As we continue our examination of the most underrated prospects at each position long ahead of the 2018 NBA Draft, we turn our eyes to shooting guard.
The big men may get the majority of the attention in next year’s draft, apart from Luka Doncic and Michael Porter Jr., but don’t sleep on these wings. As we outlined over the past few weeks there are some very strong prospects at shooting guard and small forward. There’s even a few names who aren’t as well known worth keeping tabs on.
This article is devoted to highlighting even more of them. Wings are perhaps the most difficult position to find a plentitude of in today’s NBA. Look at the contracts handed out in the rise of the salary cap, like that to Tim Hardaway Jr.
Even average wings are getting paid. That’s how massive the need is. With many wings in college and abroad, the reality is they have at least one major flaw. One basic archetype is the stout defender who can’t score and/or shoot. The other the inverse, a scoring machine, or a nice shooter, that may not be able to stay on the court.
However, if you examine the field closely, there is some promise. Yes, these players need additional development, as all do, but they provide plenty of intrigue for the draft next year. Here are five under-the-radar shooting guards worth keeping tabs on.
5. Allonzo Trier – Arizona
Allonzo Trier finished his second year at Arizona strong after playing in just 18 games last season. What’s more impressive was how efficient and dominant he was. Even despite playing roughly half of the Wildcats games, Trier averaged 17.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.7 assists and shot the ball very well.
Arizona’s stud wing shot 39 percent from three and 81 percent from the line, both great marks that fall in line with his first-year production. Trier’s shooting is for real. Through 45 college games, a decent sample size, he’s a career 37.6 percent shooter from deep and an 80 percent shooter from the free throw line. Those bode well for a potential future in the NBA.
The key for Trier is how he can impact the game in other ways. Can he handle the ball more? Will he make plays for others? Is he able to defend and consistently show strong effort? These are the questions he has to answer. Trier doesn’t have a great wingspan and turns 22 before the draft. He may not have a great amount of upside, but showing any defensive potential could pave a path to a shot in the NBA.
4. Rawle Alkins – Arizona
From one Wildcat to another, Rawle Alkins almost jumped to the NBA this year. Alkins declared for the draft and attended the combine, but opted to come back to Arizona. Alkins’ return strengthens Arizona as one of the nation’s very best teams and gives him the chance to improve his NBA stock. In one year at Arizona, Alkins was extremely impressive.
His numbers don’t jump off the page, but he was both well-rounded in his contributions and productive. A stout defender, Alkins has good size at around 6-foot-4 with a near 6-foot-9 wingspan. This should see him be able to guard 1-3 depending on the matchups. He can’t guard Paul George, but lesser wings for sure.
Alkins once again finds himself on a deep Arizona team, so his numbers from last season may look fairly similar. As a freshman, he posted 10.9 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.1 assists. Not bad for a freshman on a good team in a very good conference. Like many of his fellow wings and NBA prospects, the key is shooting. Alkins shot 37 percent last year on 119 attempts. His well-rounded game may propel him to a first-round draftee should his shooting and playmaking standout this year.
3. Hamidou Diallo – Kentucky
The one-and-done cycle of college basketball has turned freshmen ball players into young superstars. They dominate draft boards, mock drafts and headlines. While Hamidou Diallo doesn’t have the upside and current talent of classmates like Michael Porter Jr. and Marvin Bagley III, he’s one of the most intriguing NBA prospects from the 2017 high school class. He also may be the toughest player to figure out.
See Diallo in person and he stands out immediately in two ways. First is his size. Diallo is 6-foot-5 and measured with a wingspan over 6-foot-11 at the NBA Combine. Depending on his foot speed against elite burst, he could theoretically guard 1-3 and be a dominant defender. The second thing you notice is his athleticism. Diallo can fly and it translates all over the floor to different parts of his game.
Now, clearly Diallo has some flaws because everything above sounds like an ideal base for an NBA shooting guard. Diallo simply cannot shoot. In 18 games in Draft Express’ database he shot poorly from both the 3-point and free-throw line. Those areas will be key to observe in college this year. However, if Diallo shows a deft finishing touch and elite defensive potential, he may come out after one year. NBA teams will want to see what kind of decision-maker he is, as well.
2. Josh Okogie – Georgia Tech
Josh Okogie might be the most interesting wing prospect in college basketball. He thrived in the competitive ACC last year, showing flashes of shooting and defensive potential. As a freshman, Okogie averaged 16.1 points and 5.4 rebounds per game. Not bad. What was most encouraging about his first year in college was his shooting.
While at a low volume, Okogie shot 38.4 percent on 73 attempts from three, and also shot 74.7 percent from the line. In the current NBA, there are few players that present as liabilities to the same extent as wings who can’t shoot. We’ll have to see how Okogie shoots this year, as he’ll likely be more confident and potentially playing a bigger offensive role.
The shooting numbers are great, but where Okogie can establish himself as an NBA Draft pick is as a defender. He’s built very strong and powerful, while standing 6-foot-4 and boasting a seven-foot wingspan. Those are very good measurements. It’s unclear how legitimate a shooter he is and if he can become a strong passer, but Okogie absolutely has real 3-and-D potential.
1. Kostja Mushidi – Mega Leks
After a flux of college players, the most under-the-radar shooting guard prospect might be Kostja Mushidi. Maybe you’ve heard of his club Mega Leks by now. Their alumni list continues to grow, most noticeably helping produce the Denver Nuggets’ passing extraordinaire Nikola Jokic. Another is the Sixers young wing Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot. Kostja Mushidi may be the next man up.
He had a decent chance to come out for the 2017 NBA Draft, but chose to stay at Mega Leks. Mega Leks is a club devoted to letting young players play and develop, so Mushidi will likely get more experience this year playing in Serbia. Mushidi is only just older than Diallo and comes with a lot of potential upside.
More hoops habit: Our Latest NBA Mock Draft
At 6-foot-5 with a near 7-foot-1 wingspan, he has even better size than the aforementioned Diallo. While he’s not the same degree of an athlete, he’s no slouch either. Mushidi can move his feet well and once he fills out his frame could be a very imposing defender. Though not the whole story, in 12 games in Draft Express’ database, Mushidi scored 10.7 points and shot 37.1 percent from three. His shot will be key to becoming an NBA player and possibly staying in the 2018 draft.