3) Denzel Valentine, Michigan State
As a general rule, older prospects lose brownie points when NBA Draft time rolls around. With the best players bolting for the Association as underclassmen, the older, more seasoned players and four-year guys that remain are left to inflate their numbers against kids just out of high school.
If they had the potential or talent for NBA stardom, they would have left school early too. This becomes evident when they do get to the league and are unable to develop their games in a way that jumps out. In a word, they’ve peaked–think Tyler Hansbrough, who starred at North Carolina and now plays nine minutes per game for the Charlotte Hornets.
Then there’s Jimmer Fredette. No explanation necessary.
Of course, there are outliers to every rule in life. We needn’t look further than our own team for one here; despite lacking elite athleticism and being an older player coming out of Duke, Rodney Hood is proving himself to be a high-level scorer in the NBA. This coming after slipping toward the back-end of the first round last summer.
This year, that guy is Denzel Valentine. Michigan State’s Wooden Award candidate isn’t the most athletic player entering the draft. Moreover, he’ll turn 23 this fall. Still, Valentine is a lengthy, multi-talented wing with the size, smarts, shooting ability and court vision that could be a boon to the Jazz bench.
At six-foot-five and 220 pounds with a wingspan just under seven feet, Valentine could play the two or the three and has the handles and passing ability to initiate the offense. He’s averaging 19.3 points, 7.6 rebounds and 7.3 assists per game for the Spartans this season. He’s also taking nearly eight three-pointers per game and hitting at a 44 percent clip.
Valentine’s ability to see the floor and find opportunities for himself and his teammates are exceptional. He currently ranks second in all of college basketball in assist rate, assisting on over 44 percent of his teams baskets when on the floor.
He could also become a versatile defender for the Jazz. He is a key cog in a Spartan defense that leads the Big Ten in scoring defense (63.4 PPG) and field goal percentage defense (37 percent).
Next: No. 2: Demetrius Jackson