NBA Comparison: Kobi Simmons

Strengths: Lee was a prolific scorer at Vanderbilt, especially when fellow star Aaron Nesmith went down with an injury last season. Lee took over the Commodores offense with an average of 18.6 points per game as a junior … He is an explosive player who gets to the rim at will and finishes well when he gets there. His slashing ability and playmaking are his greatest strengths as he tries to improve his perimeter shooting game … Lee averaged over four assists per game in his final season and got to the line over six times per game in his final two seasons. He improved from 67% to 75% in these attempts from the line in his final season … He is a fierce defender who averaged at least a steal per game in all three seasons at Vanderbilt. His 6’9 wingspan at only 6’2 is very enticing and combined with his speed and quickness, he looks to be a nightmare to guard on the ball and to go up against as the on-ball defender … Lee shot 55% on two-point shots as a junior showing how great he is around the rim, especially with his massive volume with 13 shots per game … Great ball-handling and quick twitches also make Lee formidable in isolations … Lee is one of the more interesting players in his class because of his long wingspan and great explosiveness. His mix of size and speed will make him a rookie to watch with such a high ceiling.

Weaknesses: While Lee has great measurements and athleticism, his jump shot is just as unusual as his long wingspan on a small body. He shot only 33% in his three-year career and his shooting form is very unorthodox. He will certainly be a project and will have to rely on his slashing ability to make up for a lack of a jump shot early on in his career … Lee handled the ball a lot in his final season, but three turnovers per game is also hard to look past. He will have to take better care of the ball at the next level in order to get meaningful minutes … Off-ball defending became an issue a little too often and will have to improve rather quickly in his career … Lee has the quickness, but strength will be a major question mark. He will need to be able to fight through harder screens and go up with taller, stronger defenders on these drives that he was so effective with in college. He could get pushed around much more than he was at Vandy with a short off-season and less time to bulk up with a true, professional workout regimen.

Overall: Lee went with the 38th pick in the NBA Draft to the Detroit Pistons and he will join a now crowded backcourt. With experienced guards such as Derrick Rose and Delon Wright headlining the backcourt, and a lottery pick in Killian Hayes also being selected, Lee will have to fight for his minutes and will have to make palpable impacts in these limited minutes. His lack of a perimeter jumper will make this increasingly difficult and stunt his growth as a player. His physical traits give him a lot of potential, but three-pointers are growing in importance each year, and if he fails to develop an outside game, he could fall even lower on the pecking order during his rookie contract

Notes: Drafted 38th in the NBA Draft by the Detroit Pistons … Father is former NFL and Florida State running back Amp Lee …

Derek Bast 11/30/20