NBA Comparison: Royal Ivey

Strengths: Mays was a four-year starter for the LSU Tigers, and he made an impact in a variety of different ways while leading the Tigers back to SEC relevance … Mays is a relentless defender and has the size at 6’4 with a 6’7 wingspan to disrupt a lot of NBA guards … Defense is his specialty, but Mays showed a lot of promise in his final season at LSU with regard to his jump shot. He improved to 39% from three-point range and remained steady at 85% from the free-throw line … This dramatic improvement from the perimeter, along with a 49% FG have Mays looking like an NBA ready role player right away … Defensively Mays was a true pest averaging nearly two steals per game in his final two seasons for the Tigers … Plays effectively on both ends of the floor and rebounds well on defense for a guard with five rebounds per game as a senior … Can also run the point and facilitate the offense with over three assists per game while being listed as the shooting guard … Great finisher around the rim with a 55% 2-PT … Moves well enough laterally to stay with quicker guards and has enough size to fight with larger wings … Mays has a ton of experience as a four-year starter … Consistently stayed out of foul trouble despite playing good defense against talented players … He averaged under two fouls per game in every season he played … He took on more on-ball responsibilities in his final season, which led to an increase in turnovers, but it only increased to 2.3 turnovers per game which is far from poor … Unquestioned leader for the Tigers and a great locker room guy who will do everything he is asked; can provide a spark to a team on either side of the ball …

Weaknesses: Mays is experienced but it also makes him one of the older players in the draft at 23 years old … Consistency is a major struggle, especially on the offensive end. You never know what you are going to get from him in terms of offensive production … He improved his outside jumper, but there is still plenty of room for improvement for an older player … Forced turnovers with a bunch of steals, but rarely blocked shots with only 25 in 130 games (0.2 per game) … Rebounded well in college, but never on the offensive glass with only 0.5 per game … More natural shooting guard in college, but he is only 6’4 and will most likely have to play more point guard. This transition to a different position will slow his development when he is already behind as one of the oldest players in his class … Mays is a decent player with the ball on offense and defending on the ball, but he struggles to make an impact off the ball on either end.

Overall: Mays could be a rotational player right away but will be a developmental project while trying to turn him into anything else. His jumper needs refinement, and his defense is not impeccable. His jump shot will need to continue to improve and his quickness and strength on defense will also have to improve to take on the challenge of more talented players at the next level. His ceiling in his early career is a spark plug off the bench, but his work ethic and leadership could make him a tough player to give up on and buy him more time to develop as a player.

Notes: Measured: 6’3.00” barefoot, 6’4.00” in shoes, 8’3.00” standing reach, 204.0 lbs, and 6’6.00” wingspan at the 2020 NBA Combine … Measured 6’3, 182 lbs, with a 6’6 wingspan at the 2014 Nike Elite 100

Derek Bast 12/6/20