NBA Draft: Five sleepers to consider in the first round
NBA draft sleeper No. 3: Tyler Bey
Tyler Bey is one of the more underrated prospects in this draft. He is a gifted athlete with high basketball I.Q. to go with a 7’1” wingspan that allows him to play bigger than his height suggests.
The 6’7″ forward from Colorado University was named the 2019-2020 Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year for his ability to defend everyone from point guards to centers. He uses his quick hands and superb leaping ability to disrupt defenses resulting in 2.1 steals and 1.6 blocks per 40 minutes.
Bey uses his impressive lateral quickness and agility to cover large amounts of space and disrupt passing lanes and block shots. His foot speed also come in handy when defending against pick and rolls. He can easily switch onto and contain guards and wings alike when helping against a screen.
Source: Colorado’s Tyler Bey set an NBA combine record for forwards with a 43.5 inch max vertical:
— Jonathan Wasserman (@NBADraftWass) October 31, 2020
6’6” without shoes
6’7” with shoes
7’1.25” wingspan
8’9.5” standing reach
37.0” no step vert
43.5” max vert
5.0% body fat
He uses his 43.5″ vertical to block shots and crash the boards. He’s an excellent rebounder for someone who’s only 6’7″ playing amongst trees in college, averaging 12.9 rebounds per 40 minutes in three years at Colorado.
Watching Bey bounce around the court and fly in the air for monster dunks reminds me of the classic Robin Williams movie, “Flubber” from my childhood. This kid has got some serious bounce with a 37-inch standing vert.
Despite only connecting on 18 of 59 (30.5 percent) of his 3-point attempts across three years, it should be noted he made 13 of those in his final season. His career 74.7 free throw percentage coupled with his deft touch around the rim and smooth shooting form are good indicators that he will develop into a solid perimeter shooter.
Bey’s age (he will be 23 years old before his rookie season is complete) has unfairly affected his draft stock as it did many others in years past and will continue to play a major factor in future draft decisions for some odd reason .
He needs to clean up his ball-handling, improve his jump shot, and overall decision-making on offense, but Bey’s foundational skills and defensive acumen make him a good fit for any team.