I think it's interesting to go over old draft profiles of those players that succeeded beyond their draft rank within our draft range. Profiles are from The Ringer but generally most of the media sources agree on overall strengths/weaknesses.
Jard McCain (16): Good ballhandler, good shooter, poor athlete
Launches jumpers off the dribble with comfort from all ranges, and he can fire when moving from either side or into a stepback. Methodical ball handler who knows how to use pace, angles, and contact to generate space for himself. Talented, selfless passer who runs a composed pick-and-roll. He’s capable of making any pass and does a good job of reading the floor.
Lacks a quick first step, limiting his ability to create a ton of space. Sometimes he’s unable to turn the corner against longer defenders, which keeps him from getting all the way to the basket. Undersized, below-the-rim finisher who will need to rely on creative finishes to score around NBA length.
Jalen Williams (12): Good ball handler, poor athlete, poor defender
Good ball handler who has improved each year in college. Granted he played at a mid-major, but his height, feel, and vision are translatable at any level. He can facilitate pick-and-rolls and handoffs, or just keep the ball moving when he isn’t involved in an action. Does all the things a role player should do, including being a headsy cutter who runs the floor hard in transition.
Unless he has space to launch, he’s a below-the-rim finisher without much burst off the dribble, so his shot creation could be neutralized. He didn’t pop until his junior season even in the WCC, so there is some risk attached. Gets a bit loose with his left hand, leading to sloppy drives to the rim.
Sluggish moving laterally on defense, which doesn’t bode well early in his career unless he gets significantly quicker during pre-draft training or in his team’s strength and conditioning program.
Sengun (16): Good footwork, good passer, undersized, bad defender
He’s a dancer on the low post. He has unbelievable footwork, doesn’t predetermine his moves, and he can finish through tons of contact using either hand from difficult angles. He lives at the free throw line. Excellent passer with the upside to be an offensive hub. He facilitates from the post, the elbows, and even brings the ball up the court. Untapped shooting potential: He shot nearly 80 percent from the line this past year and has good touch around the rim.
He’s a nonshooter right now, but he has potential if he changes his mechanics—he has inconsistent footwork and it looks like his off-hand might be affecting his shot. He’s undersized as a true center so it might be a challenge for him to battle on the post against larger bigs. What is his position defensively? His slow feet and lack of verticality and length hold him back, meaning he’ll need to learn to be a positional defender.
Austin Reaves (undrafted): Good ballhandler/passer, good shooter, poor athlete
Smooth ball handler who has a good first step and can fluidly change direction, snaking through defenders to get where he wants with the ball. He’s not fast, but he’s shaky. Acrobatic and physical finisher around the rim who can use either hand and mixes in soft floaters away from the basket. Strong catch-and-shoot marksman who also hit 86.5 percent of his free throws as a senior, which bodes well for his future as a shooter. Creative playmaker who sees passing windows before they open, and he can deliver the ball using either hand from awkward angles.
Undersized as a wing standing at just 6-foot-4 with a 6-foot-6 wingspan, so he could be limited defending larger wings and forwards. Lacks the lateral quickness to stick with speedy guards. He could develop enough on defense to earn minutes, but lacks upside.
Haliburton (12): Good ballhandler/passer, good shooter, bad shooting form, bad finisher at the rim, bad defender
Always in control; he lacks lightning speed or explosiveness, but he uses subtle gear changes to throw defenders off balance, create room, and then strike. Creative playmaker with extraordinary vision and ambidextrous handles to deliver passes at all angles; he manipulates defenders with his eyes and dribble in the pick-and-roll, and has pinpoint accuracy on passes to rollers and shooters. Good spot-up shooter with deep NBA range, despite his odd form.
Lack of athleticism and burst limits his upside as a primary shot creator. Generally avoids contact at the rim, which forces him to settle for tough layups or low-percentage floaters. Made progress off the dribble as a sophomore, but still didn’t shoot well, and his stiff form raises concern.
Man-to-man defense: He stands in too much of an upright stance and moves laterally on his heels. Also takes poor angles fighting around screens.
There's definitely a pattern. These players dropped because of athleticism concerns but all had excellent ball control and passing IQ. Of course having both athleticism & IQ is ideal but then you're more looking at top 5 or at least top 10 players. If you're trying to find a gem while dumpster diving, it's been a good bet to look at players undervalued for athleticism issues (which all ended up not being a factor in the NBA).
