3 projected lottery picks that the Wizards should avoid in the Draft
By Cem Yolbulan
Keyonte George
Keyonte George is an even more dynamic scorer than Gradey Dick. He is one of the most skilled pure scorers in this draft class. The 6’4 shooting guard had some impressive individual scoring performances as a freshman at Baylor, scoring 20 points or more on 12 separate occasions.
The dude can certainly score. He is not afraid to shoot, he can score off-the-dribble, he has a smooth shooting stroke, and is a threat from anywhere on the court. He is also a good ball handler and a passer for this player type.
Yet, the overall picture of George isn’t as rosy as the description above suggests. Despite scoring 15.3 points per game, he did that on 37.6% field-goal percentage. Neither his 42% accuracy on two-pointers nor 34% on three-point field goals are very impressive.
The main reason for his inefficiency is his inability to create great separation, resulting in him taking tough shots. He doesn’t hold for a better shot, he tends to force a shot even if it’s not a great look. When these shots go in, it looks great for him, but when it doesn’t, it looks really bad. It’s not a surprise that he also had ten games where he scored in double digits. This inconsistency is a problem.
George is still 19 years old, he most certainly will get better. The problem is, even when he improves, he still projects to be a Nick Young-style microwave scorer. Those players, unfortunately, aren’t great value picks as mid-lottery selections.