Cal junior point guard Tyrone Wallace is off to a sensational start this season, averaging 19.4 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 4.5 assists going into Friday night's contest against Eastern Washington, a game which Cal won by the score of 78-67. Because my blog is an NBA blog which features Cal basketball every week, I thought it would be good to synthesize Cal basketball with the NBA and give my thoughts on what Tyrone Wallace's NBA potential is.
When looking at a player's NBA potential there are several things to consider, but I will list a few of the key essentials: #1. You want to consider the player's size for his position. #2. You want to consider the player's skills as they pertain to his position. #3. You want to evaluate the player's defensive abilities. #4. You want to evaluate the player's ability to create his own shot. #5. You want to evaluate the player's overall athletic ability. When looking at these five essentials, I think that Tyrone Wallace has the potential to be a really good NBA player, likely landing in the middle to late first round of the 2015 NBA Draft.
Right out of the gate, Tyrone Wallace has great size for his position: 6'5 and 200 lbs. He's a long lanky kid who can use his length to score in the post over taller defenders. For a shooting guard, he's average size, but for a point guard, he's considered big in the NBA, and that is a huge plus for his draft stock and NBA potential.
When looking at his skills for his position, he's got a lot of great tools to work with if you are an NBA team. He handles the ball really well, gets in the lane to attack the basket, finishes well around the rim, and he has a great IQ. In addition, he rebounds extraordinarily well for a guy of his size and also can facilitate and distribute the ball. His weaknesses are foul shooting and three-point shooting, though his three-point shooting has improved a lot. His free throw percentage hovers around 50% which is abysmal for a point guard. If he wants to succeed as an NBA point guard he will have to shoot better from the foul line, especially since getting into the lane is his major strength.
As for the defensive side of the ball, he's very good, getting 1.4 steals per game. He holds his own defensively against smaller and quicker guards laterally while also bothering them with his length. A player's ability to play defense in the NBA is huge in terms of determining his draft stock and long-term potential. If a player can't defend, that's a huge mark against a player and fortunately for Wallace his defense is a plus in terms of his NBA potential.
As for creating his own shot, Tyrone Wallace is fantastic. He plays well in the pick and roll as well as in isolation, giving him the ability to create his own shot from anywhere on the floor. If he wants to pull up for a three, he can do it; if he wants to slash to the basket for a layup, he can do it. A player with this kind of versatility is a hot commodity in the NBA. Last season, he was much more dependent on slashing to the basket to score, but this year he is getting more comfortable with his three-point shot, which I think is really key to his rising draft stock.
As for athletic ability, he definitely has all the tools of an NBA athlete. He has the size, the quickness, and the leaping ability. When he steps on the floor in college, he is clearly one of the best athletes on the court. He stands out like all NBA prospects do.
Now what does this all mean for his NBA potential as a whole? Long-term, I think he could be a solid starting point guard in the NBA producing 14 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists, and 2 steals per game. Because of that long-term potential, I think he likely lands in the first round of the 2015 NBA Draft. I could see him going as high as #15 in the 2015 NBA Draft if he keeps on improving like he is. NBADraft.net has him going #27 at the moment in their current mock draft for 2015, but if he keeps on improving, there's no reason why he couldn't be a top 15 pick. Especially in a weak draft.
Ironically, there was chatter of him being this high of a pick when he was a freshman, but that talk cooled when it was clear he needed some development. But now, two years later, he is emerging into one of college basketball's brightest stars and a premiere star in the PAC-12. If you hear Tyrone Wallace's name called early on in the 2015 NBA Draft, don't be surprised. He has the tools to be very effective in the NBA.
---Ben Parker: follow me on twitter @nba_lord
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