DeAndre Bembry, St. Joe’s
Age: 21 years old Size: 6’5, 205 pounds
Last Season’s Stats: 17.4 points; 7.8 rebounds; 4.5 assists
Percentages: 47.9% from the field; 26.6% from three-point; 65.7% from the free throw line
DeAndre Bembry is one of the most underrated prospects in the 2016 NBA Draft. He brings with him a 24.4 percent assist rate, second to only Denzel Valentine of Michigan State, coupled with an ability to score from almost anywhere on the court. He is an elite leaper, with a tireless motor. He acted as one of St. Joe’s primary ball handlers and has a solid grasp of playing in the pick-and-roll. He feasts on teams in transition and his ability to switch positions 1-3 on defense is almost as smooth as his Afro. His 6-foot-9 wingspan helps him poke away steals and recover on shooters.
While he has all of the ability to be a starting-caliber small forward, it will come down to how he develops mentally. Bembry has issues with his consistency on both sides of the ball. He shows flashes that he could take over on either side, but it is as streaky as his jump shot. When it comes to his mechanics, he tends to sway from keeping a constant and repeated motion. He will shoot on the way down on occasion and tends to fade to either side depending on where the defensive pressure is coming from. This has led to Bembry struggling from beyond the arc. If he can clean up his mechanics, he could add the three-point shot to his repertoire he could see his offensive game take off.
Bembry has been mocked to go anywhere from 188th to the start of the second round. Odds are the Denver Nuggets will have an opportunity to select Bembry with the 19th pick in the draft. He fits the mold of a hard worker and a defensively versatile wing that the Nuggets have so desperately needed when it comes to giving up points on the perimeter. I do not see Bembry as a big name the Nuggets are gunning for but his style of play and skillset does fit in Denver.
