Pre-Draft Journey: Daishen Nix
Team Ignite's Daishen Nix explains his basketball journey ahead of the 2021 NBA Draft.
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About Daishen Nix
• Daishen Nix is a strong lead guard who showed a budding feel for creating for others off the dribble with the inaugural G League Ignite team. Rising to rank among the top-20 prospects in the high school class of 2020 by the end of his senior year at Trinity International High School (NV), the Alaska native was named a McDonald’s All-American. Opting to join the G League Ignite team in lieu of spending a season in college, Nix carved out a key reserve role for Brian Shaw’s team averaging 8.8 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per game.
• Listed at 6’5 with a 230-pound frame, Nix is a strong guard with good size for a primary ball handler who is more adept at changing speeds and using his strength than he is particularly explosive.
• Coming off the bench to play primarily on the ball alongside the G League Ignite team’s NBA veteran combo guards, Nix had some ups and downs looking for his own offense, but showed some ability and instincts as a facilitator. An unselfish passer who had some impressive moments using his physicality to manipulate defenders and create easy shots for teammates, he is a plus passer who is still figuring out how to keep defenders honest to maximize his playmaking ability.
• Looking more comfortable guarding bigger guards than dynamic shot creators, Nix showed some intensity on the defensive end of the floor in spurts in his first season player at a high level but has room to improve his consistency and frame.
Advanced Stats
• Serving primarily as a facilitator last season with the large majority of his touches coming in the pick and roll or pushing in transition, Nix did his best work as a passer. Giving the ball up early, making the simple play, and flashing the ability to probe the lane to string out defenses before delivering the ball to his teammates, the 19-year-old did a nice job creating for others. His 2.0 assist-to-turnover ratio in the half court stands out for a player his age as he possesses a feel for handling the ball in traffic and ranked among the most productive per-minute passers in the bubble despite his relative inexperience.
• Displaying a comfort level changing speeds and using his frame to power through opposing guards, Nix averaged 1.14 points per shot around the rim [46th percentile]. He is not overwhelmingly explosive but showed some touch and patience when able to find opportunities inside.
• Averaging 0.50 points per jump shot in the half court [6th percentile], Nix has considerable room to grow as a perimeter scorer. Faring better off the catch than off the dribble, his ability to be a threat to score from all-three levels figures to play a significant role in whether he can maximize his passing ability at the next level.
Defensive Analysis
• Possessing a very strong frame for a lead guard but giving up quickness in some matchups, Nix had some ups and downs defensively as a rookie. Allowing 0.57 points per isolation possession [79th percentile], he was more comfortable guarding on the ball than chasing opposing shooters or looking to contain dribble penetration when closing out.
• Rebounding the ball at a strong rate for a guard, Nix made an effort to grab and go off the glass.
— Profile by Synergy Sports
