With the NBA Draft about a month away, scouts and analysts have a lot more to work with. With all the measurements, drills and interviews out of the way, the mock drafts are in full swing.
Sam Vecenie of The Athletic recently published a mock draft, where he envisioned the Miami Heat selecting Michigan state guard Jase Richardson.
“Richardson is a good bet from a talent perspective. Over his final 15 games, he averaged 16.1 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.7 assists versus only 0.7 turnovers,” Vecenie said. “The reason those games are important is that’s the moment when Richardson entered the starting lineup after a terrific first half of the season. Richardson has great touch as a shooter and scorer but is still developing his lead guard skills.”
The 6-foot-1 Richardson, 19, is the son of 15-year NBA veteran Jason Richardson. He shot 49 percent, including 41 percent from the 3-point line, last season. Richardson helped lead the Spartans to the Elite 8 in the NCAA Tournament, averaging 13 points, four rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.3 steals and four free throw attempts.
“He’s not all that great of a passer, but more than that, he’s not all that great with his right hand at this stage. Most of Michigan State’s actions got the ball into his left hand and put him in advantageous actions,” Vecenie said. “Teams will want to put him through several different situations during his meetings and workouts to learn more about how he can grow and develop over the next few years.”
