness to defend. The talent and ability is there, but Luwawu is going to have to improve his technique, awareness, consistency, and physical strength to fully reach that potential. If he does, he could turn himself into a valuable role player in the league.
Denzel Valentine, Senior, Michigan State
Like Hield, his fellow senior, Valentine's progression over the years at Michigan State has been nothing short of exceptional, and he's turned himself into one of the best all-around players in the country as a result.
Valentine finished his senior season with averages of 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 7.8 assists per game, shooting 44.4% from three-point range in the process. While Valentine's not likely to generate those kind of offensive numbers at the next level, as his below-average athleticism could limit him as a shot creator, that overall skill level and excellent decision making ability should allow him to easily adapt to a lesser role offensively.
The question will come on the defensive end, where Valentine's athletic shortcomings really come into focus. Valentine will struggle to keep NBA athletes in front of him on the perimeter, and a team will have to account for that. Still, Valentine offers enough on the offensive end to be a contributor in the NBA.
Furkan Korkmaz, Anadolu Efes, Turkish League
Playing in the tough Turkish League at just 18 years of age, Korkmaz was never likely to get the kind of playing time to really stand out. Still, finishing the season averaging just fewer than 12 minutes per game in combined Euroleague and Turkish League play puts decision makers in a tough spot with the young, athletic Korkmaz.
That 6-7 size, athleticism, and three-point shooting – Korkmaz shot just under 45% on the season – is still enough to garner considerable interest among executives, but Korkmaz didn't showcase the kind of all-around game necessary to really grab the attention of decision makers, finishing with averages of just 4.5 points, 1.3 rebounds, and 0.7 assists per game on the season.
With more than 55% of Korkmaz's field goal attempts coming from three-point range, Korkmaz was a little bit too one-dimensional for Efes this past season. Korkmaz may need to use private workouts to convince teams he has more to offer down the line than just spot-up shooting. If he does that, he still has youth, and athleticism, in his favor.
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