LaMelo Ball, Tyrese Haliburton and Killian Hayes have generated the most excitement among point guards. But Kira Lewis Jr. has apparently entered the conversation as a potential upside and option for lottery teams.
After training with the Orlando Magic last Thursday, sources tell Bleacher Report that Lewis worked for the New York Knicks, Detroit Pistons and Chicago Bulls this week.
“Lewis has great speed, creates for himself and others and should thrive in today’s game,” one scout told B / R. “He’s still young [turned 19 in April] after two years in college. . It has some ups. “
The pandemic ended Lewis’ most impressive stretch in Alabama, where he averaged 23.2 points and 6.7 assists while hitting 46.3% of three in his last nine games.
Compared to Haliburton, whose biggest flaw is limited blast and athleticism, Lewis’ defining strength is speed in dribbling to break down defenses and attack. Halfway through the pitch, Haliburton converted 23 hoop shots in 21 games. Lewis made 70 in 31 games. And while Haliburton’s clunky pull-up game (35th percentile) raises questions, Lewis ranked 79th percentile on jumpers outside dribbling.
For Hayes, the shooting range (29.4% 3PT) is his obvious weakness. Lewis made 1.8 threes per game with 36.6 percent of shots.
He may have a case for teams who appreciate his ability to generate offense with speed, creativity and shooting. They should just be willing to look beyond its high turnover rate and traffic problems.