Before the 2022 NBA Draft, many compared Purdue’s Jaden Ivey to Grizzlies superstar Ja Morant, and the comparisons made some sense.
Both brag top tier athleticism and have the powers to explode at the rim. Morant, however, led college basketball in assists before he was selected by Memphis. But on the other hand, my primary concern about Ivey was his willingness as a passer.
Other recent lottery picks his height (or shorter) with a similar collegiate assist rate to Ivey have typically not translated as high-level distributors once playing in the NBA. This isn’t a knock on Ivey so much as it is a feature of his playing style. He has a score-first mentality, which makes him more of a two-guard than a floor general.
