2019 NBA Draft: Sacramento Kings land hidden gem in Kyle Guy

With the 55th pick in the NBA Draft, the Sacramento Kings wisely selected former University of Virginia standout Kyle Guy.

Kyle Guy enjoyed a successful career at the University of Virginia that reached historic proportion. Among ACC players, he finished 31st all-time for making 248 three-pointers and third all-time for converting 42.61 percent of his three-point attempts. Guy’s outside shooting is the biggest reason for his accolades. He was ACC Tournament MVP in 2018, two-time first-team ACC in 2018 and 2019, and two-time third-team All-American in the same years.

Outside shooting is also the biggest reason why Guy will succeed in the NBA. In college, he constantly had to stutter, cut, and misdirect in order to operate off of different screens like curls and fades or otherwise find open space. He made 58.4% of his field goals off of screens. He has a lot of tactics with which to buy himself the smallest amount of room, which is all he needs with his ability to square himself immediately to the basket and with his lightning-quick release.  

Guy brought his best shooting when his team needed him most. He caught fire in the second half of the Elite Eight against Purdue and made six of 15 three-point attempts in the Final Four, which helped him earn the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player Award. Most dramatically, he scored UVA’s final six points in its last-second victory against Auburn. For a player with a history of anxiety, he seems cool under pressure.

An underrated aspect of Guy’s game is his handle. Guy was always one of the most nation’s ball-secure players based on turnover rate. In his career, he averaged 1.5 turnovers per game. When opponents like NC State and Oregon applied significant ball-pressure, his tight handle proved reliable. His handle allowed him to step back for open shots and to blow by defenders and make tough shots in front of the basket. Guy played bigger than his size, achieving 66.7% efficiency at the rim, only 1.9% lower than former teammate De’Andre Hunter.

He also showed creativity, reading and drawing defenders towards him in order to find an open shooter behind the arc or a roller heading to the basket. As UVA’s designated sharpshooter, Guy wasn’t asked to perform this creative function often. But he was clearly a capable dribbler and passer.

Guy’s handle and creativity will allow him to respond to skeptics’ top criticism: his size. At the Combine, Guy measured at 6’2, 168 pounds. The average NBA shooting guard is three inches taller and 36 pounds heavier. Switching to point guard must be Guy’s best option. Length would no longer be an issue and his weight is an easily fixable one. He’ll certainly hit the weight room in order to prevent opposing guards from backing him down inside.

The other major criticism against Guy is his ability to defend. Besides his physical measurements, skeptics also point to his lack of athleticism. In this respect, he responded at the Combine by finishing third in the Lane Agility Drill, which tests a defender’s ability to keep his opponent in front of him. Still, he showed the ability at Virginia to play within coach Tony Bennett’s complicated scheme that requires a steep learning curve. This level of preparation has made the transition easier for fellow Virginia alums Joe Harris and Malcolm Brogdon to defend in the NBA.

Immediately, Guy will be an option off the bench who can spark an offense by quickly generating buckets. While Guy works on his size, he’ll survive defensively with proper scheming and the intelligence that he developed during his three years at UVA. There is a precedent for players who enter the NBA with Guy’s physical measurements and construct long-term NBA careers.

One example is current San Antonio point guard Patty Mills, who was 6’0 and 175 pounds as a rookie in 2009. This year, he played in every game, averaging 9.9 points with efficient outside and free throw shooting. Coach K provided a second example, by comparing Guy to Sixer star J.J. Redick.