Mar 15, 2012; Louisville, KY, USA; Murray State Racers guard Isaiah Canaan (3) shoots against Colorado State Rams guard Dorian Green (22) during the second half in the second round of the 2012 NCAA men
21 : Utah Jazz select Isaiah Canaan, PG, Murray State
For me, this pick is between 3 guys in Canaan, Tony Mitchell, and Mason Plumlee. All 3 players could be good rotation players, but I think the Jazz glaring need for a young point guard is too hard to pass up here.
Canaan is a fantastic scorer. Personally, I don’t see how Larkin and Schroeder are ranked above him. He has an NBA ready body and is not afraid of contact when he drives to the basket. He has tremendous range on his shot and can shoot it from anywhere on the court. His defense can use a little bit of work though.
2 seasons ago, Murray State finished 31-1 and Canaan was looked at as one of the best point guards in the nation. With the talent around him, he excelled. However, last season, he had lost all the talent around him and was asked to carry the load for the team. He made some mistakes, but all in all he still managed to score and distribute the ball.
Canaan has recieved praise from Chris Paul. That alone should make you like him a little bit. He can be a good player and if the Jazz sign a veteran free agent point guard to start next season, Canaan could learn from him and hopefully help his development.