By Nick Brinkerhoff
In what has been a guard’s league for some time now, all the talk surrounding the 2022 NBA Draft’s top three picks are big guys. But Jaden Ivey, the top guard in this year’s draft, could end up being the biggest prize of them all, as the NBA’s next big star.
Background: The Indiana native was a four star recruit out of high school that only received three offers. They were from Butler, Notre Dame, and Purdue. The 6’4” guard that weighs 195 pounds has great size that will translate to as a combo guard in the modern NBA, especially once you factor in the 6’10” wingspan that will wreak havoc in passing lanes. Ivey had great success at Purdue, even helping them become the number one ranked team in the country at one point this season. He averaged 17.3 points, 4.9 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game during his two seasons in West Lafayette.
Strengths: Any conversation about Ivey is going to start with one thing and one thing only. Explosiveness. He is the type of player that people buy tickets to see, as you never know what will happen when the ball is in his hands. He’s a treat to watch in transition, with great finishing ability around the rim, producing highlight reel type plays on a nightly basis. Purdue’s offense was not conducive to successful isolation offensive sets, but Ivey excelled in showing that trait at the college level. He possesses elite body control and acceleration, making it seem like he’s often shot out of a cannon. Throughout his time at Purdue, Ivey also showed his terrific ability to be a shot creator as well as used his athleticism and energy on defense to play a major role.
Weaknesses: As is typically a problem with these athletic guard types, Ivey should work to develop a more consistent shot from three point range. His jumpshot mirrors more of a set-shot than anything else, hardly elevating on most occasions. His release is notably slow and will be an issue at the next level where many of those shots will get blocked. Until he increases his shooting percentages, NBA defenses will dare him to shoot, which may take away some of his creativity on offense. Ivey only shot 21.6% in Big Ten play this season, down from 45.2% in non-conference play. Regardless, he shot 36.1% from three for the season, a vast improvement from the 25.8% in his freshman year.
Prediction: To me, speed and athleticism are everything in today’s NBA and Ivey has that can’t teach ability. Especially in a guard’s league, I’m taking a chance on the guy that needs to improve his shot making ability, but can do everything else. If it wasn’t for the fact that everyone crowned Jabari Smith, Chet Holmgren, and Paolo Banchero as the top three players in this draft a long time ago, I believe many more people would be arguing the reasons as to why Ivey deserves the top selection honors. He is easily my personal favorite player to watch in this class and should be a very good player in the NBA for a long time. Whatever team drafts him will end up very happy with their decision. It may sound crazy now, but Ivey’s athleticism combined with a weaker outside shot reminds me a lot of Ja Morant, a guy no one felt should be considered at number one over Zion Williamson. Ivey feels like a lock to go at number four overall and the odds indicate that, being listed at -250 on FanDuel. While the Kings could draft him and end up with a De’Aaron Fox clone, it seems more likely that someone will trade up first and snag this potential future NBA All-Star.