2020 NBA draft profile: International prospect Killian Hayes
NBA draft profile: Killian Hayes’ strengths
Killian Hayes’ biggest strength is probably is his playmaking ability and passing. He has a good feel for the game and impressive court vision for his age. Always looking to get his teammates involved, Hayes posted a 38.7 assist percentage on 5.4 assists per game in 33 games with Ratiopharm Ulm.
As the ball handler, he flourishes in the pick and roll game. To call Killian Hayes, a pick and roll maestro would be an understatement. His I.Q is off the charts, and he reads the defense extremely fast, seemingly always knowing when and where to pass the ball.
He uses his height to detect angles and passing lanes that the traditional sized point guard may not be able to see. When the defense keys in on him coming off a screen, he can easily spot a cutter or the open man on the perimeter. If the defender goes under the screen, he is not afraid to pull the trigger off the dribble and make the defense pay.
In the age of “positionless basketball,” Hayes is the ideal size for today’s NBA point guard with his 6’5” 200-pound frame. He’s not the fastest or most athletic guard, but what he lacks in that regard he makes up for with his outstanding I.Q. He has the awareness to know exactly where everyone is on the court.
Hayes knows exactly when he needs to slow the pace or kick it into high gear. He’s also great at switching directions and attacking angles to keep the defender off balance, creating easy shots for himself as well as his teammates. Last season, Hayes scored or assisted on 32.5 percent of the team’s points.
Hayes uses his size to punish smaller guards and a flurry of dribble moves, finesse to get past taller defenders when driving to the basket.
He’s also a solid defender as well. He is aggressive on defense, playing with active hands. When he’s engaged on defense, he is good at using his size to stifle and disrupt ball handlers. Hayes averaged 1.5 steals per game last season.
He does a good job of anticipating plays and reading the passing lanes. Hayes is also a good team defender, understanding where he needs to be on defense and where to rotate on switches.
With his willingness to defend and his court awareness, coupled with his 6’8″ wingspan, Hayes has the tools to be a plus defender in the NBA.
Unlike most NBA draft prospects, Hayes has multiple years of professional basketball experience. Like Luka Doncic (though not at the same level), Hayes started playing professional basketball as a teenager.
While the majority of the players in the NBA draft pool were playing high school or NCAA basketball the past three years, Hayes was honing his craft against grown men playing professional basketball in France and Germany.
He has also experienced some success, winning MVP of the 2017 FIBA U16 European Championship while leading the French national team to a gold medal victory over Montenegro. In the biggest game of his life, Hayes connected on seven of his nine field-goal attempts and went five for six from the charity stripe in a 21 point and eight rebound performance.
His experience playing against older, bigger, and stronger competition, in addition to playing on a big stage, will help his transition to the NBA go much smoother than the average rookie.