Former Alabama guard Kira Lewis spent two seasons with the Crimson Tide and is now set to start his NBA career. With the 2020 draft just days away, mock drafts begin to hone in on teams’ needs, rumors and who they’ve expressed interest in.
The latest mock draft by ESPN’s staff predicts Kira Lewis will be selected No. 18 overall by the Dallas Mavericks.
Jonathan Givony offers an explanation behind the pick,
“A combo guard with impressive speed and plus-shooting indicators, Lewis is capable of playing on or off the ball and also could run the backup point guard minutes when Luka Doncic needs a break,” explains Givony. “Lewis is younger than several freshmen but has two years of high-level experience running a team in the SEC, blossoming into one of the best guards in the country as a sophomore.”
Bleacher Report spoke with Lewis, who is currently in Miami, Florida training for the start of his professional basketball career, and he says that he’s spoken to roughly 25 teams.
Jonathan Wassermann of Bleacher Report has Lewis being drafted No. 10 overall by the Phoenix Suns in his latest mock draft.
“He’d give Phoenix an element of speed and dribble penetration that Ricky Rubio does not, even though Rubio would continue to run the first unit,” writes Wasserman. “In the short term, Lewis could provide a spark off the bench, putting pressure on defenses in transition, turning the corner off ball screens and knocking down jumpers.
He could use a few seasons to fine-tune his decision-making, but he just turned 19 years old in April. Along with his quickness, Lewis’ well-rounded skill set, which includes driving and playmaking ability, shooting versatility and floater touch, points to starting point guard potential.”
Lewis’ career field goal percentage while at Alabama was 44.7% and averaged 79% from the free throw line to average just over 15 points per game.
Roll Tide Wire will keep you updated on Kira Lewis as he makes his way into the NBA.