This piece does not reflect the views of the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Sophomore, G, Maryland 6-6, 182 lbs
College Stats in 2017-18:
32 games, 34.4 MPG, 14.8 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 3.4 APG, 50.3 FG%, 41.7 3P%, 75.8 FT%
Where he’ll go:
Huerter is projected to be a mid to late first-round pick.
The Rundown:
The first thing that pops out about Huerter is his shooting ability. The guy shot 41.7 percent from the 3-point line on 5.5 attempts per game in his sophomore season. Huerter was weighing his options on whether or not to go pro, but after the consensus seemed that he’ll at least be a first-round pick (and killing it at the Combine), he decided to stay in the draft.
While Huerter can shoot, he does more than just shoot the three offensively. When watching film on him, he has solid ball control and can score at all three levels. Obviously that will be much more difficult in the NBA than in the Big 10, but we’re at least seeing on film that he can do it.
When I talked to Huerter at the Combine, he made it clear that he wants people to know that he’s more than just a shooter, although that’s something alone that should guarantee him a long NBA career – especially with the direction the league is heading in.
“Just my unselfishness, my IQ, my ability to make plays for other people. A lot of people know shooting is definitely a strength of my game, but I want to show them I can do a little bit more than that,” Huerter said in Chicago.
There are players who have crazy athleticism. Huerter is definitely above average as an athlete, which was on display in Chicago, but what is even more noticeable is his feel for the game.
Huerter has great height for his position, standing around 6’6. He’ll need to add some weight, but when you look at today’s NBA (especially how the NBA Finals are going), a wing with Huerter’s size and athleticism should be extremely valuable.
He’s not a player who will come in right away and impact games. He just has too slight of a frame for that right now, but he’s also not a huge project, either.
Huerter looks up to two guys who didn’t immediately become stars in the league, but are today.
“I think I look to guys more like a Klay Thompson, Gordon Hayward, for guys that can not only shoot the ball but can put the ball on the court, make plays not only for themselves, but for other people.”
He's not talked among one of the top prospects in this draft, but 10 years from now, we might think differently.