2018 NBA Draft: Why you should get to know William McDowell-White

For a series of seasons in the NBA, there has been a shortage of backup point guards. William McDowell-White looks to shift the status quo.

The shortage of backup NBA point guards is no secret. There is no shortage of quality point guards, but teams are often left flustered and at a major disadvantage when attempting to give their lead ball-handler a well deserved rest.

Some backup point guards have had a valuable role throughout their careers such as J.J. Barea, Cory Joseph and Patty Mills. Even in the Eastern Conference Playoffs, we have witnessed the emergence of quality backup point guard Terry Rozier (shout out Youngstown, Ohio), along with what a valuable asset and energizer T.J. McConnell has been for the Philadelphia 76ers.

With a few exceptions aside from these five ball-handlers, almost every other backup point guard in the NBA is extremely replaceable. There are four main qualities to look for in a backup point guard: smart decision-making, consistent jump shooting, quality vision and serviceable defense.

In this draft class, a lot of names have been thrown around as possible backup point guard options. Some of these names include Jalen Brunson, Aaron Holiday and Jevon Carter. These players have enjoyed the spotlight for most of their college careers, with the exception of Holiday, who just stepped into the spotlight last season at UCLA. All three are veteran point guards and have mastered the college game.

There’d be nothing wrong with a franchise selecting one of these future backup point guards in the late first to second round. However, teams are overlooking the best potential prospect to fill that role and that is William McDowell-White.

I will be breaking down why I rate McDowell-White so highly, why you should get to know him as a player and why he is a surefire backup point guard in the NBA with the potential to grow into more.