Kansas Basketball: Jayhawks and the 2018 Draft

Jayhawks and the 2018 Draft

Devonte’ Graham

Projection: Mid 2nd Round

Graham was a National Player of the Year nominee. He has nothing more to prove. He also doesn’t have the NBA body that most teams are looking for in their guard play. Graham will get drafted, but we won’t see him till at least the middle of the 2nd round.

He has shown he can distribute the ball with ease, as he was the main guy dishing the ball this season for Kansas. Also, he proved he can hit consistently from NBA range. Those two things, including big game performances solidly puts him on teams radar, just not in the first round.

His field goal percentage being under 40% keeps him from moving into the first round. He lacks a real good inside game as well. He won’t be scoring in the paint at the next level.

From start to finish Graham was the clear leader for Kansas.

• Devonte’ Graham: 17.3 points per game, 4 rebounds and 7.2 assists.

He led the Jayhawks in scoring, assists and steals. Referring to his 2pt% earlier, he was last on the team. His leadership led the Jayhawks deep into the tournament, and more importantly got them  there.

Final Analysis:

There are some Mock Drafts that have Graham getting drafted late in the first round, but practically every Big Board out there has him ranked between the 35th and 45th ranked prospect.

I think the boards have it right, and NBA teams will follow them. There should be more NBA-ready guards still available by the end of the first round, and teams can get Graham at a cheaper price if they wait for the second. If there is a team that wants him, they can get him through a cheap trade to move up and grab him. He should see plenty of game time next NBA season coming off the bench as a role player.