Tyler Ulis

atljwilson

The Hawks already have two good, well-established point guards.  But ball handling is a premium, and no one can have enough ball handlers.  If they decide to fill the third point guard slot via the draft, Kentucky's Tyler Ulis may be a player available to them at #21.

To find out more aboutb Ulis, we hit up Zac Oakes (@Zoakes13) from A Sea of Blue:

Tyler Ulis really has everything you want in a point guard. He is a true leader and the definition of a floor general. For a prime example of this, leading up to last year's NBA Draft, each Kentucky player that was interviewed by an unnamed NBA team was asked the question: "Which UK teammate would you pick to go to war with?" Each player gave the same answer: Tyler Ulis. Ulis will be one of the toughest and grittiest players in the league. Despite his small frame (5'9, 160 pounds) he doesn't back down from a challenge and will give everything he has on the court. His competitive level is exactly what you want if you're a GM and he can spread that to his teammates. If you need an example of the kind of leader he is, go watch the Kentucky vs. South Carolina game in Columbia where John Calipari was ejected from the game and the coaches admit that Tyler coached the team the entire game. Calipari also called him the best floor general he's coached, which includes the likes of Derrick Rose, John Wall, Eric Bledsoe, Brandon Knight, etc.

As for on-the-court strengths, his biggest strengths are passing, ball-handling, and defense. Ulis had one of the best assist-turnover ratios, which is even more impressive considering how often he had the ball in his hands during his sophomore year at Kentucky. Ulis excels at putting his teammates in position to score and has a great court vision. He was SEC Defensive Player of the Year and does really well at pressuring on-the-ball. His size will cause some problems at the NBA level, where opposing point guards will be substantially bigger, but I believe he can continue to be a strong defender that can cause quite a few turnovers. 

How does his game translate to the NBA? 

It's hard to talk about Ulis without talking about his size. Honestly, if he was 6'2 or 6'3, I believe he could be a top five pick. There just aren't many point guards under six feet in the NBA today. Isaiah Thomas always gets brought up, but he and Ulis do not play the same way. I think Ulis could start for some NBA teams, but ultimately, I believe he will be a top-tier backup point guard for many years. Championship-caliber teams always have a guy like that who can command the second unit, provide excellent value off the bench, and be highly respected by his teammates. I think Ulis is that guy, and he can excel in that role. As a starter or as the leader of a second unit, he will bring a competitive fire that will likely be unmatched by his opponents.

He's crafty enough on offense to still find ways to set up his teammates and he developed a floater at Kentucky that will be valuable when going up against NBA frontcourts. He shot below average at the rim, which is concerning, but his floater, ability to shoot off-the-dribble, and mid-range game, combined with an improving three-point jumper will make sure that Ulis keeps defenses honest with his own scoring ability.

For starters, I think he has to put on some weight. It'll be hard for Ulis to go through an 82 game season at his current frame. I think most NBA teams would like to see him around 170 pounds, but that is just a guess. Nonetheless. he has to get in the gym, put on some weight, and get stronger. On the court, I think his biggest room for improvement will be continuing to find ways to score against bigger, stronger opponents. He shot pretty well from behind-the-arc at Kentucky, but I believe he could improve there. I think he may struggle defensively to begin with, so continuing to improve his defense when going against bigger guards will be another area of improvement. 

I think Tyler's versatility will be key for him here. He can play up-tempo or in the half-court. He plays really well in transition, where he excels at finding his teammates for easy baskets. He finishes better at the rim in transition, but still not at a desired level. In the half-court, he can be more creative with his scoring ability, using his floater and ability to shoot off the dribble to put points on the board. One of the strengths of Ulis' game is his ability to control the pace. Whereas a lot of times, defenses will try to pressure the opposing point guard into a certain tempo, Ulis does the opposite. The game can be played at whatever pace he wants. Opponents are hardly ever able to slow him down or speed him up to a pace where he struggles, but he can force defenses to play faster than they want. I think he can play in a variety of styles. 

To which current NBA player would you compare him?

This is really tough. Most would say Isaiah Thomas, but I think the only thing they share is their size. Thomas relies a lot more on elite athleticism than Ulis does, simply because Ulis does not possess that level of athleticism. With that being said, I don't know that there is another current player to compare him to. Guys like this just don't come around very often. For size purposes though, the best comparison would be Thomas. 

Tyler Ulis

Draft Profile: If Hawks Go With Point Guard, It May Be Ulis