Kira Lewis Jr.’s Game Is Tailor-Made For The Modern NBA

While the 2020 NBA draft is considered weak, the class does boast a lot of talent at the point guard position. LaMelo Ball, Killian Hayes, Tyrese Haliburton and Cole Anthony are all viewed as surefire lottery picks, but a few others are knocking on the door. One of them is Alabama’s Kira Lewis Jr.

Lewis was supposed to be a member of his high school’s graduating class in 2019, but he ended up reclassifying and heading to Tuscaloosa a year early. That ended up being an excellent decision in regard to his draft stock, as Lewis played two years of college basketball and is still just as young as most of last season’s freshman.

In heading to college earlier than expected, Lewis was able to display a sense of poise and maturity that is rare for a 17-year-old player. He wasn’t just a role player, either. Lewis started in all 34 of Alabama’s games, averaging 13.5 points per game in 31.6 minutes per game. That’s pretty impressive when factoring in he was playing in the SEC, which was extremely competitive two years ago.

Last season, Lewis improved in head coach Nate Oats’ first year with the program. Oats runs a fast-paced offense, which perfectly suited Lewis’ game. The 6-foot-3 guard averaged 18.5 points and 5.2 assists per game in 37.6 minutes per night. He also chipped in 4.8 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game. It was quite the sophomore campaign, and it was one that put him in the conversation in the middle of the first round.

When looking at Lewis’ tape, the thing that jumps off the screen is his speed. Lewis was one of the fastest point guards in college basketball last season, and he should be one of the quickest in the NBA the second he steps on the floor. Not only can Lewis get up and down the court in a hurry, but he’s also extremely shifty. Staying in front of him is going to be a difficult task for opposing guards, and that will make him a valuable commodity at the next level. Having a point guard that constantly puts pressure on the defense can make things easier for everybody on the floor. Here’s Lewis with an impressive change of direction (Video by Synergy Sports):

Having the ability to contort his body like that is unfair considering how fast he already is. And Lewis is also a solid finisher through contact, especially considering his lack of strength. That means he should immediately be a threat off the bounce at the next level. Here he is getting a tough bucket against an excellent Florida defense:

Lewis is going to have to put on some muscle in the pros if he’s going to end up improving around the basket, but he has a good feel for making improbable shots. It helps that he has an estimated 6-foot-6 wingspan, which makes him play a bit bigger than he really is. He has also shown some comfort in the in-between game, as you’ll see on this floater:

Of course, being able to get to the basket is meaningless in today’s game if you don’t have a jumper. Fortunately, Lewis shot at least 35 percent from three in each of his two college seasons, and he also shot 80.2 percent from the line as a sophomore. In general, Lewis has good technique as a shooter. He also shows a good feel for when he should be looking to get off his own shot. Here’s a nice pull-up three he hit in an upset win against Auburn:

What all of this really means is that Lewis should be a good scorer in the NBA. However, his playmaking leaves a lot to be desired for a point guard. Lewis improved in that respect as a sophomore, but it would still be wise for a team to pair him with a couple of good passers. In many ways, he reminds me of Oklahoma City’s Dennis Schroder, who has benefitted from getting to play with Chris Paul and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander this season.

On the other end of the floor, Lewis is a good point-of-attack defender, and he’s also going to create havoc by getting in the passing lanes. But adding strength is going to be important wen it comes to his defensive versatility, as it’s hard to imagine him guarding anything but opposing point guards in the near future. Lewis must also show some more focus in the pros, as he can be caught napping a bit more than one would like off the ball.

All in all, teams that end up picking late in the lottery can do a lot worse than grabbing what looks like a sure thing as a ball-dominant scorer. Even if Lewis’ passing never improves, his scoring ability could be useful in crucial moments. At the very least, Lewis’ skill set suggests he’ll be a guy that his coach can trust as a huge part of a rotation. But Lewis has a lot of traits that also make him an intriguing option as a long-term starter, which is what I think he’ll end up being.