NBA Draft: Point Guard Rankings/Profiles
Point Guard Rankings/Profiles for Top 75 prospects in the 2013 NBA Draft.
Position rank (overall rank)/Name/School/Class
1 (5). Trey Burke, PG, Michigan, So.
Overview: Burke capped off an impressive two-year career at Michigan by winning almost every national player of the year award following his sophomore season. At 6-feet-1 and sporting averages of 18.6 points and 6.7 assists per game, Burke is the consensus top point guard available in this year's draft. Although a bit undersized, Burke makes up for his lack of height with a long wingspan.
Analysis: NBA scouts love how effective he is in the pick-and-roll. Burke is a good decision maker with the ball in his hands and knows the difference between scoring effectively and keeping your teammates involved and just being a gunner. His height and narrow frame are areas of concern, but he is a good athlete who understands how to use change of pace effectively minimizing those concerns. His height should only give him problems when being posted up by bigger guards and trying to finish at the rim against NBA big men.
2 (10). Michael Carter-Williams, PG, Syracuse, So.
Overview: After coming off the bench and playing sparingly as a freshman, Carter-Williams took control of the Syracuse offense his sophomore season and turned himself into a potential lottery pick in the process. At 6-5 Carter-Williams possesses the size and length NBA scouts love in a point and his 11.9 points and 7.3 assists per game in the Big East back up the sentiment that he is a top tier point
Analysis: Carter-Williams' weakness appears to be in his offensive game. He looks to pass first and set up teammates as opposed to looking for his own shot. When pressed to score, Carter-Williams has trouble. What people love about him is his size and open-court vision; he seems to genuinely enjoy getting teammates scoring opportunities and displays an unselfish manner in his game.
3 (13). Dennis Schroeder, PG, New Yorker Phantoms/Braunschweig 1991
Overview: Few people knew who Schroeder was before he showed up at The Nike Hoop Summit and put on a show. Schroeder dazzled scouts and fans with his quickness and willingness to set his teammates up.
Analysis: There isn't much of a sample size to form an opinion on Schroeder, but his performance in Portland got everyone's attention. Showing off a lightning fast first step with an ability to find open teammates and just 19 years old, someone will take a chance on Schroeder in the first round and see if he's the real deal or not.
4 (19). Shane Larkin, PG, Miami, So.
Overview: The 5-11 Larkin finished a successful sophomore season for the ACC champion Hurricanes with a 14.5 points and 4.6 assists per-game average. He was the leader of a Miami team that was looking to make a National Championship run before getting upset by Marquette in the Sweet 16.
Analysis: While small in stature, Larkin is a very good athlete for his size. NBA scouts and coaches like how he handles himself in the pick-and-roll and how he's in control with the ball in his hands. Barring trades, Larkin could very well end up being picked in the mid-first round by a team with a need at the point.
5 (34). Nate Wolters, PG, South Dakota St., Sr.
Overview: Wolters wrapped up a solid four-year career at South Dakota St. with an NCAA Tournament appearance and a 22.3 points and 5.8 assists per-game average. While Wolters' numbers are impressive, there is still debate amongst NBA people about whether his game can carry over to the NBA.
Analysis: Offensively, Wolters was one of the most dangerous guards in college basketball. He's a good shooter who makes tough shots, handles the ball well and makes good decisions. The debate on Wolters isn't if he can play or not, it's if he has the athleticism to keep up with NBA guards. If he can show teams he's not a liability defensively, he should go early in the second round and could be a dark horse to possibly sneak into the late first round.
6 (37). Lorenzo Brown, PG, North Carolina St., Jr.
Overview: Much like his Wolfpack teammate C.J. Leslie, entering last season Brown had high expectations for both his team and himself that didn't pan out. The 6-5 junior wasn't able to build any momentum from his strong sophomore year and ended up posting similar numbers with 12.4 points and 7.2 assists per game.
Analysis: Brown's size and ability to get guys scoring opportunities is what has scouts interested. He has a knack for being able to get to the rim, but he's not a very good shooter and prefers to not look to score. Although Brown does struggle offensively, he possesses qualities found in a pure point guard.
7 (38). Isaiah Canaan, PG, Murray St., Sr.
Overview: The 6-1 Canaan capped off a solid senior campaign with 21.8 points and 4.3 assists per game. Canaan is a shoot-first point guard who has been either the top focal point offensively or a major contributor offensively much of his career at Murray St.
Analysis: A lot of people would call Canaan a shooting guard in a point guard body due to his ability to score and his shot selection. However, while it's a stretch to call him a natural point and he definitely does have a shoot-first mentality, Canaan is able to adequately set teammates up for shots when needed.
8 (40). Peyton Siva, PG, Louisville, Sr.
Overview: Some would argue this is a little too high to rank the 6-foot senior, but the fact that he was a leader and major part of a national championship team counts for something. The knock on Siva was that there was no real improvement from his sophomore to junior years, and while his senior stats of 10 points and 5.7 assists per game are pretty similar, Siva did look like he improved in some areas.
Analysis: Where Siva can really set himself apart from others is in pick-and-roll situations, something Louisville used very effectively in the NCAA Tournament that is a staple in the NBA. Siva was particularly effective in high pick-and-rolls that were far enough away from the basket to give him room to break down the defense and get to the rim or create for others.
9 (41). Myck Kabongo, PG, Texas, So.
Overview: The Longhorn guard finished his sophomore season at a 14.6 points and 5.5 assists per-game clip. Considering Kabongo is very much an unselfish, pass-first type of point guard, his scoring average is that much more impressive.
Analysis: Kabongo plays the point with very good natural instincts and a high basketball I.Q. He looks to get others involved first but is entirely capable of creating offense by breaking down his defender, getting into the paint and/or getting to the line. It's playing the point in its simplest form, but it's a skill that is very much valued at the NBA level. If Kabongo can get into the paint consistently he's going to impress people with his ability to draw contact or find open shooters for good looks.
10 (42). Phil Pressey, PG, Missouri, Jr.
Overview: The 5-11 junior turned in a very solid season for coach Frank Haith. Pressey seemed to take a liking to Haith's more methodical offense rather than the fast pace scheme he was previously asked to run. Pressey posted career highs in both points and assists with 11.9 points and 7.1 assists per game.
Analysis: Under Haith's more controlled tempo, Pressey's assists went up and his turnovers went down - a good combination for any point guard. Pressey seemed particularly comfortable in pick-and-roll situations with an ability to get into the lane and find open shooters. His size will be a concern in the NBA, but Pressey showed a nice bump in decision making and maturity this past season and should get a good look from some teams in the second round.
11 (44). Ray McCallum, PG, Detroit, Sr.
Overview: Playing for his father at Detroit, McCallum followed up an impressive sophomore season with an even better junior season in 2012-13, averaging 18.7 points and 4.5 assists per game. At 6-3 and not overly athletic, McCallum relies on his excellent ball handling skills and ability to score to impress NBA scouts.
Analysis: McCallum doesn't bring anything overly flashy or special to the plate athletically - he just plays hard and does a good job not making mistakes. His shot selection and range has improved every year and there isn't a part of his game that you couldn't call solid. You'd think playing in a small conference might hurt McCallum's stock, but he was a McDonald's All-American coming out of high school and NBA people don't seem to be too concerned with his ability to compete at a high level.
12 (63). Nemanja Nedovic, PG, Lietuvos Rytas 1991 (Lithuania)
Overview: The athletic Nedovic stands 6-4 and 200 pounds. He grew up playing in Belgrade but switched to a Lithuanian team in an attempt to get more exposure.
Analysis: The first thing you notice, and what scouts like about him, is how athletic he is. His vertical is over 40 inches and he has an extremely quick first step. However, he doesn't possess natural point guard instincts and the jury is still out on whether he's a point or a combo guard.
13 (70). Matthew Dellavedova, PG, St. Mary's, Sr.
Overview: Part of the Australian pipeline to St. Mary's, Dellavedova capped an impressive four-year career with 15.8 points and 6.4 assists per game during the 2012-13 season. Dellavedova leaves the Gaels as their all-time leader in scoring, assists and games played, amongst other things. He is also a member of the Australian national team.
Analysis: If you had to use one word to describe Dellavedova it would probably be "gamer." Often appearing over-matched physically, he will quite frequently win the individual battle with his opposing point guard as well as the war on the scoreboard between teams. He's at his best with the ball in hands offensively, playing under control and in a tempo that best suits his style. His lack of athleticism is a concern at the defensive end and he will have trouble keeping NBA guards in front of him, but it won't be because of a lack of effort.
Tyler Jamieson is the Senior NBA Draft Analyst for The Sports Xchange.