NBA Draft 2022: Takeaways and notes from G-League Elite Camp

Other key takeaways

Some of the prospects I was higher on coming into the camp struggled a bit. Michigan State’s Gabe Brown averaged under 10 points on sub 50% shooting and 3-9 from three, while looking less athletic than he did in the season. Brown isn’t a bad athlete, moreso the level of play got a bit better. Richmond’s Tyler Burton had a few nice flashes, but ultimately struggled to make a huge impact.

I’m not sure he has the athleticism to be a wing, or the size to be a four right now. VCU’s Vince Williams Jr. shot 40% from the floor, and while he did do some good things defensively, I have concerns about the offense translating. I thought all three prospects could have solidified themselves as second-rounders and definite two-way contract guys, but they all hurt themselves a tad in my opinion.

I thought Northwestern’s Pete Nance was one of the better prospects coming into the combine, and I thought he played well so I was a tad surprised he didn’t get invited up to the NBA Draft Combine. He measured in at 6’11 in shoes and showed off his ball skills with six assists in two games while hitting some threes.

His shot-release is a bit low and he moves a bit upright, but he’s someone I think could make a rotation in the long-term and I’d look to target in the middle to back of the second round.. Despite not getting invited to the NBA Combine, the recent buzz is that Nance will keep his name in the NBA Draft instead of returning to school. This would be a major blow for any program looking for a veteran four-man.

UCLA’s Jules Bernard was incredibly productive in his two camp scrimmages. He doesn’t wow you with physicality or athleticism, but Bernard has a ton of craft and knows how to manufacture points. His non-invite to the NBA Draft Combine should signal how teams feel about him. His stay-or-go draft decision is a key one for UCLA because if he stays, UCLA looks like a consensus top-five team.

Billed as mostly just a shooter, Murray State’s Tevin Brown showed some of his best flashes this week. If he keeps improving those ancillary skills, that combination of size for a guard and shooting might just be enticing enough for a two-way contract.