2020 NBA Lottery Redraft, Pick No. 10: Saddiq Bey, Villanova
Most wing players who don’t project at stars bring either the “3” or the “D” to the “3-and-D” table, but few bring both. Saddiq Bey does not have the athleticism or dynamism with the ball to be an on-ball creator, but as a dependent role player he could be the perfect fit to start for a good team down the line.
After an inconsistent start to the season, Bey has come on of late, including a 30-point outburst against the Boston Celtics where he hit all 7 of his 3-point attempts. He chipped in 12 rebounds for possibly the best individual game any rookie has had all year. Defensively he has the foot speed and lateral quickness to stay in front of smaller players, and the core strength to bang with larger wings. The next couple of years will determine if he is simply a role player, or can develop even further.
Team Fit: The Phoenix Suns have high-level options across their starting lineup, so they are most in need of lineup flexibility. Bey offers that, able to slot in alongside Devin Booker and Mikal Bridges on the wing in small groupings, or replace them at the 2 or 3 in larger lineups. Phoenix has offensive creators in Booker, Chris Paul and DeAndre Ayton to allow Bey to operate off-ball.
What’s Changed? At the time, the Suns’ choice of Maryland stretch-big Jalen Smith at 10 overall looked bad; with hindsight, it looks even worse. Smith has been terrible to start his career, while multiple players taken right after him — from Devin Vassell and Tyrese Haliburton to Bey — would have filled a need and were better prospects overall. Phoenix corrects their mistake here and gets a wing to add to their arsenal.