NBA Comparison: Tyler Ulis/Shane Larkin

Strengths: Two-way player, possesses NBA valued assets on both ends of the court… Fearless player with ice water running through his veins … Loves the big stage and never backs down from a challenge … Higher basketball IQ than most… Offensively he is a true floor general and proved it during his only two seasons at LSU… Equally as dangerous as a scorer and a passer (15.3ppg, 5.8apg)… Has a unique ability to finish around the rim despite being undersized (5’11, 175lbs)… Uses his body very well and anticipates when to absorb contact effectively… Has ability to go through multiple reads on Pick & Roll … On the other end of the court he was named SEC Defensive Player of the year because of his super-quick hands and impeccable anticipation off the ball … Led SEC in steals (2.9) during this past season …

Weaknesses: The obvious question will be his size (measured at 5’9.5 barefoot – was the shortest player at combine)… He will have to prove that he can continue to be productive offensively against taller and longer players which he will see every night at the next level … Defensively, he looks to continue to be a pest and rack up steals, but players will test him routinely to see if he can defend 1-on-1 … For such a smart, focused and competitive player, made a lot of questionable decisions with games on the line this season … Being undersized for both length and weight, this will be Waters biggest hurdle … While he was a defensive standout in college, his ability to defend at the next level is a question mark due to his small stature …

Outlook: Water’s has a skill set that should set him apart from his opponents… he proved himself to be an effective driver at LSU and able to make correct decisions when he got into the paint… He shot the ball well enough (6/10 v Texas A&M) to garner respect from beyond 3-point line (34% career at LSU)… His feel for the game and proven record will be enough to overlook his size limitations… He has a strong belief in his abilities… NBA teams should be willing to take a chance on him mid-2nd round pick

Brian Cerone 6/13/19