NBA Draft 2022: Final Big Board of top 60 overall prospects

25. TyTy Washington – Kentucky – Guard – 6’4, 175 lbs – November 2001 – Freshman

I expect Washington to go higher than this in the actual draft, I just have never been in love with him as a prospect. Having watched a fair amount of his “Grind Session” high school games, the productivity was there, I just struggled to see what he really excelled at. He was a good but not great shooter, not overly athletic or big, and isn’t the most creative ball-handler. For the most part, I thought that held true during the season

He battled injuries later in the season, but when he was healthy, Washington was largely productive. He’s deceptive with the ball, using change of speed well. Washington isn’t the biggest or best playmaker, but he did a good job at pressuring the defense. His lack of athleticism hinders him as a finisher, but he’s got a nice mid-range/floater game to alleviate some of that weakness. Washington did run some point guard when Sahvir Wheeler went down and it’s possible he might be better suited to come in and run offense without messing up.

The optimism with Washington is that Kentucky guards have typically outperformed their draft spot once away from Calipari’s system. I also don’t think this Kentucky team optimized Washington to the fullest with a handful of non-shooters on the floor at once. If Washignton does hit, I will be boosting every Kentucky guard up a few notches in following drafts.

26. Christian Braun – Kansas – Wing – 6’7, 209 lbs – April 2001 – Junior

Took me a while to come around on Braun, but he was an integral part of the Jayhawks championship run, then helped himself at the combine with his measurements, athletic testing, and scrimmage play.

The phrase “impacts winning” does get thrown a lot, but Braun is good at the ancillary things that help a team. Kansas’ more laid-back defensive scheme didn’t allow for huge defensive stats, but Braun is a smart team defender who positions himself well. He is not running offense for your team but Braun is a capable passer when attacking closeouts. What kind of closeouts he generates will be interesting to see. He was a 38% three-point shooter on decent volume but seemed hesitant at times to shoot and his release wasn’t fully smooth.

From watching film, I didn’t think Braun was actually 6’6, so measuring in at 6’7 makes me feel better about him on the wing. The athleticism pops every time I watch. Intelligent, wing-sized good athletes with some shooting are a safe bet to play in the league for a while and that’s what I see with Braun.

27. Trevor Keels – Duke – Guard – 6’5, 223 lbs – August 2003 – Freshman

Keels was getting lottery buzz after a strong start to the year, but that hype fizzled as his play was largely inconsistent throughout the year. He’s a bigger-bodied guard, who could slim his body down to improve his quickness.

When he was on, Keels showed signs of a slashing guard with some pull-up shooting potential. Despite not being a great vertical athlete, Keels used his strength to finish at the rim well (61%) on good volume. The jumper is a fair concern as Keels took some tough ones, but shot just 30% from deep on the season. His mechanics are pretty inconsistent and it’s not like he was making the open ones at a much higher rate. As an off-ball guard, Keels has to shoot to stay in the league.

There’s definitely bust potential here, but Keels was still a productive player on a great team, doesn’t turn 19 until August, and has room to improve his frame and quickness. He’s theoretically a two-position guard defender that can play make a bit and attack defenses off of a primary creator, and even with the downside, I think that warrants a first-round grade.

28. Keon Ellis – Alabama – Wing – 6’5, 167 lbs – January 2000 – Senior

Another player I am higher on than most, Ellis has the makings of a three-and-D wing. He’s got a good elevation on his shot, paired with clean mechanics. His percentages weren’t great, but Ellis showed he can hit shots off the move in different actions. He took 9.7 threes per 100 possessions, so shifting his looks into more open ones should help.

Ellis didn’t measure in particularly big at the combine and is noticeably frail (two things I noticed when seeing him live), so he may be more of a guard defender than wing stopper. But he moves well laterally, has good hands, and should be able to defend across the back courts. It is a concern he was pretty invisible at the combine but I don’t think that setting was enticing to someone of his skill set. There aren’t super high outcomes here, and Ellis is a bit older for a prospect, but there are the tools to a long career as an NBA-caliber wing here.