Jamal Murray goes for a lay-up against the Indiana Hoosiers. (Photo : Getty Images/Jonathan Daniel)
Two months from now, the 2016 NBA draft will be held in Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York and small forwards are poised to be drafted first. Looking at the point guard position, it will be a tight competition between Providence's Kris Dunn and Kentucky's Jamal Murray.
Both floor generals have been impressive during the NCAA 205-2016 season and they are currently projected to be drafted in the top five. Now, it will all depend on the needs of the lottery teams.
Dissecting each prospect's game, Jamal Murray is seen as a combo guard who can both handle the ball and at the same time score in volumes. He showcased this in his stint with Kentucky as he posted 20 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 2.2 apg while shooting 41 percent from downtown.
Based from his statistics, Murray needs to improve his ball distributing and finding the open man. Good thing though, is that Murray may actually be a lot better on this end since sophomore Tyler Ulis took the responsibilities of being Kentucky's facilitator. Also, one of the intangibles scouts should look out for in Murray is his drive to win on a nightly basis.
"I want to be the No. 1 pick," Murray told KSR. "Even with my dad, we'll be walking and I'll say 'I'll beat you to the door' for no reason."
Lastly, Murray will enter the league at only 19 years of age while Kris Dunn will enter the draft as a 22 year-old senior. NBA scouts are particular with this as younger players tend to have more room for improvement.
Not to take away anything from Dunn, he is one of the best college stars this season as he showcased the maturity NBA teams are looking for in a floor leader, Basketball Insiders reported. Also, he is projected to be a match-up nightmare in his position as he stands at 6'4" with 6'9" wingspan, explosive athleticism and above-average accuracy from three-point range.
He managed to post 16.4 points, 6.2 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 2.5 steals for Providence and these numbers just shows that he has the potential to be an all-around PG for any team that drafts him.
Both point guards are currently listed to be drafted from top four to six which is tentatively held by the Phoenix Suns, Minnesota Timberwolves and the New Orleans Pelicans. Here are some highlights from Jamal Murray showcasing his three-point shooting prowess in their victory over Ohio State.
