Draft Profile: Tyler Ennis

With the NBA Draft Lottery behind us, we shift our focus directly to the June 26th NBA Draft. Over the next month we’ll look at some of the top prospects in the draft, along with players that the Magic either reportedly worked out, or interviewed at the NBA Draft Combine. Syracuse point guard Tyler Ennis is next.

After one strong season at Syracuse, Tyler Ennis is on his way to the NBA. Arguably the third best point guard in this class, Ennis stepped into the starting point guard role vacated by Michael Carter-Williams and thrived. Ennis spearheaded the Orange’s charge to a 28-6 record, and was rewarded with Second Team All-ACC and All-Rookie team honors.

Points

Assist %

Turnover %

Usage %

TS%

2013-14

12.9

32.3

11.9

21.9

51.1

Overall, Ennis enjoyed an efficient year at Syracuse. He was able to run the offense well, and take care of the ball while doing so. While not much of a scorer, Ennis did show the ability to get big buckets for his team, but will need to work on his efficiency at the next level.

Measurables

Height w/shoes

Weight

Wingspan

Standing Reach

Max Vert

6’ 2.5”

182

6’ 7.25”

8’ 2”

36.0

Strengths

Running an offense

One of the most “pure” point guards in the draft, Ennis thrived while running the Orange’s offense. Ennis led the NCAA in Pure Point Rating this season, finishing with a rate that was 50 percent higher than the next point guard. He plays at his own pace and does so with great poise and control. Ennis is an extremely gifted passer both in the half-court and the open court. He’s tremendous in the pick and roll and has great entry passing skills as well.

Shooting Upside

While not a prolific scorer at Syracuse, Ennis showed signs of being a more than capable shooter at the next level. Despite shooting a lackluster 35.3 percent from three, Ennis has the ability to become a better shooter. He has solid mechanics, and proved he could be a spot up shooter, along with a shooter off the dribble. Ennis also displayed great touch as a shooter, despite his less than stellar percentages.

Weakness

Athleticism

While he’s got decent size for a point guard, Ennis has other questions surrounding him athletically. He’s not overly quick and has just an average first step, which could cause him issues against bigger, stronger and faster defenders at the next level. Ennis also has a tendency to try to use his off arm to create space, which also might not work against bigger defenders in the NBA. His lack of speed and explosiveness also shows in the half-court as Ennis struggled finishing in the lane and around the rim. He converted just 42 percent of his layups and floaters, per DraftExpress.

Defense

Despite averaging 2.3 steals per-40 minutes, Ennis has a few questions on the defensive end. Syracuse predominantly ran a 2-3 zone, which is an extremely uncommon thing to see NBA team’s do. He’s not the quickest player laterally, and prior to his year at Syracuse didn’t show the best of man-to-man guarding skills. Taking a full year off of that to run the 2-3 zone could hurt Ennis early in his career, but he appears as a player who has the drive to continue to improve, so it’s undoubtedly something that could improve as time wears on.

Conclusion

Ennis is one of the more interesting point guard prospects in this draft. While arguably the most “pure” out of the point guard group, Ennis’ question marks scoring the ball and defensively loom large. He’s got the game to come in and be a floor leader, but with the landscape of the NBA changing to more score first point guards, where does Ennis fit?

With two picks and in desperate need of a point guard, the Magic could certainly be a landing spot for Ennis. Pairing him with Victor Oladipo and Nikola Vucevic would make both better players, and potentially allow for a more free flowing offense. Ennis reportedly worked out for the team this weekend, and if the team were to miss out on the likes of Marcus Smart and Dante Exum, Ennis could be their guy.

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