NBA Draft 2018: 5 best pure shooters available

OMAHA, NE - MARCH 25: Grayson Allen #3 of the Duke Blue Devils concentrates at the free throw line against the Kansas Jayhawks during the 2018 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament Midwest Regional Final at CenturyLink Center on March 25, 2018 in Omaha, Nebraska. (Photo by Lance King/Getty Images) /

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WICHITA, KS – MARCH 04: Landry Shamet #11 of the Wichita State Shockers hits a jump shot during the first half against the Cincinnati Bearcats on March 4, 2018 at Charles Koch Arena in Wichita, Kansas. (Photo by Peter Aiken/Getty Images) /

4. Landry Shamet, Wichita State

Wichita State has steadily risen the mid-major ranks in recent seasons, Landry Shamet is the latest in a staple of guards that have helped the Shockers claim national attention. Shamet spent three years in school, two of which saw him sidelined for portions of the year with injuries. When healthy, Shamet is one of the purest shooters in the collegiate ranks. During his sophomore and junior seasons the 6-foot-5 guard connected on 43.9 and 44.2 percent of his 3-pointers.

Shamet has played on and off the ball during his time in college, he finished his career playing mostly point guard. His height advantage certainly helped mask some of the athleticism deficiencies he has defending at the point of attack. Yet, this isn’t a breakdown of Shamet’s overall game. This slide serves as an appreciation for the knockdown shooter that Shamet is.

As he got more comfortable playing with the ball, Shamet was able to unlock more of his shooting abilities. Gregg Marshall was not shy about letting Shamet letting shots fly early off of high screen-and-rolls if the defense slacked off. Being able to create open looks for himself was part of the reason that Shamet’s scoring numbers and shooting percentages increased each season. It is unlikely an NBA team will immediately hand over the reigns to Shamet next season, but his exposure to running an offense will certainly make him a candidate to operate as a secondary ball handler for whichever franchise ends up drafting him in June.

Like Jayson Tatum a year ago, Shamet’s rookie year three-point percentage could easily settle amongst the league leaders due to a change in role. Tatum operated in more off-the-ball plays and was able to focus on being a spot-up shooter and it’s likely that Shamet will experience much of the same next season. Place Shamet around some of the top talents in the game and his shooting abilities could make him an instant contributor in the NBA.

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