Tilting at windmills since we never use our 2nd round picks, I'm always looking for sleepers late. I think I found one of my guys this year. I like seniors who have slipped through the cracks and used their college career to actually, you know, LEARN their trade. You can find a few in the Portsmouth Invitational Tourney at the end of the year, players who quickly adjust to their roles in the NBA.
Draymond Green, Damian Lillard, David Lee, David West, JJ Redick, Chandler Parsons, George Hill, Wes Matthews. You can get great value from 4 year players who come into the NBA with a mature game and no need to sit the bench for a few years while they try to grow into their roles.
My guy this year is
Jeremy Morgan of Northern Iowa. He's got good stats in the BBIQ measures (defensive boards, ast/to) and shows good improvement profile suggesting he is a grinder willing to learn (improving 3pt%, declining fouls per 40). His game logs show that he plays pretty well in big games against ranked opponents, works hard even when his shot isn't falling, stays active defensively and calls his own number when challenged. (posting numbers in FTs, boards, steals, and blocks even on nights when his FG% is off)
Eye test suggests he's a gamer, not a high flyer or superior ball handler, but knows his angles and teammates. He can hit the high arc of that jumper against defenders of any size. Scrappy and motivated and smart and tough; a low-ego coaches-dream type fighter who runs hard in both directions. His Assist numbers could be better, but that's not his role and his a/to ratio is in the positive and improving yearly.
His 2pt FG% is low as he has become the primary focal point of the offense this year and is adjusting to a freshman PG, but in past years he has shown a high % on the interior and midrange -- in a role more closely aligned to his likely NBA role as a 3&D specialist. Yes we need a back up ball handling 2-guard, more dribble drive threats, but playing next to John, or Saty if he pans out, this kid already would have a role.
A late or undrafted prospect, but the kind I wish we had stockpiled 2nd round picks, to let us take first look at him.
