2021 NBA Draft: 5 Most Undervalued Prospects

Tre Mann, G (combo guard), Florida

2020-21 Stats: 16.0 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 3.5 APG, 1.4 SPG, 46% FG, 40% 3PT, 21.1 PER

Age: 20

Height: 6’3.25″

Weight: 177.6 lbs

Wingspan: 6’4″

ESPN Ranking: 22

The Ringer Ranking: 24

My Ranking: 9

Tre Mann is coming off of a sophomore season that saw him go from a 5.3 points per game scorer to a projected first-round pick, after leading the Gators to a second-round appearance in the NCAA Tournament. Even with the immense jump in his draft stock, Mann still seems to be viewed as sort of just a special shooter and nothing more by most. It’s hard to begin though anywhere else but his shooting, when looking at what skills he possesses.

There’s a very valid case to be made that Mann could have the most shooting upside of any prospect in this class, mainly due to the range he has. Four-level scorers have become more of a prominent thing in the NBA over the past decade, but it’s still a trait most players don’t have. Well, Mann has that skill, he can hit shots from outer space off of the dribble and do it on a routine basis.

I’m not saying he’s either player or will be either player, but Mann’s insane range combined with his ability as a pull-up shooter reminds me of both Steph Curry and Trae Young. There’s a gravity he’s going to create for opposing defenses with his shooting that I don’t believe many players can produce.

I think Mann does a lot more offensively than just shoot threes, his overall shot-making and shot creation could also potentially be elite. The concerns about his vertical athleticism are valid, but I guess I buy more into his first-step quickness than most do and the shiftiness of his handling ability.

Mann has a pretty lethal mid-range stepback jumper that only extenuates his three-point game in my opinion, and has a floater that really makes him a handful for opposing defenders. If you try to just commit defensively to take away what he does beyond the arc, Mann still has a plethora of ways to make you pay as a scorer.

He can also weaponize his shooting off of the ball, and overall is a solid off-the-ball scorer. Mann can be effective coming off of curl screens or DHO’s, he doesn’t just need the ball all the time to cause problems for defenses.

Plus he’s a really underrated cutter, Mann has great timing and a real subtlety to how he sets up a defender to get loose off of a cut. He’ll be able to get easy lay-up opportunities off of back cuts constantly in the league I’d imagine.

Outside of the things he can do from a scoring perspective, Mann really is a capable playmaker, especially in the high screen and roll. He ranked 14th in points produced (382) and 11th in assist percentage (21.9%) last season in the SEC, displaying somewhat of what he can do as a passer.

The threat of Mann’s shooting range allows him to manipulate the screen and roll to his advantage, while also possessing the handle to constantly probe the defense to find openings for passing lanes.

Mann will need to continue to add strength and improve defensively to maximize his potential at the next level, but I’ve got full confidence he can do both. I also don’t think he’s some enormous liability as a defender, by no means do I think he’s an All-NBA guy on that end of the floor, but his career 100.5 defensive rating at Florida was solid and I think he can hold his own enough to survive defensively in the league.

Ultimately, I would take Mann in the top ten or even in the lottery and bet on his combination of four-level scoring potential and playmaking.