JNixon-Iggy9’s Countdown to the Draft: 60 Prospects in 30 Days (8&7)

8: Alec Burks, 6’6 193, SG, Colorado, Soph.

After a very productive year as a Fr., one that was highly unexpected to fans in the country there was doubt about Burks as a prospect. Colorado’s old coach Jeff Bzdelick scheme was a gimmicky 4-in-1 out transition scheme that I thought inflated his stats. But after watching him operate in Tad Boyles offense this past year and also passing Sr. scorer Cory Higgins as the teams primary offensive option, it became evident Burks was the real deal and I was underrating him. A late bloomer, Burks has pretty good size on the wing. His height is definitely ideal as is his 6’10 wingspan, and although he’s putting on weight he’s pretty thin and more pounds definitely wouldn’t hurt. Athletically, Burks is definitely more smooth than explosive, but he glides up and down the floor and really is agile. His quickness is solid as are his leaping skills.

Offensively, Burks is a shot creator with potential. Right now he’s a tough cover due to his smoothness and ability to go either direction off the dribble, but he’s not a shooter yet. Burks shoots a flat shot with a kind of low release point and only OK touch. He really lacks range with his shot and isn’t great shooting off the dribble either, although he will make 15-18 foot shots in flashes at times. Definitely will have his screens dived, especially early in his career. His ability to take the next steps as a pro will depend on him becoming a better shooter, as advanced scouting will make it much harder for him to be as good as he could be if he doesn’t get better as a shooter. Slashing is where Burks excels. Has very good ball-handling skills and looks great maneuvering through the D. His body control is exceptional, and he uses his long strides to get to the rim using a little dribbles as possible. Often catches the ball on the 3-point line and it usually takes him 2 dribbles to get to the rim or to pull up for a jumper. Is a good finisher around the rim, especially for someone with his thin frame. Shows an effective floater in the lane, and uses the glass and rim to shield the ball from defenders. Kisses the ball softly off the glass, even through contact, and will get his fair share of and-1’s. Definitely has the ability to get to the foul line quite a bit, and usually doesn’t make mistakes when there (about 80% from the stripe in his career). Is very good in pick and roll offense and is a tough cover in isolation. Fairly unselfish passer and saw some extended time as a PG for Colorado as a Soph. Excellent in transition as he runs the floor beautifully, and usually finishes shots or gets to the foul line when he gets the ball in these situations. Pretty good on the offensive glass.

Burks definitely is very improvable on D. His energy on this end is shaky and doesn’t really do anything with much of a sense of urgency on this end. His lack of strength is most evident on this end, as he struggles to get through screens, deny penetration consistently, and will likely be a post up threat against the more physically gifted NBA guards until he gets stronger. Can get caught ball watching, but occasionally will jump in the passing lanes and get you a steal. Decent  rebounder on the wing.

For his potential to be reached, Burks will have to improve his jump shot. If he doesn’t he seems like the type of player who will start out the season strong but hit the rookie wall as teams scout him and make him more of a jump shooter. He also needs to continue to fill out his frame to deal with the contact he’ll see against NBA bigs. But Burks is a talented shot-creator and he should contribute immediately to whoever selects him.

7: Kemba Walker, 6’1 184, PG/SG, UConn, Jr.

A champion and an EXTREMELY fun player to watch in college,  Kemba Walker took the nation by storm, breaking ankles, taking over games, winning games in the clutch, and just carrying UConn to a title. There is a lot to like about Walker in terms of his intangibles, as he’s an outstanding and charismatic leader who plays with a lot of heart. Physically, Walker is a smaller guard but he did measure taller than expected at 6’1. He’s not very big though, having an only OK frame and being 184 lbs. Athletically Walker is great though. He’s very explosive, quick, fast, and a very good leaper who can hang in the air.

Offensively, Walker’s game is centered on his ability to drive the lane and create offense for himself and others. But as a shooter, Walker is mediocre. He shows solid mechanics and shoots the same way whether he’s pulling up or spotting up, but he doesn’t have great touch and he struggles to make shots with a hand in his face. Has raw NBA range, but he won’t be efficient shooting 3’s from that distance and he might not even take that many shots from that range. As a shooter off the dribble, Walker is better though. He has the ability to pull-up or step back to create room for his shot and he’s shown that he’s a factor from mid-range. He’s not an efficient shooter by any stretch and never has been in his career, but he definitely comes through when his team needed shots in late game situations and has the ability to “make shots” when it matters most. Walker shines as a slasher. His handle and blinding quickness allow him to get wherever he wants on the court. Super hard to contain off the dribble. Has history as a ballet dancer, and it shows in his spectacular footwork and ability to change directions in the blink of an eye. Breaks ankles with his crossovers. Likes to look for his own shot off the dribble, but will thread the needle to teammates for high % looks if the defense collapses on him. Sometimes struggles with weakside D and will get his shot blocked or throw up a wild shot due to his smallish stature, but he’s much better than he used to be understanding it. Is only OK as a finisher, as evidenced by his 47% 2-point FG %. Does get to the foul line well. He’s not a pure playmaker by any stretch. Floor vision is very average for a guy trying to play PG in the NBA. There are concerns about him as a floor general, as UConn throughout his career was a better offense when he played off the ball. Make an Elite 8 as  a Fr. with A.J. Price running the PG spot, won a title with Napier as the PG, but when Walker was the PG? NIT team that was an UTTER disappointment. A bit too wild and not the most steady decision maker when running the PG spot. Has a tendency to look for his own shots in pick and roll situations.

Walkers size will have limits on him defensively. He likely will be a post-up magnet and he’s not quite tall or long enough to effect the vision of passers or the shots of shooters. He will be a pesky on-ball defender and will pressure the ball though, even getting steals due to his quickness and anticipation, but he will certainly be effected by his lack of size.

There might not be a more exciting player in this draft than Kemba Walker. His brilliance as a ball-handler and slasher are amazing, as are his will to win and leadership. Still, Walker will have to answer questions about his lacking PG play, his less than stellar efficiency numbers thoughout his career and he’ll likely be limited in a few ways by his lack of size. He should be able to make an impact as a scorer for a team off the bat, but just how efficient a scorer is the big question that will linger with him for a while. He seems like an offensive spark more than a PG and playmaker for others.