Following a return to Kansas for his Sophomore year, Devon Dotson strongly improved his draft stock. On the year, Dotson averaged 18 PPG, 4 APG, 4 RPG, 2.1 SPG, and 2.4 TOPG on shooting splits of 47/31/83. Below is his full scouting report:
Name: Devon Dotson
Height/Weight: 6’2/179
Wingspan/ standing reach: 6’3/ 7’11 ½
Hand size: 9.5
Position: PG
College/ country: Kansas
Tools: Speed, defense
Pros:
- Speedy guard with great body control
- Quick reflexes
- High leaper
- High basketball IQ
- Covers lots of ground defensively
- Good vision
- Thrives in the drive & kick
- Plays well in uptempo offense
Cons:
- Unorthodox movement in jump shot release
- Short arms
- Struggles shooting off the dribble
- Easy to shoot over defensively
Overall:
Devon Dotson makes up for his short frame with outstanding speed to cover ground defensively, on-ball defensive strength, and intelligence. Defense will be one of Dotson’s early-career calling cards in the NBA, which is a rare statement for a 6’2 point guard. With the continuing wave of team defense being so important, Dotson becomes an attractive option for a winning team as an early contributor.
Offensively, Dotson’s aforementioned quickness helps him as a slasher, which played a strong role in him shooting 65% at the rim as a sophomore. Another element that makes him so lethal is his combination of vision and quickness, which he uses well to manipulate defenses for collapsing to his lethal driving ability. Dotson is one of the best players in the class at passing out of the drive, and despite his undersized stature, he can see over defenses well. The drive & kick will be Dotson’s most frequently run and most successful offensive play early in Dotson’s career.
Dotson’s shooting, while he has improved his form (shown below), still needs to become more lethal to increase his ceiling. His floor will always be high due to defensive and slashing strengths, but he could elevate his ceiling from a high-end backup to a starting caliber point guard with an improved jump shot in the NBA. Beyond spot-up form, Dotson still has to improve a significant amount as a shooter off the dribble, which may end up limiting his driving ability.
NBA Comparison: Ish Smith
Projected draft range: 23-36
Shot chart:
