No sleep ’til draft day! That’s something the Beastie Boys might shout if they cared for the NBA or college basketball. Until then, here is another trio of prospects for the San Antonio Spurs.
Hyunjung Lee
A 6-foot-7 and 210-pound guard out of Davidson is a fun player to watch. He is an absolutely fearless shooter and is a flamethrower as evidenced by his inclusion into the 50-40-90 club last season as a sophomore. He averaged 13.5 points to go with 2.5 assists and four rebounds per game with those shooting splits.
The South Korean native is not only a knockdown shooter when set, but he can create his own shot. He has an effective shot fake that seemingly never fails to get his defender in the air too. He has some Kevin Huerter in him as he can take guys off the dribble and get to the midrange for a jumper and sometimes get all the way to the rim. He will have to get stronger and become a better defender, but shooting does make up for a multitude of sins at the NBA level.
Jabari Walker
Standing 6-foot-9 and weighing in at 215 pounds, Walker is more of a prototypical forward in today’s game. He was a highly efficient player for Colorado, but he also only played 14 minutes a game. So take it with a grain of salt when I tell you he shot 52.6% from the floor and 52.3% from beyond the arc. He still managed to score 7.6 points and grab 4.3 rebounds per game though.
While Walker is an excellent catch-and-shoot guy, he will have to prove that he can become more of a playmaker with the ball in his hands. Without a clear point guard option on this team, Walker may become a bit of a point-forward and if he becomes a facilitator, then his value obviously skyrockets ahead of the draft.
Keegan Murray
The 6-foot-8, 225-pound forward had a solid freshman season averaging 7.2 points and 5.1 rebounds per game at Iowa. While playing as a reserve last season, there were some traits that stuck out as why some people see him as a potential first-rounder in next year’s draft. He has excellent mobility, is a solid shot-blocker (especially in limited minutes), and is able to switch screens.
His biggest swing skill will be his shooting. While he had the green light to shoot threes last season, he did not make a whole lot at a 29.6% clip. However, if he comes back with a smoother and more consistent stroke, Murray is in line for a lot more attention from NBA teams. Especially if he becomes the face of this Iowa team with Luka Garza now in the big leagues.
