Denzel Valentine

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9.2 percent body fat, 8’6” standing reach, 6’10.75” wingspan

31 games, 33 MPG, 19.2 PPG, 7.8 APG, 7.5 RPG, 1.0 SPG, 46.2 FG%, 44.4 3P%, 85.3 FT%

Valentine is expected to be mid first-round pick.

In a Nov. 17 win over No. 4 Kansas, Valentine came to play in a big way. The senior finished with a game-high 29 points to go with 12 assists and 12 rebounds. He shot 10-for-23 from the field and 6-for-8 from the free-throw line. It was one of two triple-doubles for Valentine on the season.

Valentine had a great senior year and we’ve seen him perform on the big stage for the last four years, even if Michigan State did get eliminated in the first round of this year’s NCAA Tournament. He has a long body and will be able to play shooting guard in the NBA after he was basically MSU’s point guard last season. He’s a great passer and a great playmaker, although we’ll see if that translates to the NBA. What should translate is his shooting ability. Valentine can shoot from deep, pulling up or coming off screens. He also has good size to be a decent rebounder.

The biggest knock on Valentine is that he’s not a very quick or explosive athlete. He’s also 22 years old, so his ceiling isn’t as high as younger prospects. Defensively, he’s going to struggle. He’ll probably need to guard slower guards or small forwards to start out. In other words, he’ll probably have to be hidden defensively. Offensively, again, he’s a great playmaker, but with his lack of athleticism, that might not be the case at the NBA level. 

In a world of one-and-done players, it’s somewhat refreshing to see players like Valentine and Buddy Hield so highly-regarded. Valentine stuffed the stat sheet in his final season at Michigan State, which gives us flashbacks to Draymond Green’s days with Tom Izzo. Green and Valentine aren’t the same player at all, but I think Valentine has all of the tools to be effective in the NBA. He can shoot, which is obviously a hot commodity in today’s NBA. He can’t play any defense, but with the right teammates, he might be able to get away with it. Hopefully with his basketball smarts, he’ll become a solid team defender throughout his career.

His draft stock is tough to measure. Some see him as a lottery pick, while others have him going at the end of the first round.

2016-draft-profile-denzel-valentine

2016 Draft Profile | Denzel Valentine

2016-draft-prospect-gallery-denzel-valentine

2016 Draft Prospect Gallery | Denzel Valentine

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