Draft Express Has Tyler Ullis Drafted By The Atlanta Hawks

At 5’10, 149 pounds, the first thing that came to mind about the former Kentucky point guard Tyler Ullis was that he needed to gain some weight. But my goodness, it’s hard to knock his game and his potential once he’s drafted to play in the league. Let’s read excerpts of his scouting report below:

"He is very aggressive pushing the ball ahead in the open court, getting his teammates good shots early in the shot-clock, in transition or in early-offense situations. He’s also very effective in the half-court, showing an advanced understanding of operating on the pick and roll, while also being capable of going out and creating good looks in one on one situations as well.  Ulis is an outstanding ball-handler, showing great command of the ball getting low to the ground, while using his quickness and ability to operate at different speeds to keep defenders off balance. He has a variety of moves he can utilize to create space, including crossovers, behind the back dribbles and subtle hesitation moves, as if often looks like he’s playing at a different pace than everyone else on the floor with how calculated and under control he is."

This is true and it was very evident he progressed during his time at Kentucky. He went from a standard platoon player his freshman year (on one of the most talented teams to ever hit the hardwood), to a focal point in the offense; dropping just over 17 points and 7 assists per game. Both of these averages either more than tripled or nearly doubled his points/assists stats from his freshman year. His ability to be a true point guard maybe a huge plus for the Hawks as the rest of the NBA searches continuously for their next Derrick Rose or Russell Westbrook.

"While many floor general types are looking to pass the ball almost exclusively, Ulis finds a nice blend between creating for others and keeping defenses honest by looking for his own offense as well.That starts with his jump-shot, which is a very effective weapon, having made 37% of his 3-pointers in his college career. Ulis is capable of making shots both with his feet set and off the dribble. He has a quick release and good elevation on his pull-ups, showing range out to the 3-point line and doing a nice job finding space to get it off when things break down for his team in the mid-range area."

His shooting from beyond the arc took a dip last season, but that’s because he had the ball in his hands more and was seen as more of a viable weapon. If he’s drafted by the Hawks, Ullis will have to become consistent with his three-ball as that will be a guarantee to get him more minutes on the floor in coach Mike Budenholzers offense.

Lets’s look at the weaknesses:

"There are legitimate question marks about the difficulties Ulis may face seeing the floor and finishing in the NBA, where everyone is that much bigger, longer and more athletic than in college. Ulis will have to continue to find ways to create space without the benefit of elite quickness, using his timing, creativity and smarts, as he won’t be able to simply jump over or explode past defenders.The other question mark around Ulis, as is always the case with players who are severely undersized, is how his defense will translate. In college, he was one of the peskier defenders you’ll find, using his super quick feet and hands to put tremendous pressure on the ball, and generating quite a few turnovers in the process. The fact that he has above average length (6’1 wingspan) relative to his height helps compensate somewhat for his lack of size, but what will really help him out the most is how smart and competitive he is. He’s the type of player who studies opponents’ tendencies and uses them to his advantage, and is not afraid to get mix things up, diving on the floor for loose balls, taking charges and playing with a warrior’s mentality.With that said, there will likely be somewhat of a transition to the NBA level, where most of the point guards will tower over him, especially if asked to play more than a backup role. He struggles to put a body on bigger and more physical guards, and it is easy to shoot over the top of him with his lack of size and average length. Until he proves otherwise, Ulis will be a target for opposing coaching staffs to go after in post-up situations as well."

Two things in the NBA you can never teach; heart and height. Yes, it will be a transition for Ullis because of his size or lack thereof. But, if he has the right mentality he can easily succeed in the pros regardless of his height handicap. Ullis to the Hawks would be a smart and safe draft pick, mainly because the Hawks have an abundance of big men and also because they have a lot of free agent swing-men to target. We will just have to wait and see what the Hawks will do from here. It’s not like they will listen to me or anything.