The Sacramento Kings have selected Syracuse guard Malachi Richardson with the 22nd pick in the 2016 NBA Draft. Richardson, a 6’6 guard out of Trenton, N.J., averaged 13.4 points, 2.1 assists and 4.3 rebounds per game during his lone season with the Orange.
NBA Draft 2016: Kings select Malachi Richardson with 22nd pick
The Kings traded Marco Belinelli to the Hornets to take the Syracuse guard.
Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
The Kings traded Marco Belinelli for rights to the pick.
As our Ricky O’Donnell noted, Richardson is the 2016 draft’s ultimate eye test prospect. Those who are fans of Richardson point to his smooth looking shooting stroke, seven-foot wingspan and full 200-pound frame. Richardson’s detractors worry about his poor shot selection and iffy shooting numbers last season at Syracuse. He shot 35 percent from deep and just 37 percent overall. Worse, his true shooting percentage of 51 is the second lowest of any collegiate player projected to be drafted, according to Draft Express.
All agree, though, that Richardson is a good athlete who at the least should be able to defend his position and has the potential to morph into a strong two-way player. Many scouting reports are also quick to point out that Richardson was efficient off catch-and-shoot looks last year and that his struggles mostly came when his team asked him to create points.
Malachi Richardson torching the nets pic.twitter.com/5f7wUBQg9s
— Mike Schmitz (@Mike_Schmitz) June 7, 2016
“He can really shoot the basketball,” one NBA GM said to ESPN’s Chad Ford in May. “He just took a lot of bad shots. He’s wild. His decision making still isn’t there, but the talent level and physical tools to get it done are there. I think he’s got some star potential.”
Richardson saw his stock rise during last year’s NCAA Tournament, where he led Syracuse, a 10 seed, to the Final Four. His 23-point outburst against Virginia left many NBA teams intrigued and impressed.
At 20, Richardson is old for this class. Most assumed he’d return to Syracuse for his sophomore season but instead, following his big postseason performance, decided to test the waters of the NBA draft without signing an agent. He signed with ASM Sports in mid-May, following an impressive showing at the draft combine.
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