NBA Draft: Profiling the 5 best point guard prospects from the 2020 class

4. Kira Lewis Jr. – Alabama

Of all the point guards in the 2020 NBA Draft, Kira Lewis Jr. has the most potential to be an All-Star of anyone not named LaMelo Ball.

Lewis has good length (6-foot-3 with a +4″ wingspan) and is a Ferrari in the open court, going end to end in the blink of an eye. His speed with the ball isn’t just limited to the open court though, Lewis has the quick-twitch burst to take one dribble and get to the rim before the defense can rotate in halfcourt settings.

He isn’t just a one-trick pony with his speed though. The eye test and numbers show that Lewis is a quality shooter, ranking in the 83rd percentile as a spot-up shooter per Synergy Sports Technology. His shot mechanics are really smooth and his release is quick, making it difficult for defenders to recover after Lewis uses his quickness to create space.

His physical tools make him a nightmare in open-court, fast-paced play, but his current floor game lacks the nuance of a lead guard in the NBA. His reads as a passer are often late and can lead to turnovers (1.43 Ast/Turnover ratio over his two college seasons). That being said, he did show some growth between his freshman and sophomore season so it’s possible that he just needs more reps as a primary ball-handler to iron that out.

His drives to the basket also lack the nuance of an ideal leading guard. He hasn’t shown the ability to change speeds and manipulate defenders at a high level. His speed and athleticism allow him to blow by most guards he sees in college, but when defenders are able to cut off his initial drive he hasn’t yet shown that he can counter that with secondary moves and find a way into the lane.

Lewis is still early in his development as a primary ball-handler but his ability to hit spot-up jumpers and potential to defend either guard spot should allow him to get on the floor early while he continues to learn the game. In fact, it’s very possible that Lewis could end up playing primarily off the ball and we could look back on this draft in a few years and wonder why we ever tried to evaluate him as a primary ball-handler to begin with.