NBA Draft 2016: Ranking The Top 10 Point Guards
By Jake Fielder
Deciding on the final slot for my top ten was so tough. There are so many fringe guys who show big potential who could easily become the next big steal of the draft, and differentiating between them was nearly impossible.
Ultimately, I settled on a guy who may not even end up playing point in the pros but shows the ability to possibly be a huge difference maker if developed properly. Isaiah Cousins spent the first half of his career in Norman as an off-ball wing. While decent, his true potential didn’t show until OU coach Lon Kruger decided to let him handle bringing the ball up court while teammate Buddy Hield transformed into the team’s primary scoring option.
Don’t let Buddy Hield’s proficiency trick you, though. Cousins can be every bit as devastating offensively whenever he’s on. He’s absolutely destructive in the pick and roll, showing a surprising amount of savvy in the lane, easily reading whether to attack the rim or kick out to the corners for threes.
As quickly as he picked up the nuances of playing point guard after playing off-ball for the entirety of his college career, I fully expect him to adjust just as quickly to the pro game. Cousins is also a marksman in his own right, shooting a sizzling 43% over the course of his tenure with the Sooners. His ability to play both on- and off-ball with equal comfort will be viewed as incredibly favorable with scouts.
That being said, the fact that Cousins shot the ball extremely well despite his high volume doesn’t mean he’s perfect. When the play broke down, Cousins was incredibly prone to becoming a chucker. All too often (particularly late in the shot clock) Cousins wouldn’t be able to find Hield or any of OU’s other offensive weapons and would lob an ill-advised shot.
He absolutely has to calm down and avoid this at the next level. Also, while his three-point game looks like it will translate well, his mid-range game is among the worst in the class (.413, actually lower than his three-point percentage). Cousins does a lot of things well enough that he’s crawling up toward the first round but he absolutely has to shore up his decision making and mid-range game in order to carve a role with someone.
If he can do that though, he has a great chance to stand out in an already strong point guard class.
Next: No. 9