NBA Draft Board: Purdue’s Jaden Ivey
In the 2022 NBA Draft, the Oklahoma City Thunder own two selections in the lottery. One of the prospects who could fall in that range is Jaden Ivey who most recently played at Purdue.
Profile:
At this point, Ivey projects to be the best guard in this entire draft class. With rare explosion and experience under his belt after two college seasons, the 20-year-old should be an instant offensive spark to whoever selects him.
Strengths:
There’s no reason Ivey shouldn’t average at least 20 points per game early in his career. He’s lightning quick, blowing by his defenders effortlessly and finishing strong at the rim. He’s also developed as a 3-point shooter, knocking down 35.8% of his attempts last season.
Combine the shooting with the ability to get to the paint and his elite transition game and you can see why Ivey will be the top guard taken in next week’s draft. Simply put, Ivey is a walking highlight reel that should produce early in his NBA career.
Weaknesses:
While he’s a pesky defender that loves to steal the ball and run in transition, Ivey needs to be more consistent overall on that end of the floor. He’s got the tools to be a solid defensive prospect, but hasn’t proven to be that just yet.
For Ivey to really become the superstar he has the ability to become, he’ll need to learn to make his teammates better. He tends to be most productive with the ball in his hands, and to this point hasn’t proven to be an elite passer.
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