Atlanta Hawks NBA Draft Scouting Report: Kira Lewis Jr

Scouting Kira Lewis Jr and his potential fit on the Atlanta Hawks.

There are many questions revolving the Atlanta Hawks’ 2020 off-season, with one major one being whether or not they will/should draft a point guard to serve as Trae Young‘s backup.

It’s undoubtedly a guard-heavy class, and there’s a real chance that more than 10 point guards go in the first round alone. One that continues to rise big boards is Kira Lewis Jr, the athletic marvel out of Alabama who is projected to go in the late teens to early-’20s.

Lewis’ Strengths:

Downhill speed on offense

Not since John Wall have we seen a player enter the league with Lewis’ breakneck coast-to-coast speed, although Wall’s athleticism was much more fine-tuned. In my latest mock draft, I mentioned that Lewis was sometimes too fast for his own good in college, which still holds true upon digging deeper into the tape.

It’ll be up to the coaching staff of the team that drafts him to hone in his raw quickness, which can certainly be done. His lightning-fast speed will make him an offensive threat nearly every time he steps on the court. Particularly, even seasoned veterans will find guarding Lewis in transition a threat.

Quickness on D

That speed doesn’t disappear on the other end of the court which makes him a valuable defender as well. Quick hips, feet, and hands make him a tough man to get past on the perimeter. When playing off-ball, he acts as a lurking free safety, frequently bursting out of nowhere to intercept a seemingly routine pass.

Two-handedness

His near-ambidextrous ability to run an offense with either hand looks even stronger next to some fellow point guards like Killian Hayes and Tyrese Haliburton being knocked for their inability to switch hands.

Age

The sophomore brings two years of collegiate experience to the table while still having the youth of a freshman. He turned 19 just two months ago and won’t be 20 until his rookie season is nearly wrapped.

Lewis’ weaknesses:

Elite play-making

Kira Lewis Jr lacks the big assist numbers that someone who had the ball in his hands nearly possession in college should. He played nearly the full game, every game, but averaged just 5.2 assists in his 37.6 minutes played.

Passes can often be floated rather than zipped and he lacks quick-thinking in drive-and-kick opportunities.

Inconsistent handle

Lewis has real ability to embarrass defenders (and take their ankles) with his stop-and-go move, but lacks a deep bag of tricks. He could become frustrated at the next level when he can’t use his raw speed to blow past defenders as much as he did in college.

Size/switchability

Lacking the strength to fight through screens or the size to be a viable defender on switches, Lewis will be a liability in the P&R. Putting on a bit more weight (currently 165 lbs) could help, but at 6-foot-3, he’ll likely always be limited in this regard.

Finishing

As mentioned, Lewis needs to polish his game-changing speed and he frequently struggled to finish after getting to the rim in a blur. The athlete sometimes looked anything but down low, attempting lay-ups nearly standing straight up at times and carelessly chucking the ball at the rim on others.

He may need to slow down a bit to work on his interior shots.

Film Session:

Notes:

• Watch Lewis get abused in the P&R early (0:07) leading to an open shot.
• A do-nothing pass that clogged the lane at 0:21.
• Caught ball-watching at 1:05, leading to an open three.
• Uses speed to evade double-team and reset (2:01)
• 2:44: Drives and uses a side-step and a double-clutch layup to score despite the double-team.
• Attempts a shot with three Cyclones swarming him and two teammates open on the perimeter (3:08)

Notes:

• Solid hesitation to drive past his defender and finish with a soft-touch floater over the help (0:35)
• From 1:05-1:13 stays active despite his teammates going away from him, ends in easy three.
• Showcased that lethal speed with a sneaky backdoor at 1:40
• Made impressive coast-to-coast and-one look easy (2:32)
• Used every inch of his length to score while fighting back opposing center (3:06)

Fit With Atlanta Hawks:

Trae Young also struggled with interior scoring during his time in college but developed an elite floater and overall soft touch just a few months into the league. He could help Lewis find that touch, and Lewis would be an interesting fit behind Young in general.

The Hawks had the fifth-fastest pace of play in the league last season and the Alabama product would turn that up to 11. Even though he may actually be better suited as a two-guard in the league, his small frame would make him a tough play next to Young, especially on D.

A lot of the Atlanta Hawks’ offense revolves around both the pick and roll and pick and pop, with the ball-handler being responsible to find the open hole or man from that. Lewis needs to work on his decision making to make the fit work.

Bottom Line:

Kira Lewis jr has all the tools to be a solid player in the league, even if he does project to more of a role player than a star. Although he has stop-and-pop capability, he’s not a great perimeter scorer and has to get better when it comes to reactive passing.

The speed is certainly intriguing, however, and if he’s able to do a combine or team workouts this summer, he could continue to leap up draft boards.

Should the Atlanta Hawks draft Kira Lewis jr?