5 guards the Minnesota Timberwolves should target in the 2020 NBA Draft

Kira Lewis Jr. | 6-foot-3 PG | Age 18, Sophomore | Alabama Crimson Tide

NBA Player Comparison: Collin Sexton

Primary skills: Speed, first step off the dribble, finishing, dribble moves, vision, body control, transition scoring and playmaking

Weaknesses: Wiry frame, on-ball defense at the next level, turnovers

If you have a need for speed and want lightning in a bottle at point guard, Kira Lewis Jr. is your man. The youngest sophomore in Division-I may also be the fastest, both on and off the ball.

The Meridianville, Alabama native is averaging 16.7 points, 5.6 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 3.8 turnovers, 1.7 steals, and 0.6 blocks per game, with shooting splits of 44.5/31.5/82.4.

When you turn on an Alabama game, you quickly realize that Lewis is a dynamic lead guard that is really tough to guard on the perimeter for opposing guards. What Kira lacks in physicality and strength, he makes up for with an incredible first step that often leaves the first line of defense in the dust and allows him to get into the lane, collapse the defense, and make reads from there.

If the blow-by is not there, Lewis is more than capable of creating off the dribble to get a bucket or create space to make plays for his teammates. Kira is still developing his playmaking in the screen-and-roll, but considering his high-level vision and ability to change pace quickly and use creative dribble moves to his advantage, I believe he will make strong improvements in that department as his passing touch and feel for the game develop.

While some young point guards who possess elite quickness can struggle to have touch around the rim as a consequence of getting out of control on the drive, the Alabama point guard has excellent body control. He is a crafty finisher who can finish at a variety of angles around big men, over the top with a floater, and convert when he gets to the free-throw line.

Lewis plays at a break-neck pace and, as a result, is prone to commit turnovers. The speed of the game is definitely faster in the NBA, so he will have to prove he can take better care of the ball if he wants to find significant playing time running a lottery team’s second unit.

Where that break-neck pace comes in handy, however, is in transition. He thrives at putting pressure on the defense when he gets into gear in the open court. Again, he has good vision, which allows him to quickly read the defense and make the right play. Even when the Crimson Tide’s spacing is poor on the fastbreak, he is good at creating something out of nothing by either drawing defenders in or finishing in traffic.

Another big area I would love to see Kira improve in is his 3-point shooting. Last season, as a freshman, he shot 35.8 percent on 8.1 3s per game, but those numbers are down to just 31.5 percent shooting on 6.2 attempts per game this season. Considering he is a 82.4 percent free throw shooter, has a quick release, good form, and solid touch around the rim, I fully expect him to get back to his freshman year shooting ways once he gets adjusted to the NBA 3-point line and is not the focal point of the opposing defense’s scouting report like he is at Alabama.

My NBA player comparison here is the last player to dawn the No. 2 for the Crimson Tide, Collin Sexton. Like Lewis, Sexton is smaller, lightning quick, has great body control, and can finish around the rim at a solid clip, but struggled with his assist-to-turnover ratio and 3-point shooting in college. After shooting 33.6 percent from 3 on 4 attempts per game at Alabama, Sexton has shot a very impressive 38.4 percent from downtown in his first season and a half in the NBA.

Considering he is just 18, but will have two years of collegiate experience when he enters the draft after this season, I expect Lewis to be taken in the No. 10 to No.15 range.