NBA Draft Prospect Watch: Stock up, stock down

Stock Down: Nassir Little

Little is still firmly a tier one player in this class, as his shooting off the dribble is still one of the most coveted skills in this class. He is a special shooter, with the ability to align his body on pull-ups in an instant, especially under pressure. This is still probably the second-best skill in the class outside of Williamson’s finishing.

However, other aspects of Little’s game haven’t been as effective as they looked in his high school tape. For one, his team defense has been a little suspect early on, as he’s struggled to make necessary rotations and read and react to offensive sets when defending off-ball. He also hasn’t really been effective as a playmaker outside of his pull-up shooting, instead, acting as more of a secondary scorer in UNC’s offense. When you compare Little’s performance to R.J. Barrett, Barrett looks like more of a complete lead guard prospect currently.

The season is young, and it’s not as if Little has been a failure. He still has looked quite good in his minutes for the Tar Heels, and not many freshmen look particularly good as team defenders right now. But in the context of the top tier of the class, Little looks a clear step behind Barrett and Williamson right now, and more on par with Cameron Reddish in the battle for the class’s third-best player.