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NBA Draft 2017: 5 potential second round steals

By Chris Reichert

Jun 23, 2016; New York, NY, USA; A general view of a video board displaying all thirty draft picks in the first round of the 2016 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 23, 2016; New York, NY, USA; A general view of a video board displaying all thirty draft picks in the first round of the 2016 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports /
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Dec 7, 2016; Lexington, KY, USA; Valparaiso Crusaders forward Alec Peters (25) passes the ball against Kentucky Wildcats guard Isaiah Briscoe (13) in the second half at Rupp Arena. Kentucky defeated Valparaiso 87-63. Mandatory Credit: Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 7, 2016; Lexington, KY, USA; Valparaiso Crusaders forward Alec Peters (25) passes the ball against Kentucky Wildcats guard Isaiah Briscoe (13) in the second half at Rupp Arena. Kentucky defeated Valparaiso 87-63. Mandatory Credit: Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports /

4. Alec Peters

After testing the NBA Draft waters in 2016, Peters decided to return for his senior season, and by doing so was able to show off his ability to improve throughout his college career. He’s started every single game he played for Valparaiso and raised his scoring from 12.7 points as a freshman to 23.0 points per game as a senior last year. Peters fits the 22-year old, four-years-of-college mold of a second round pick, but has major offensive skills NBA teams are seeking out right now.

Peters measured 6-foot-9 at the draft combine this year with an almost 6-foot-11 wingspan. His NBA skill right now is clearly his shooting ability. Over his four years at Valpo, he shot 41.6 percent from 3-point distance on 694 attempts, which is more than enough to show that skill has staying power. He’s most deadly off the catch with 93 percent of his made 3s being assisted last season, but that doesn’t mean he’s stiff. Last year, he showed the ability to hit 3s on the move which bodes well for his ability to be a pick-and-pop big in the NBA. He also steadily improved his passing (14.5 assist percentage last year) and his rebounding (16.0 rebound percentage last year) throughout his four years in college.

The question marks for Peters are his ability to score inside the perimeter and his defense. If he can post up every now and then and hit some pull up shots off the dribble, he can keep NBA defenses honest which will only provide more space to hit 3s. He’s not a rim protector and his low steal rate (1.43 over four years) gives the impression he could struggle in a one-on-one scenario against stronger, quicker players. However his defensive principles are certainly there, his effort is always top notch and he looks like a guy who could end up being a Ryan Anderson-type or maybe an Omri Casspi-type guy at worst.

Peters missed the last four games of his senior season after suffering a stress fracture in his right leg, so he didn’t compete at the combine, but hopefully he will be ready for NBA Summer League.

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