The Auburn Tigers have had two players receive invites to the upcoming NBA Draft Combine in Chicago. One of them is freshman guard Tahaad Pettiford. He is one of 75 players to have been invited despite the rumors he is simply testing the waters.
Pettiford finished his first season with the Tigers, coming off the bench in all but one game. He played in 38 games, starting in just one. He was effectively Auburn’s sixth man the entire season. He finished the season averaging 22.9 minutes, 11.6 points, 2.2 rebounds, and three assists on 42.1 % shooting.
According to Yahoo Sports, the 6-foot-1, 175-pound combo guard has comparisons to NBA players like Mike Conley and Brandon Jennings, both who are former first-round picks. Should he be able to make the correct shot selections, his smaller frame allows him to take shots that the average guard wouldn’t normally take.
On top of that, his confidence allows him to make shots that some NBA players don’t have the confidence to make. It is part of his mentality that allows him to keep calm, even in the most stressful of situations. That is one of his strongest abilities.
However, with strengths, there are also weaknesses. Pettiford is just a freshman testing the waters. In his only year in college, he played an average of 22.9 minutes a game. If he wants to be successful at the next level, he might need to get used to playing a bit more. On top of that, he is undersized for a guard in the NBA. Another year in college would allow him time to get bigger and get more experience, as well as learn from one of the better coaches in head coach Bruce Pearl, Another issue of Pettiford is shot selection. Pearl could help with that.
Pettiford is definitely on the right track, especially after receiving the combine invite. It would be hard to see him go all four years in college. However, another one might help him in the long run.
