Alabama basketball’s Kira Lewis has continued to climb the rankings in many recent NBA mock drafts. After deciding to test the NBA waters earlier this year, Lewis announced in late April he was going to stay in the NBA draft, and that seems to have been the best choice.
Lewis is currently ranked 16th out of 50 on Kevin O’Connor’s Big Board, featuring the 2020 NBA draft prospects he considers the real deal.
According to O’Connor, Lewis is a “speedster point guard who pressures the rim and generates shots for himself around the perimeter.” He sees part of Darius Garland, Lou Williams, Ish Smith in Kira Lewis Jr.
But that’s not all.
Here are the key pluses O’Connor sees in Lewis:
- Dynamic shot creator who blends speed, acceleration, and body control with quality crossovers and hesitations to find high-percentage shots.
- Pick-and-roll playmaking habits bode well for his potential. He does a great job getting into the paint and then whipping the ball to perimeter shooters.
- Smooth stroke with bouts of streakiness, but his form, free throw percentage, and shot selection are all positive long-term indicators.
- Agile on-ball defender who moves well laterally and fights through screens; but he needs to get a lot stronger to contain bigger guards.
- Active off-ball defender who does a good job helping, digging, and getting in passing lanes without taking too many risks.
O’Connor does sees some “minuses” such as needing to improve shooting off the dribble, needing to improve at finishing off-balance shots with touch, and improving fundamentals on defense.
But overall, his athleticism, hustle, and off-ball defense sets Lewis apart and has his him in the top 20.
In his two years with the Crimson Tide, Lewis averaged 34.5 minutes, a field goal percentage of 44.7 percent, 1,031 total points, 260 assists and 183 turnovers.
He also averaged 18.5 ppg, 5.2 assists per game, 1.8 steals per game, and made 37% percent of his 3 pointers.
The NBA draft is scheduled to be held on Thursday, June 25, but Roll Tide Wire will keep you updated on if that changed due to the coronavirus.
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