[2022 NBA Draft/1-29] TyTy Washington Jr., PG, Kentucky

14. TyTy Washington Jr. | G | Kentucky | DOB: Nov. 15, 2001 (Age: 20) | 6-3 | 200 LBS | Hometown: Phoenix

STRENGTHS
Was a consensus five-star recruit. Originally committed to Creighton but decommitted following coach Greg McDermott’s “plantation” comment that surfaced in the spring of 2021. Chose Kentucky and was very good as a lead guard. Made second-team All-SEC, the All-Freshman team in the SEC and helped lead Kentucky to a conference title.

Good size and length for a combo guard who shades more toward the lead guard position at 6-foot-3 with a 6-foot-8 wingspan. Not a great athlete (we’ll get to that later) but plays with great pace. Washington’s critical skill is the ability to process the game faster than others. Seems to make the right play far more often than not.

Washington’s best skill is as a passer, something he only got to do sparingly this season because Sahvir Wheeler needed to play on the ball. Instead, he played more of an off-ball combo role because the team needed him to score. But Washington’s unselfishness is great when he’s actualized as a playmaker. Throws terrific live-dribble passes. When he got chances in ball screens, he was great at making reads. Kentucky’s offensive spacing is a mess, but Washington still showed the ability tosee cross-corner kickout reads, skip reads, pocket passes, wraparound pop reads, lobs and more. Really smart at finding the short roller when that player has an advantage on defenders. Great lob thrower and constantly makes the right baseline read when he draws the weakside help defender toward him. He’s constantly hunting for quick reads in early offense. Hit Oscar Tshiebwe in transition regularly. Kentucky didn’t get the best out of him in this regard.

Having said that, it’s easy to pigeonhole Washington into the scoring role. I love his natural touch. Legit scorer from the midrange and 3-point levels. Has one of the two best floater games in the draft class along with Iverson Molinar. Shot 57.4 percent on his 47 floater attempts this season and finished in the top 25 nationally in points scored off his floater. It’s an elite weapon for him because of how he can get it off from any angle or footwork. Even beyond that, has a terrific midrange pull-up game from within 16 feet. Took over 50 pull-up jumpers from between eight to 16 feet, per Synergy, and made them at a 59 percent clip. His form is pure, with terrific rhythm, solid elevation, smooth ball pick-up and a quick release. Really like that he can plant from multiple angles and footworks at high speed and stay balanced on the shot. Can make it going to his right or to his left. Makes them attacking closeouts, off ball screens or in isolation. Can play regularly at full speed without looking sped up. Smart ballhandler. That dribble-pass-shoot dynamic when he has the ball makes him a difficult guard.

I also like Washington from beyond the 3-point line. Think the percentages are a bit lowered because of the midseason ankle injuries. Better from midrange, but I trust him from 3. Hit 33 percent of his pull-up 3s, per Synergy. Has some real stepback skill, and again can do it going both to his right and left. Do think he’s better off the catch right now. Has a bit of a ball dip to generate power but is regularly prepped in spot-ups and ready to fire off the hop. Does occasionally go more one-two left-right step into shots while he’s drifting left. Low release point but lightning quick. Makes them from movement because of how he’s capable of realigning himself. Think he’ll be able to generate 3-point attempts, and teams will have to stay honest on him because of his dribble-pass-shoot potential while also being a high-level processor.

WEAKNESSES
A lot of it comes down to athleticism. Washington isn’t an explosive athlete. He struggles to separate from his man. While he plays at a good pace, he struggles to change speeds and go from slow to fast to slow. Doesn’t have a great first step. Also doesn’t have a ton of crossover game going forward to pressure the defense. There isn’t a ton of shiftiness there. His drives often got swallowed up in college even in one-on-one settings. Sometimes even struggled to maintain his advantage against more athletic defenders when attacking closeouts. Can he collapse a defense? It’s a fair question against tough perimeter defenders.

Also doesn’t have a ton of vertical pop. While Washington’s floater game ends up supplementing his game at the basket, he does not get as many easy shots at the rim. Per Synergy, Washington only took 32 shots at the basket in half-court settings over 31 games, a remarkably low number for a guy who might play a good amount of lead guard. Only had two dunks all year. Again, feels like a separation problem. But can he generate easier shots? Is it possible his finishing takes a hit even more against longer NBA athletes? This even stands for his ability to generate pull-ups. Takes a lot of tough jumpers because his man is almost always there to close out.

Also thought there were some defensive issues with quicker guards. Struggled to stay in front. Sometimes gave up straight-line drives. I have real worries that some of the more explosive guards in the NBA could catch him. On top of it, generally struggles with recovery. If he gets clipped by a screen, he might end up dying on the vine because he doesn’t have the quickness to get back into the play. The good news is that Washington is tough, and he’s willing to fight. He’s also generally a smart rotational defender who can get deflections. But his on-ball defense probably fits a bit better toward guarding combo guards and smaller twos than ball-screen dominant lead guards with quickness.

SUMMARY
Washington is a tough philosophical bet. Some evaluators will believe in him, and others won’t. He’s going to be a polarizing prospect. Personally, I’m on the higher side because I tend to very strongly believe in guards who can dribble, pass, shoot and make decisions at a high level. I think that is more important than athleticism in the modern NBA, where hand-checking isn’t allowed. Undeniably, there are defenders who will swallow him up. But I think Washington stands out as a terrific secondary guard to have on a team. He shouldn’t be your primary creator, but if you have a player who can break down defenses and get him the ball while the team is in rotation, that will be his best situation. Play him at point guard next to a terrific bigger creator, and he might be successful. If he can add anything in terms of athleticism and separation, he has a chance to be a valuable starter. He was not utilized in his ideal role. Plus, Kentucky now has a history of perimeter players such as Tyrese Maxey, Tyler Herro and Keldon Johnson coming in and outperforming their previous play at the school. I’ll buy Washington as likely more valuable than where he’s drafted.