NBA Draft 2019: 10 most intriguing undrafted free agent prospects
By Sam Jarrett
John Konchar, G, IPFW
Signed a two-way contract with the Memphis Grizzlies
The Memphis Grizzlies absolutely killed the draft, ending up with two top-10 talents in Ja Morant and Brandon Clarke. They also managed to land themselves an incredibly underrated prospect in John Konchar, who has the skill to make an impact at the NBA level.
Konchar was viewed by some as a first-round prospect prior to a relatively poor performance at the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament, which brought up concerns about whether or not he can replicate his Summit League performance at a higher level. Even if he doesn’t get quite to that level – which is a really high bar, as he was quietly one of the better players in the country last season – Konchar can be a solid rotation player.
He has an excellent feel for the game, which is something that can’t simply be developed. Defensively, he struggles on-ball, but he’s very good at reading passing lanes. Konchar is an anticipatory defender who never averaged less than 1.7 steals per game in a season in four years at IPFW and posted a career 3.2% steal rate.
He’s also an outstanding rebounder for his size, as he never averaged below eight rebounds per game in a season despite standing at just 6’5. He grabbed at least two offensive boards per game in all four of his collegiate seasons.
Konchar can do a little bit of everything on offense. His passing improved with every year, and he’s an excellent spot-up shooter who made 193 of his 464 career three-point attempts (41.6%) in college. During his sophomore campaign, he made over 50% of his three-pointers while taking 2.6 outside shots per game.
To put a cherry on top, Konchar is a terrific finisher around the rim. He shot at least 62.7% from inside the arc in three of four college seasons, and he successfully converted 70.2% of his shots at the basket during this past campaign.
For a Memphis team with a very good young foundation, Konchar may be able to carve out a spot in the guard rotation. He was a highly impactful player at the college level, and there’s potential for him to be the same in the NBA.